MATCH REPORT: Stoppage-time heartbreak for Millers

TWO stoppage-time goals sunk Rotherham United after they’d been on course for a deserved point at Brentford.
Jon Taylor scraps for possession at Griffin Park. Picture: Trevor PriceJon Taylor scraps for possession at Griffin Park. Picture: Trevor Price
Jon Taylor scraps for possession at Griffin Park. Picture: Trevor Price

They twice came back to level in the second half and looked like drawing when substitute Anthony Forde smashed in from distance to make it 2-2 late on, only for Spanish forward Jota to score twice in the dying minutes to complete his hat-trick and a 4-2 win for the relieved hosts.

Danny Ward, Tom Adeyemi, Aimen Belaid and Semi Ajayi all returned to the Millers line-up and not for the first this season there was a late change when goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell was injured in the warm-up and Lewis Price had to pull on the gloves at short notice.

Price was beaten inside 12 minutes as a break down the left saw the ball break for Jota fire across the stand-in keeper and inside the far post.

It set the tone for the first half, with Brentford’s quick passing and movement causing problems. Belaid diverted Florian Jozefzoon’s shot against his own post and Rotherham threatened only sporadically in the opening 45, Ward going closest when he bundled just wide from Jon Taylor’s cross.

After a pep talk from Paul Warne, they came out for the second half determined to have a go and got their reward on 68 minutes. Forde crossed and Belaid got up to send a header looping into the top corner.

There was nearly a second when Ward diverted a Forde effort just wide and despite his non-stop efforts, Taylor was guilty of a bad miss, putting a header into the ground and over with the goal gaping.

Will Vaulks tries to get Rotherham moving.

Brentford exacted punishment when Nico Yennaris turned in Ryan Woods' centre to go 2-1 up with 12 minutes to go. It looked like being the decider until Forde rattled in from 25 yards in the 87th minute.

Rotherham were good value for 2-2 but it was the home side who had more left. After the referee signalled four minutes of stoppage time, Ajayi’s handball ended with Jota converting from the penalty spot and with the game stretched, he put the finishing touch to a breakaway to seal the Millers' 17th Championship away defeat.

They now trail the fourth-bottom club, Bristol City, by 16 points with 12 games to play.

Brentford: Bentley, Colin, Bjelland, Jozefzoon (Canos 71), Yennaris, Egan, Woods, Kerschbaumer (Shaibu 77), Sawyers, Henry, Jota

Millers: Price; Kelly, Belaid (Mattock 82), Ajayi, Purrington; Taylor, Smallwood, Vaulks, Newell (Forde 59); Adeyemi; Ward

Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire)

Attendance: 9,918

 

 

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