COVID riddled Rotherham put up a good fight against promotion pushing Watford, but overwhelming quality and tired bodies proved the difference.
A moment of shining sun on a gloomy day came via the boot of Freddie Ladapo who rifled a ball with real anger into the top bins, but Watford’s superior fitness cut through the Millers defence like a hot knife through butter.
Three in the first half and one straight after Ladapo’s screamer was Rotherham’s undoing in the first game back after covid took root in the Millers camp.
Watford took advantage over the covid weakened Rotherham in the early stages by playing a short corner and finding Francisco Sierrata in the area with the whipped cross. The Chilian rose above Richard Wood and headed home.
The Hornets extended their lead halfway through the first half. Ismaila Sarr popping up in the area after a smart save by Jamal Blackman.
Watford made it three before half time with a decent half volley from Ken Sema on the edge of the 18-yard-area. The corner fell and bounced kindly for Sema and the damage was done before the break.
Today was not Rotherham’s day. A soft penalty was awarded in favour of the men in red, possibly out of sympathy, but Hornet’s keeper Daniel Bachmann didn’t have any for Michael Smith from 12-yards, saving to his mid-right. Bachmann cemented the feeling of ‘its not our day’.
Ladapo’s strike was a moment of brief excitement and has a case for goal of the day. The forward picked up the ball and produced a carbon copy of his movements at Hillsborough a fortnight ago. A cut inside and a strike hit with real venom and anger at the score-line left Bachmann a bystander.
But, with celebrations still happening on the sideline, Watford popped in their fourth with Dan Gosling tapping home a parried Blackman save.
It’s a case of rest and recovery for Rotherham before the Bristol City trip on Saturday. Three players are still out and in self isolation. An unknown number are still suffering aftereffects of the virus.
Goals: (Sierrata 8), (Sarr 26), (Sema 38), Ladapo 68, (Gosling 69)
Teams:
Rotherham: Blackman, S MacDonald (Sadlier 72), Wood ©, Wiles (Harding 54), Ladapo (Hirst 78), Ihiekwe, A MacDonald, Olosunde (Giles 72), Smith (Jozefzoon 78), Crooks, Barlaser
(Subs not used: Johansson, Gratton, Hull)
Watford: Bachmann, Troost-Ekong, Zinckernagel (Sanchez 66), Pedro, Masina, Sema, Chalobah © (Gosling 66), Hughes (Success 79), Femenia (Gray 52), Sarr (Ngakia 52), Sierrata
(Subs not used: Foster, Cathcart, Lazaar, Hungbo)
Referee: J Simpson
Use code xi-908 when you download the FanHub app to jump the queue!
The Wandering Yorkshireman 