MILLER’S WAIL
I missed my stag do in Vegas, my wedding in Wales...then my honeymoon in Greece says Rotherham‘s matchwinner Michael
ROTHERHAM captain Michael Ihiekwe had a moment to savour after his summer went from groom to gloom.
The Liverpool-born defender was forced to abandon his wedding to fiancee Rosie because of Covid-19, also missing out on a stag trip to Las Vegas and a honeymoon in Greece.
But his misery turned to joy as he got Rotherham up and running in the Championship with a last- gasp header.
Ihiekwe, 27, said: “The wedding didn’t happen. We’ve had to put it back until next summer. It’s annoying.
“It’s the same for everyone who had weddings planned. There is nothing you can do, you’ve just got to get on with it.
“My fiancee was counting down the days on the wall – and she had to put it back to 365. She was gutted but we’ve got on with it.
“We were going to get married in Wales and honeymoon in Greece so I had to push it back. They were sound about it – they just gave us the date we had but for next summer.
“I didn’t even get a stag do either. I paid for it and had to cancel it. I was supposed to go to Vegas and I had never been before so was made up. I was gutted. I was due to go in June.”
Ihiekwe struck from Joe
Mattock’s corner in the battle of two promoted sides and said: “The winner was massive. The ball in was brilliant. It had a little message on it saying, ‘ Go and attack it.’ And, luckily enough, I did and it went in.”
Ihiekwe did find one positive from lockdown, as it meant he only missed one game after sustaining a knee injury before football was curtailed.
He said: “When no one was playing I needed to stay fit and work hard. I had to be back for when football started but now I feel brilliant.”
This was not a great game with two direct sides cancelling each other out.
Gareth Ainsworth (above) and his Wycombe side will be especially frustrated on their first Championship appearance.
Midfielder David Wheeler admitted they need to adjust to a higher level swiftly.
He said: “We’re deflated. We need to learn quickly, maybe quicker than last season, and try to answer the questions that are asked of us.
“We’re gutted but nothing changes, it’s still a 46-game season.”
WYCOMBE: Allsop 6, Grimmer 7, Stewart 6, Charles 7, Jacobson 6, Pattison 6 (McCarthy 82), Bloomfield 6 (Freeman 72, 6), Wheeler 5, Horgan 6, Kashket 6 (Parker 87), Onyedinma 5 ROTHERHAM: Blackman 7, Harding 7, Ihiekwe 8, Robertson 7, Mattock 8, Ogbene 6, MacDonald 6, Lindsay 6, Sadlier 6 (Wiles 66, 6), Crooks 6 (Smith 52, 6), Ladapo 5 (Vassell 83)