Rotherham United vs Millwall. Sky Bet Championship.
New York Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at the New York Stadium
Saturday 19 September 2020 18:14, UK
Millwall put in a clinical display as they kick-started their Sky Bet Championship campaign with a 1-0 win at Rotherham.
After a six-month lay-off, football was back at the New York Stadium but it was hardly a classic as few chances were created by either side and Millwall snatched the game's best opportunity to land their first three points of the season.
The first decent opening of the game fell the way of newly-promoted Rotherham's Freddie Ladapo but he sliced wide after Chiedozie Ogbene had picked him out from the right wing.
Scott Malone would then have felt disappointed not to test Jamal Blackman with a free-kick from just outside of the box. His strike went high and wide.
Millwall fended off a sustained period of pressure in their own half including three consecutive corners as the half petered out goalless.
The visitors needed to show more invention in the second period but their opening goal in the 50th minute was a gift from the hosts.
Michael Ihiekwe missed a simple through ball and Jed Wallace easily darted through on goal and beyond Blackman to stroke into an unguarded net.
Another opportunistic chance fell to the same player but he mishit a bouncing ball wide from the edge of the area.
Rotherham reacted well and Bartosz Bialkowski had to cling on to Angus MacDonald's header from Ogbene's cutback.
Rotherham manager Paul Warne made a double change to get back into the game with new signing George Hirst, son of former England international David, brought on for his debut.
Joe Mattock offered the next attacking threat from left-back, though, as his effort had Bialkowski scrambling to tip wide for a corner.
Leicester loanee Hirst then came close to a first Millers goal but his snapshot was crucially blocked.
Millwall had set up to spring on the counter-attack and Jed Wallace looked their most potent threat as he broke down the right and fired over.
Rotherham kept pushing to get level in the final 10 minutes with Millwall content to show little ambition in getting forward.
Neat play between substitute Ben Wiles and Mattock down the left led to a dangerous cross but it evaded a touch from any Rotherham attacker.
Millwall managed to see out the bulk of four minutes of stoppage time in Rotherham's half but had one scare as Wiles' cross had to be clawed away by Bialkowski.
Rotherham's Paul Warne: "If I thought we played badly, I'd say. We matched them as well as we could. I felt sorry for them that they didn't come away with something. I'm probably happier this week than last week. Millwall defended the crosses really well so fair play to them. I think they're a top-eight side.
"It is about taking chances. You don't get many in the Championship. I was hoping the net would rattle in the second half but it wasn't to be. To come away with nothing is disappointing. I thought they started better than us in the second half. I don't know why. In the end we asked a few questions but we didn't create a gilt-edged chance. I thought it gives us real optimism that we can go toe-to-toe with a real good side in the league and feel hard done to by it."
Millwall's Gary Rowett: "I thought it was a very difficult game. Rotherham want to drag you into a really physical game which they're really good at. Rotherham test you and make it really difficult with their big physical strikers. We get a little bit of fortune with the goal but Jed (Wallace) nevertheless anticipates it well and takes it well.
"It would have been really easy to crumble in to the pressure. We didn't do enough in an attacking sense to win the game really. I asked them at half-time to play with a little bit more brightness because they press well and they are really well organised. We just didn't play with any real composure."
