Rotherham United 2-0 Morecambe
Sky Bet League One
AESSAL New York Stadium
Tuesday 22 February
Kick-Off: 7:45pm
Attendance: 8,376 (183 Shrimps)
A Freddie Ladapo first-half double was enough for Rotherham United to walk away with all three points at the AESSAL New York Stadium.
The first chance of the game saw the Millers open the scoring through Ladapo. A ball forward by Ollie Rathbone was picked up by the front-man, his touch out of his feet bounced nicely and saw him hit a half-volley into the roof of the net leaving Trevor Carson with no chance.
Cole Stockton came close to levelling things on the 15th minute after some fantastic play out wide by Shane McLoughlin.
The midfielder’s touch out of his feet saw him beat a defender before pulling a cross back for Stockton, the striker, on the volley, forced a good save out of Josh Vickers in the Rotherham goal.
Paul Warne’s men doubled their lead on the half-an-hour mark, a perfectly weighted through ball from Dan Barlaser found Ladapo on the run, his left-footed effort had enough on it to finds the bottom-right corner of the goal via a touch from the post.
With minutes of the half remaining the Millers almost added a third. A through ball from Ladapo found Michael Smith on the run but the striker could not find the back of the net with his shot.
Half-time: Rotherham United 2-0 Morecambe
On the 54th minute the Shrimps came close to finding a way back into the game thorough Stockton.
A mistake in the Rotherham back-line saw the ball make its way to Stockton at the far-post but the striker could not find the back of the net with his attempt from close range.
Moments later Carson produced a piece of stunning goalkeeping to deny Ladapo his hat-trick.
The striker ran at O’Connor looking to use his as cover before getting his shot away, it took a deflection off the Irishman but a superb one-handed save from Carson saw him tip the ball onto the post before collecting the rebound.
Jon Obika was introduced just after the hour mark and almost profited from a misplaced back-pass by the Millers defence, he picked the ball up and let fly from just outside the box, but Vickers produced a stunning save of his own to preserve his clean sheet.
The Shrimps had the ball in the back of the net on the 66th minute through defender Rhys Bennett, but referee Simon Mather ruled the goal out for a foul in the middle of the box as the corner came in.
Vickers who clearly had his Weetabix this morning again made another save to deny Obika, this time tipping over a goal-bound header onto the roof of his own goal.
There was one final chance for the Shrimps which fell to Ryan Cooney after some impressive footwork by the full-back, he danced his way into the box before unleashing a left-footed effort which cannoned off a post and back into the grateful grasp of Vickers.
Full-time: Rotherham United 2-0 Morecambe
Rotherham United: Vickers, Harding, Barlaser (Odoffin 72’), Wood (C), Osei-Tutu (Ogbene 58’), Wiles, Ladapo, Ferguson (MacDonald 84’), Rathbone, Ihiekwe, Smith.
Subs not used: Johansson, Bola, Lindsay, Kayode.
Goals: Ladapo 4’, 30’
Bookings: Wiles 45’
Red cards: None.
Morecambe: Carson, Leigh, O’Connor, Bedeau, Bennett, Cooney, Diagouraga (Duffus 81’), Fane (Wildig 69’), McLoughlin, Stockton, Ayunga (Obika 61’)
Subs not used: Smith, Connolly, Phillips, Gibson.
Goals: None.
Bookings: Bedeau 74’
Red cards: None.