Rotherham United vs Sheffield Wednesday. Sky Bet Championship.
New York Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at the New York Stadium as Jamie Lindsay scores twice for Rotherham, either side of a Daniel Barlaser penalty, as they cruise past 10-man Sheffield Wednesday
Wednesday 28 October 2020 22:50, UK
Sheffield Wednesday were handed a third-straight Sky Bet Championship defeat as Jamie Lindsay scored a first-half double in a 3-0 victory for Rotherham.
A strange match was quickly taken control of by the Millers who were three up at the break with Wednesday a man down.
After a 10-minute delay, play resumed and Rotherham reacted sharpest to take a fifth-minute lead as Freddie Ladapo latched on to a loose ball and his deflected shot fell kindly to Lindsay, who cushioned a header beyond Cameron Dawson after rising above Julian Borner.
At the other end, Jack Marriott almost gave Wednesday a swift response and then Joey Pelupessy drove just wide with an effort from distance.
Wednesday, still cut adrift at the bottom after a 12-point deduction before the season, were plunged further into trouble as they went 2-0 down after they were reduced to 10 men in the 40th minute.
Ladapo chased a ball over the top and - after beating Dawson to it - he was hauled down by Tom Lees who was given a straight red card.
Dan Barlaser smashed the resulting penalty beyond Dawson to double the blow and Rotherham's lead.
With Lees off and Aden Flint already replaced due to injury, the visitors had to reshuffle their defence and their depleted team were another goal behind on the brink of half-time with Lindsay completing his double after Dawson had pushed a shot into his path.
Wednesday's only option in the second half was to try and get some pride back and stop Rotherham from adding to their tally.
Neither really looked like happening as a considerably-less eventful second half unfolded.
George Hirst, son of former Wednesday striker David, and the subject of a highly-controversial move away from Hillsborough as a youngster, was introduced by Rotherham boss Paul Warne but it was another former Owl, Richard Wood, who thought he had netted the fourth before he was denied by the offside flag.
Dawson slightly redeemed himself for his first-half performance with a great reaction save to deny Michael Smith from close-range after another ex-Wednesday player in Joe Mattock had delivered dangerously from the left.
Leicester loanee Hirst tried to add further pain but his shot from the edge of the box was easily pushed away by Dawson.
Rotherham's Paul Warne: "It would have been a lot better had it been a full house. That is the sad part. I hope it put a smile on a few faces. It would have been a magic night for the fans. It's a pity they weren't in to see it. Overall I am really pleased. It was a good night. We were better at Reading (a 3-0 defeat) on Saturday which shows the madness of football.
"It was a weird evening with no fans and the drone. I didn't know what else was going to happen. We scored straight away (after the restart) and then the sending off plays a big part in the game. I told the players the harder they work, the more luck they get."
Sheffield Wednesday's Garry Monk: "There is obviously a fragility there. The next three games are a big test of our character. The next three games will tell me a lot about the mentality that we have got. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong in the first half. A lot of mistakes have crept back into our game in the last two games.
"Within a week or so a good start has turned on its head. Every game is a derby situation for us because of the situation we're in. We worked hard in the second half with 10 men but it was a little bit too little, too late. The costly mistakes have given us an uphill battle. The last two games have been more self inflection than what the other team has done."
