Daniel Ayala sees red again as Rotherham United suffer more away woe

Ollie Rathbone battles for possession against Plymouth. Picture by JIM BRAILSFORD

A week after getting his marching orders against Swansea City, the Spaniard erred again, collecting two yellow cards and a dismissal that left his team-mates to play more than half an hour with ten men.

The long trip to Devon was to have a cruel end for the depleted Millers as Morgan Whittaker clinched a 3-2 win for the home side with a 97th minute decider, that after Jamie Lindsay’s early strike and a rare Rotherham United goal for Tom Eaves had looked like earning a point.

Lindsay drilled the Millers into a 16th minute lead as Rotherham, under the charge of Leam Richardson in his first away game, started the stronger.

Jordan Hugill should have doubled the advantage from a free header before two serious injuries to Plymouth players led to 13 minutes of first-half stoppage time, enough for Finn Azaz to equalise from the penalty spot after a foul by Sam Nombe.

The Millers were caught sleeping at their back post when Azaz pounced to make it 2-1 seven minutes into the second half before Ayala’s moment of madness, needlessly handling the ball when he was already walking a tightrope from a first-half yellow.

Plymouth slowly turned the screw after that on an afternoon when they hit both posts and the crossbar but the Millers hung in and earned a lifeline when Eaves stole into the penalty area to turn the ball into the roof of the net on 77 minutes shortly after coming on as a sub.

It was his first strike since his return to Rotherham last year.

Richardson was brave in the latter stages, putting on a second striker in Georgie Kelly in an effort to end the club’s 13-month long wait for an away win.

The Millers forced one or two nervous moments in the Plymouth penalty area and were moments away from a battling point when Whittaker, a threat all afternoon, nipped in behind the back line to slip the ball under Viktor Johansson.

It was a hugely disappointing end to a frustrating afternoon at Home Park and a third straight defeat for the visitors.

It also means Rotherham’s 403-day wait for an away win is set to stretch even further.

They are now nine points from the Championship safety line ahead of the Christmas programme, which starts away to title chasers Leicester City next Saturday.

Subs: Phillips, Eaves, Kelly, Hall, Morrison, Revan, Appiah, McGuckin.

Referee: Gavin Ward

Attendance: 16,025