Middlesbrough 0-0 Rotherham United: Boro frustrated by stubborn Millers

Duncan Watmore came the closest to breaking the deadlock

Middlesbrough suffered a frustrating goalless draw against Rotherham at the Riverside to remain in the last three of the Championship.

Duncan Watmore came closest to scoring for the hosts just after the break when he fired a shot at the post that rolled agonizingly over the goal line to safety.

Isaiah Jones should have done better than directing a minor effort into the side netting when Watmore came up on the best chance of the first half.

The Millers were denied by a shot on goal but go into the international break eighth, while Boro remains 22nd and remains in the bottom three on goal difference.

In perhaps a reversal of fate from last Championship season, play began with Middlesbrough looking to move up from the bottom three and Rotherham knowing a win would see them fifth.

Boro, who has nine of his ten points at Riverside this season, created the better of the openings in an easy goal-shooting match with Watmore at the center.

The forward, called aside by Chris Wilder, struck well placed in the first half after Richard Wood threw Riley McGree’s routine ball into the box.

On the other hand, the visitors were solid at back and sharp at the break, especially in the first half, with Wood inches away from touching Conor Washington’s shot into the net.

But the Millers have scored just one of their 12 league goals away from home this season, and that was as close as they came when Boro recorded just a second clean sheet this season.

The hosts’ frustration grew after the break against a well-drilled defense and when a clean move put Watmore behind Wood recovered well, stretching a leg and deflecting his angle shot into the side netting.

lineups

Mittelbrough

formation 3-5-2

1Steffen

fifteenlevee6roast meat5Clarke

2Jones25rogue16Howson8thMcGree3Giles

9Muniz Carvalho18Watmore

• 1Steffen
• fifteenlevee
• 6roast meat
• 5ClarkeReplaced byshe wasat 74′protocol
• 2Jones
• 25rogue
• 16HowsonBooked at 43 minutes
• 8thMcGreeReplaced bymowattat 74′protocol
• 3Giles
• 9Muniz Carvalho
• 18WatmoreReplaced byForsat 74′protocol

substitute

• 4mowatt
• 13Roberts
• 14blacksmith
• 17McNair
• 21Fors
• 24luongo
• 27she was

Rotherham

formation 3-1-4-2

1Johannsson

24Humphreys6wood2harding

4bar laser

10Norton Cuffy8thlist18rat leg3Bramall

11Poor guy14Washington

• 1Johannsson
• 24Humphreys45 minutes booked
• 6wood
• 2harding
• 4bar laserReplaced byMcCartat 81′protocol
• 10Norton CuffyReplaced byKellyat 81′protocol
• 8thlist
• 18rat legReplaced byLindsayat 76′protocol
• 3Bramall80 minutes bookedReplaced byshe wasat 81′protocol
• 11Poor guy
• 14WashingtonReplaced byHighat 60′protocol

substitute

• 5McCart
• 7High
• 9eaves
• 12Kelly
• fifteenshe was
• 16Lindsay
• 31vickers

Referee: Tim Robinson

Number of visitors: 22,960

live text

1. The game ends, Middlesbrough 0, Rotherham United 0.

2. End of the second half, Middlesbrough 0, Rotherham United 0.

3. Offside Middlesbrough. Ryan Giles tries a through ball, but Matt Crooks is caught offside.

4. Corner of Middlesbrough. Cashed in by Cameron Humphreys.

5. Dael Fry (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

6. Foul by Georgie Kelly (Rotherham United).

7. Foul by Jonny Howson (Middlesbrough).

8. Scott High (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

9. Offside Middlesbrough. Dael Fry tries a through ball, but Matt Crooks is caught offside.

10. Corner Middlesbrough. Cashed in by Wes Harding.

11. Matt Crooks (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

12. Foul by Jamie Lindsay (Rotherham United).

13. Rodrigo Muniz (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

14. Foul by Georgie Kelly (Rotherham United).

15. Foul by Marc Bola (Middlesbrough).

16. Ben Wiles (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

17. Dael Fry (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

18. Foul by Georgie Kelly (Rotherham United).

19. attempt failed. Ryan Giles (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is too high following a set piece situation.

20. Substitution, Rotherham United. Tolaji Bola replaces Cohen Bramall.