Rotherham United took another step in the battle for survival to take their win counter to ten.
The Millers, now rested and trained, looked comfortable and organised at Bristol City. A spark contrast to the Watford game on Tuesday evening.
Michael Smith opened the scoring with his ninth of the campaign and 100th career goal in fine fashion with a flick header over the Robins keeper.
The Millers pressed for an advantage and found it via the head of former loanee, Zak Vyner. The defender heading into his own net following a Dan Barlaser corner. Millers Captain, Richard Wood, will be claiming it after wheeling away celebrating.
Bristol City played the possession game in the first half, testing the Rotherham defence with the occasional probing attack. The Millers repelled each one with only minor stress moments. A clever counter by the Robins, whist Richard Wood lay on the deck, looked to be flash point. But equally clever defending stopped it dead.
An early injury forced the first hand from Bristol City as Tomas Kalas rose up on Smith and fell awkwardly. Vyner replaced the injured captain.
The deadlock was broken by the first shot on target from Rotherham. Michael Smith appeared in front of David Bentley and got the faintest of touches on a peach cross from Wes Harding on the right and the header put the Millers ahead just before half time.
The second half followed the story of the first, Bristol City probing, Rotherham defending well and slowly upsetting flow of the game.
A bullet header from Michael Ihiekwe was saved brilliantly by Bentley in the Robins goal, but he was powerless to stop the ‘wrecking ball’ a few moments later.
Wood rose highest in a swam of red shirts in the box to contact Barlaser’s in swinging corner, but the ball cannoned off Vyner’s head on the way down and past Bentley. Its listed as Wood’s goal, so lets go with it and keep quiet about Vyner’s touch.
Rotherham saw out the game in fine fashion. Only a late scramble at the goal mouth worried the Millers, but Johansson’s excellent positioning and a bit of assistance from the offside flag stopped an attack and preserved the clean sheet.
Nice rest during the international break on the cards, lovely.
Goals: (Smith 44), (Wood 74)
Teams:
Bristol City: Bentley, Hunt (Pearson 77), Walsh, Diedhiou (Semenyo 59), O’Dowda, Mariappa, Wells, Kalas ©(Vyner 26), Massengo (Bell 77), Sessegnon, Palmer (Lansbury 59)
(Subs not used: O’Leary, Nagy, Bakinson, Towler)
Rotherham: Johansson, Wing (Clarke 86), Wood ©, Ladapo (Jozefzoon 74), Harding, Ihiekwe, A MacDonald, Smith (Hirst 86), Crooks, Barlaser (S MacDonald 86), Giles (Olosunde 65)
(Subs not used: Blackman, Wiles, Sadlier)
Referee: M Donohue
The Wandering Yorkshireman 