Cardiff City 0-1 Rotherham: Millers avoid the drop with a win

05/08/2021

Cardiff City 1-1 Rotherham: Late heartache for the Millers as Marlon Pack’s 88th minute equaliser sinks them down to League One after Lewis Wing’s goal looked like it would secure their Championship survival

Rotherham took an early lead after just eight minutes through Lewis Wing
The Millers had plenty of chances to extend their lead but couldn’t find the net
There was late heartache for Rotherham after Marlon Pack’s 88th minute goal
Pack’s goal confirmed relegation for the Millers back down to League One

Marlon Pack’s late equaliser broke Rotherham hearts to send them back down to League One, but spared Wayne Rooney’s blushes as Derby survived on a dramatic final day.

Lewis Wing’s stunning volley looked as if it was going to be enough to seal Championship safety for the Millers while the Rams and Sheffield Wednesday battled it out at Pride Park.

Paul Warne’s men would have survived if they had turned their domination into goals, but they left the door open for Pack to snatch a late equaliser that meant they returned to the third tier after a chaotic final day.

Rotherham have been relegated back down to League One after their late defeat to Cardiff

Paul Warne’s side looked to be minutes from survival before Marlon Pack’s 88th minute goal

Rotherham players look on dejected after conceding with minutes to spare against Cardiff

Millers manager Warne handed Florian Jozefzoon the task of relegating his parent club.

The Rams forward, who joined the Yorkshire side on loan at the start of the season, knew victory in the Welsh capital could spell disaster for Wayne Rooney and his Derby colleagues.

The Suriname international started as part of an attacking front three, while Angus MacDonald slotted in at centre-back in place of Daniel Barlaser.

Cardiff: Phillips, Flint, Pack, Nelson, Ng, Bacuna (Williams 59), Ralls, Brown, Colwill (Harris 46), Wilson (Ojo 77), Kieffer Moore (Murphy 59) (Bamba 95)

Subs: Smithies, Tomlin, Evans, Bowen

Goal: Pack 88

Booked: Ralls

Rotherham: Blackman, Ihiekwe (Ladapo 90), Angus MacDonald, Wood, Harding, Jozefzoon (Lindsay 62), Wiles (Mattock 87), Wing (Ogbene 92), Giles, Crooks, Smith

Subs: Johansson, Mattock, Shaun MacDonald, Ogbene, Sadlier, Olosunde, Barlaser

Goal: Wing 8

Booked: Ihiekwe, Wiles

Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire)

There was a welcome return to the Cardiff City bench for Sol Bamba, who was back in the fold after undergoing his final course of chemotherapy in his ongoing battle with cancer.

Lee Tomlin also featured on the bench for the first time under Mick McCarthy, who named an unchanged starting side following their 4-0 triumph at Birmingham.

The Millers, desperate to seal Championship survival, were given lift-off by a stunning strike from Wing.

Wes Harding’s cross was headed away from the Cardiff box by Perry NG, but Wing advanced towards the high, floating clearance and unleashed a fierce volley from 25 yards out that beat Dillon Phillips to his left for an invaluable lead.

Rotherham had a string of chances to pile even more pressure on Derby and Sheffield Wednesday.

First captain Richard Wood headed wide from a corner before Matt Crooks sliced a shot wide after latching onto a cross from strike partner Michael Smith.

Angus MacDonald also had a shot cleared off the line, but despite their total domination, the visitors were unable to give themselves another relegation lifeline as the first half ended 1-0.

McCarthy read his Cardiff players the riot act at half-time as they came out firing in the second-half.

Lewis Wing had given Rotherham a glimmer of hope after his eighth minute goal

Wing had a chance to double his side’s advantage from close range but missed

Kieffer Moore fired over three minutes into the second period before being denied by some heroic defending from Wood.

The Rotherham bench were cheering every tackle, block, and refereeing decision, but their enthusiasm waned after news filtered through of Martyn Waghorn’s leveller at Pride Park.

Still, Smith pushed to make it 2-0 when he forced a save from a tight angle, but their efforts looked as if they were paling into insignificance when Patrick Roberts put Derby ahead.

The director’s box went wild when Callum Paterson equalised for the Owls to put Rotherham back in the driving seat.

But as events unfolded across the border, there was still one twist left in the tale at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The hosts marched forward and found Pack with the space to drill a low strike into the bottom corner, meaning their great fight for survival fell short.

Rotherham players have their head in their hands after Wing missed a big chance for the side

Joe Ralls consoles Rotherham’s Angus MacDonald moments after the final whistle

Sol Bamba hugs Rotherham manager Paul Warne before coming on as a sub in stoppage time

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