Ajayi’s a Sem-sation with late leveller

TEN-MAN Rotherham stole a point with Semi Ajayi’s late goal, which left boss Paul Warne feeling like his side had won.

The Millers had to play 40 minutes with a numerical disadvantage after Richard Wood was sent off and they looked doomed for a fourth home defeat on the spin after Ryan Taylor again returned to haunt his former club with an 82ndminute goal.

But Ajayi rescued a deserved point deep into injury-time when he slammed home from close-range.

“To get the equaliser late on, to come away with a draw makes it feel like a win,” Warne said.

“We kept going, they’ve got a lot of belief.

“The first half was probably the best we’ve played for a long time without creating many chances.

“If we’d have scored early it might have opened up, but in the end it was an uncomfortable afternoon.

“I am pretty proud really, first half we were the only team trying to win the game.

“We’re going to have to get used to teams trying to get a point and playing on the counter.

“With Woody getting sent off straight after half-time, we’d have taken a draw then.”

Indeed, Rotherham were the team playing with most intent with both 11 and ten men.

They bossed the first half, but struggled to break down a Plymouth side who defended with ten men behind the ball – Ryan Williams having the best chance when his effort was blocked by Kelle Roos.

The dynamic of the game changed when Wood was dismissed for two yellow cards early in the second half and Plymouth finally showed some ambition of their own as Taylor headed home an 82ndminute cross.

It was the former Rotherham striker’s second goal at the New York Stadium after he helped Oxford win there in the FA Cup in January.

But Ajayi had the final word as he forced home after a goalmouth scramble to leave Plymouth boss Derek Adams feeling devastated.

“I am disappointed to draw the game after going ahead and looking like we were going to see the game through,” the Scot said.

“The red card changed the gameplan – Rotherham sat back and defended after that, it was difficult to play through them.

“We went 1-0 up and tried to get forward but the ball didn’t fall for us.

“It’s disappointing, in the 93rd minute of the game we lose two points. We have taken a point but we had three of them with two minutes to go.”