' Match Reports: Cardiff City v Rotherham '

Cardiff City 0 - 0 Rotherham match report: Dismal Bluebirds stutter to stalemate against Championship strugglers

Dec 06, 2014

By Steve Tucker


Cardiff City surrendered their perfect home record under manager Russell Slade in a deeply frustrating and tedious goalless draw against Rotherham.

The Bluebirds failed to make it six home wins on the bounce thanks to a below par showing in a game that rarely sparked into life. The Millers, who had the better chances in truth, will be much more the pleased as they grabbed a point to help in their battle at the bottom end of the table.

Cardiff, meanwhile, are left still chasing a top six place after a showing which illustrated that they are still very much a work in progress under new man Slade.

The first-half was deadly dull setting the tone for the whole encounter. It was as if both sides were fighting the drop rather than just the visitors with a distinct lack of quality everywhere and errors halting play before anything could really develop.

In truth it was the Millers who perhaps had the better of things. Tom Lawrence, on loan from Leicester, tried to provide some inspiration and, as the Bluebirds defence struggled, the ball had to be hacked off the line twice.

Going forward Cardiff offered very little in the first period. A trio of headers from Sean Morrison from set-pieces failed to hit the target but Craig Noone’s shot on 38 minutes at least tested Adam Collin in the Millers goal.

Rotherham started the second-half stronger too and were to rattle their hosts and their crossbar. Lawrence fired a shot straight at Marshall from the edge of the box on 50 minutes and then Emmanuel Ledesma forced a good save from the Bluebirds goalkeeper.

Cardiff's best chance came when substitute Federico Macheda was put through only to see his shot trickle towards goal before being booted clear.

And Cardiff were very fortunate on 74 minutes when Alex Revell’s header hit the bar and bounced over. It looked like Marshall got a touch on it too.

On a cold afternoon at a muted Cardiff City Stadium there proved to be very little seasonal cheer for Slade and his men as they remain frustratingly short of the play-off places.

Cardiff City 0 - Rotherham United 0
Cardiff City Stadium
6 December 2014 3.00pm
Attendance: 20,419


Millers Come Back From Wales With A Point

Rotherham United gained an away point at Cardiff this afternoon where they outplayed and out passed the City side on the pitch while out singing the Bluebirds fans in the stands.

Steve Evans brought back Kari Arnason and Alex Revell to the starting eleven but it was Emmanuel Ledesma who tested David Marshall in the home goal after he robbed John Brayford and got a throw-in where he got the ball again and just dragged a powerful shot wide with the City 'keeper stood watching. At the other end some nice footwork from Kim Bo-Kyung brought a good safe from Millers 'keeper Adam Collin before Sean Morrison rose highest to a cross from Peter Whittingham but put his header wide. Minutes later some nice work from Arnason saw him put in a super ball which was just out of Revell`s reach and soon after Scott Wootton was very quick to capitalise on some poor defending but his shot towards goal was a little heavy and was cleared. Ben Pringle was the next to try his luck but curled a shot over while the very lively Tom Lawrence set Pringle up who decided not to shoot but pass to Revell but Marshall was quicker than the Millers striker and collected the ball. Morrison again rose above his markers at the other end but again wasn`t on target with Lawrence saw a shot go over at the other end of the pitch. In the final minute of the half the Millers are awarded a free-kick which Ledesma pushes everyone else out of the way to take but saw his cross miss everyone in the box and go out for a goal-kick.

The Milers started the second half brightly and when Emmanuel Ledesma saw Tom Lawrence move into the box he looked to get the ball to him - or was it a shot - but the ball went behind. At the other end Peter Whittingham had a good chance and finding himself in space maybe should have shot at goal but instead he decided to pass and Paul Green gets the ball away. Lawrence got himself free of his markers and had a shot at goal but David Marshall easily saved and a minute later the Millers were awarded a free-kick which Ledesma took and came close as it ripped the net but on the wrong side. Pringle had a shot which was probably meant for Ledesma but went out for a goal-kick before the Craig Morgan had to be alert to get to a header before Kenwyne Jones and put it out for a corner. Alex Revell got a lovely ball from Lawrence but saw his effort blocked before Morgan, again, has to come to the Millers rescue and make a good recovering block from a Craig Noone header. At the other end some super work from Ledesma saw him take a shot which brought off a very good save from Marshall. The home side start to get a bit more into the game and former Miller Adam Le Fondre was only outwitted by some sharp defending from the Millers before he could get to a loose ball in the box before some good goalkeeping from Adam Collin kept out a fierce shot from Federico Macheda, on for Kenwyne Jones. And at the other end Marshall was soon making a wonderful save of his own when some good work from Richie Smallwood found Revell in acres of space and then saw his shot tipped onto the crossbar by the Cardiff 'keeper before going out for what should have been a corner but referee Andy D`Urso, who had made some strange decisions all day, gave the hosts a goal-kick. The travelling Millers then stood to applaud Ledesma as he was substituted with Jordan Bowery coming on in his place. Cardiff found the Millers in a bit of disarray and a couple of times the visitors had to hack the ball out of the area before Collin took charge and caught the ball from a Noone header. In time added on there was really only one team going for a last minute goal Paul Taylor, on for Ben Pringle, hits a thunderous shot which is deflected for a throw-in. Arnason takes the throw long and after a bit of head tennis the ball is headed clear and the whistle is blown for full time.

Well, on the way home, the local Cardiff Radio Station said it had been a boring game! Well, it might have been from their end but I enjoyed it! We had a lot of possession and a lot of shots towards goal and played in on the floor and not up in the air. A good effort from the Millers against a team who, this time last year, were in the Premier League.



Star Player
Difficult this one as there wasn't a player who had a bad game out there today. I have to say that Craig Morgan and Kari Arnason did well in defence. Alex Revell, as usual, ran his socks off. Reece James had another good game and Adam Collin was solid. Mannu Ledesma was brilliant today. But, I think my Man of the Match has to go to Tom Lawrence for his all round effort.

BBC
6 December 2014


Cardiff City failed to win at home for the first time in six matches after a goalless draw against struggling Rotherham United.

Federico Macheda had the Bluebirds' best effort, but his shot was saved by Millers goalkeeper Adam Collin.

Adam Revell hit the crossbar with a header for United in a match of few clear-cut chances.

Rotherham remain one place above the relegation zone in 21st, while Cardiff drop to ninth.

Steve Evans' side have now gone eight matches without a win in the Championship.
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Steve Evans: Rotherham manager on Cardiff draw
But their hard-fought point at the Cardiff City Stadium extends the gap between them and 22nd placed Brighton, who lost 3-0 at leaders Derby, to two points.
Bluebirds boss Russell Slade, meanwhile, was hoping to exact revenge over the Yorkshire side, who won promotion from League One in the play-off final in May on penalties, when he was in charge of Leyton Orient.
The visitors, who have only won once on the road in the league this season, started the brightest with midfielder Richard Smallwood's long-range effort going narrowly wide of the Cardiff goal.
Rotherham dominated possession in the first half, but failed to create any real chances of note.
Cardiff also struggled to get going and forced their first corner of the half in the 43rd minute.
After the break United were first to threaten to break the deadlock, as former Manchester United forward Tom Lawrence cut inside the Cardiff penalty area, but saw his effort well held by goalkeeper David Marshall.
Moments later Rotherham's Argentine midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma, on loan from Middlesbrough, went close, striking a free-kick from 25 yards out, narrowly wide of the Bluebirds' upright.

Second-half substitute Macheda came on for the largely ineffective Kenwyne Jones and his arrival sparked the liveliest spell of the match as Cardiff pressed forward.
Peter Whittingham and Adam Le Fondre had efforts on goal blocked, before Aaron Gunnarsson's pass picked out Italian striker Macheda in the area, but his shot was parried away by Rotherham keeper Collin.
The visitors counter-attacked in a breathless passage of play, which ended as Revell headed Smallwood's cross against the Cardiff crossbar.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade: "The whole changing room is very disappointed because we got a terrific result last week, trained really well but were below par today.
"We deviated from our game plan and what we're good at and it hasn't got us the result that we wanted.
"If you look at the bigger picture, it's our third clean sheet in four, however, are we the finished article? Of course we are not."

Rotherham manager Steve Evans on his on-loan midfielder Tom Lawrence: "Tom's a real smashing talent, in the first half he was unplayable.

"The boys at Cardiff had a real problem with him, he was popping up everywhere on the pitch and hurting them with his quality on the ball.

"Leicester manager Nigel Pearson might be saying in January that he is a big part of what they are trying to do because he showed today he should be playing a level above."