Middlesbrough vs Rotherham United. Sky Bet Championship.
Riverside StadiumAttendance26,140.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Rotherham United at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday | Marcus Forss earns Boro a late point after Cafu had put Millers ahead.
Saturday 20 January 2024 18:03, UK
Rotherham's long wait for an away win continues after Marcus Forss struck late on to force a 1-1 draw for Middlesbrough.
In freezing temperatures at the Riverside, Boro failed to find the firepower to turn possession into enough goals to close the gap to the Sky Bet Championship play-off spots.
And it looked as if Rotherham, still rooted to the foot of the table, had made Michael Carrick's men pay with Cafu's 59th-minute opener.
The 30-year-old Portuguese winger's first goal of the season looked like it could end a 14-match winless run away from home dating back to November 2022.
But Forss' powerful strike in the 82nd minute levelled things up to secure a point for the hosts.
Middlesbrough controlled things by and large from start to finish but reached half-time goalless, yet Rotherham could easily have taken an early lead.
Jordan Hugill, the former Middlesbrough striker and Teessider, wasted a fantastic chance from just outside the box. He spotted goalkeeper Tom Glover off his line but his lob from 22 yards out dropped wide.
After that the home side, who lost winger Isaiah Jones through injury early on after he fell under a Hugill shove, created plenty of openings but lacked the scoring touch.
Defender Matt Clarke headed wide from a corner while Finn Azaz missed the target after he had cleverly been played in behind the Rotherham backline.
Sam Greenwood forced goalkeeper Viktor Johansson into a flying save to his right from distance and that was moments before the forward appeared to be pulled back in the area by defender Peter Kioso.
Despite Boro's complaints, referee Darren Bond waved play on and dismissed any claims for a penalty.
Before the break substitute Forss was denied by Johansson following an incisive Hayden Hackney pass but otherwise Rotherham were pretty solid.
Millers head coach Leam Richardson's tactics continued to frustrate Middlesbrough after the restart and after a few more Middlesbrough runs came to nothing, Rotherham broke the deadlock just before the hour.
Hugill's excellent pass with the outside of his boot after strong play from Jamie Lindsay was perfectly weighted for Cafu to run on to and finish first time low and beyond Glover.
After that Rotherham attempted to slow things down again and Johnasson was booked for taking too long on a goal-kick after full-back Luke Ayling had fired wide from the edge of the area.
Matt Crooks, Josh Coburn and Lewis O'Brien were introduced in a bid to turn things around and within seconds of the latter pair's arrival on the pitch, Forss levelled.
Morgan Rogers, who has reportedly been the subject of Aston Villa bids this week, burst into life. His flick was perfect for Forss to hammer inside Johansson's near post with eight minutes left.
Middlesbrough thought they had won it in stoppage time when Coburn slid in to finish, but the flag went up for offside because Crooks had attempted to make contact with the cross at the near post.
Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:
"It's disappointing because we have had two games against them now and came away with a point. It's difficult to understand but credit to them for making things difficult.
"There were bright moments, some good football in the game, but the second half was stop-start, free-kicks, throw-ins, not a real flow in the game, so it was difficult to get going.
"Credit to the boys, it wasn't easy. We finished strong and we scored a perfectly good goal to win 2-1. You always find a way to take a positive. It could have been more frustrating as the game went on, they never gave up.
"The story of the game for me is that their goal is offside. Hugill is offside in build up, right in front of the linesman. Crooks is onside at the end. Key moments.
"I was shouting for offside in build up to their goal, the officials didn't flinch, and led to a goal from nowhere. Two massive decisions."
Rotherham's Leam Richardson:
"I feel a little bit pleased with our structure, the competitive nature and the account we have given of ourselves.
"I'm also mindful of the quality of the opposition and the environment we are playing in.
"We have to play a certain way to get the best out of the players we have. Everyone adapts slightly with the opposition, and credit to the players for the output they have given against a team pushing for the play-offs, and in a cup semi-final.
"When it goes so late you are disappointed. After the game your emotions can take you either way and I am a manager-coach who likes to look back and evolve.
"The goal was avoidable, they all are. We probably could have been more mindful late on in possession.
"If we work as hard as we can and the lads have given full attention since I arrived in the building, we are not blessed with facilities, so we have been adapting, learning different things, and if we keep performing like that I believe we will give ourselves a better fighting chance. We might as well give it a go rather than roll over."
