Bad day at the office!
BATTLING SHREWS HUMBLE LEADERS
LIZ BYRNES ROTHERHAM boss Paul Warne described his side’s defeat by Shrewsbury as “a bad day at the office”.
Goals by Daniel Udoh, Elliott Bennett and Ryan Bowman were compounded by a straight red card for Angus Macdonald as the Millers went down to their heaviest defeat of the season.
It could have been heavier had it not been for a string of fine saves by Rotherham keeper Josh Vickers.
Wigan moved to within a point of the League One leaders with MK Dons cutting the gap to four in third.
But Warne refused to push the panic button and said: “It’s a bad day at the office but we are going to lose games. The game was pretty even in the first half. We were not at our best against a very good side. We knew they were going to be tough, they are one of the in-form sides in the league.”
Macdonald (far left, below) was sent off for a challenge on Luke Leahy, which left him on the deck clutching his head.
It was a pivotal moment for Warne, who said: “The sending off was crucial and it always is.
“I thought Angus led with his arm and didn’t actually elbow the lad. It was a big turning point for us.
“We tried to stay in the game as long as we could. It’s hard to press when you are down to 10 men because you are going to get popped off.
“It’s a setback, obviously, but the lads have bounced back before and we will give them a couple of days away from football to reset.”
Ryan Bowman had already had a shot cleared off the line and Leahy flashed a header wide before Shrewsbury went ahead as George Nurse played in Udoh for a clinical finish across Vickers and into the corner.
It soon went from bad to worse for the Millers with Macdonald’s red card and Bennett was denied a tap-in by a fine Vickers save shortly before half-time. Bennett, though, had the simple task of slotting home after Vickers’ parry came straight to him two yards out and Bowman made it three in added time.
It moved Shrewsbury to 16th and boss Steve Cotterill said: “We were very good at the start of the game.
“It’s always a tough place to come. The crowd get right behind them, so we’re pleased with a win.”
ROTHERHAM: Vickers 7; Edmonds-green 6, Ihiekwe 7, Macdonald 5; Barlaser 6 (Ogbene 45, 6); Oseitutu 6 (Miller 69, 6), Rathbone 6, Wiles 6, Ferguson 6; Smith 6, Kayode 6 (Wood 45, 7).
Subs not used: Johansson, Harding, Lindsay, Odoffin
SHREWSBURY: Marosi 7; Pennington 7, Ebankslandell 7, Flanagan 7; Bennett 7 (Daniels 83), Vela 7, Fornah, Leahy 7, Nurse 8 (Pierre 88); Bowman 7, Udoh 8 (Bloxham 86).
Subs not used: Burgoyne, Whalley, Bondswell, Janneh. Man of the Match: Daniel Udoh. Clinical finish for the first goal, always incisive and pulled strings in attack.
REFEREE: Anthony Backhouse 7.