The injury verdict on Sam Nombe. And a Blackpool blast from Rotherham United boss Matt Hamshaw
AN injury update on missing man Sam Nombe offered the sole reason for optimism as Rotherham United suffered their heaviest defeat of their season tonight.
The Millers fell to their fifth straight League One in their clash at Blackpool and their display was so poor that boss Matt Hamshaw branded it “awful”.
Striker Nombe, averaging more than a goal every other game when he is available this term, sat out the embarrassment on the north-west coast because of injury.
Fortunately, the issue isn't thought to be serious and the 27-year-old, who has missed chunks of the campaign with hamstring and quad problems, may be back for the New Year's Day home encounter with Peterborough United.
“Hopefully, not as bad as first feared,” Hamshaw said. “It's going to be a daily thing as to whether we can get him back for Thursday.”
Nombe picked up the complaint at Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day when he bagged his second goal in two outings.
“You can see the impact he has on the team,” Hamshaw said. “It's just an overstretch on a hamstring.”
Rotherham conceded two goals in each half against the Tangerines to slip to 22nd place in the table and they also lost another centre-forward, Jordan Hugill, to a broken nose before the interval.
After a decent start, they hardly bothered the home defence.
“We need to find a way of being a threat when we don't have Nombe in the team, I think that's obvious,” Hamshaw said.
“I thought there were a few decent balls that went across the box in the first half. Either we didn't make contact or we didn't hit the target.”
The manager took a long time to emerge from the away dressing room at Bloomfield Road to face the media.
“It was an awful performance - not enough character, not enough leadership, just not good enough,” he said. “I'm disappointed in the body language. I've just told the players that.
“Some have had a chat back and agreed it's not good enough. I don't want to go too much into what went on.”
Rotherham fans made their feelings known at the final whistle when the team went to the away stand in a show of appreciation and Hamshaw fears that the ill feeling will be taken back to AESSEAL New York Stadium.
“We've got two back-to-back home games (Peterborough and Mansfield Town),” he said. “It's going to be difficult because the level of performance hasn't been good enough. The fans will come and they'll probably be a little bit negative because of what they've been seeing. I understand it.
“We have to give them something. We have to be on the front foot. We have to win duels and battles that we haven't done.
“That narks me. Tonight is miles away, and it brings back shades of when we first came into the club.”
The boss took the hot-seat in March following a spell of under-achievement during the 11-month reign of Steve Evans and stressed immediately that a major rebuild was required,
“I've spoken openly about the difficulty that we're going to have, I've spoken openly about how we're going to be an up-and-down season,” he said.
“I didn't see this coming, though, I haven't seen these five games coming. I think tonight and against Huddersfield Town (3-1 home reverse on December 20) we were miles off it, and that is what disappoints me.”
Blackpool (5-3-2): Bailey Peacock-Farrell; Danny Imray (Scott Banks 65), Olly Casey, Fraser Horsfall, James Husband (Andy Lyons 74), Zac Ashworth; Josh Bowler, Albie Morgan (Jordan Brown 74), George Honeyman (Lee Evans 74); Ashley Fletcher (CJ Hamilton 84), Tom Bloxham. Subs not used: Franco Ravizzoli, Emil Hansson.
Rotherham (3-4-1-2): Cameron Dawson; Jamal Baptiste, Hamish Douglas (Joe Rafferty 74), Zak Jules (Sean Raggett 74); Denzel Hall, Dan Gore (Liam Kelly 74), Joe Powell, Reece James; Ar'Jany Martha; Kion Etete (Josh Ayres 74), Jordan Hugill (Dru Yearwood 38). Subs not used: Ted Cann, Shaun McWilliams.
Goals: Bowler 11, Imray 19, Fletcher 62, Bloxham 90+4 (Blackpool)
Referee: Ollie Yates (Staffordshire)