Rotherham United were taught a harsh Championship lesson by Watford at the New York Stadium. The Millers had two key chances in the second half, both falling to Paul Taylor, both of which were squandered. The Hornets had two chances also, they took theirs and left with the points.
It’s funny how cruel football can be. The Millers played much better against Watford than they did against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend; and looked far more balanced. They had the better of the game for a good hour of it but it was obvious what was going to happen if they didn’t take their chances in this ruthless league. Lloyd Dyer was introduced to the action after 65 minutes and it was his goal that broke the deadlock. The former Leicester City man reacted quickly to fire the ball home into an empty net after Adam Colin had saved a shot from fellow substitute Odion Ighalo. With Rotherham pressing for an equaliser, Watford made sure of the points with five minutes to go. Hoban broke down his left hand side and put the ball on a plate for Gianni Munari who couldn’t miss from a few yards out. For Watford it was a perfect response to their 3-0 defeat to Norwich City on Saturday. The Millers though can take lots of positives from the game, but they need to learn to learn lessons and quickly.
Rotherham United
| Adam Colin: Didn’t have much to do for the majority of the game. Made a good save in the build up to the first goal, but he parried it straight to Lloyd Dyer. | 6.5 |
| Kirk Broadfoot: Wasn’t in his favoured position. Still put a shift in however and offered support for Pringle down the right when needed whilst winning most of his duels in the air. Got beat for pace a few times though and that also contributed to the second goal. | 6.5 |
| Craig Morgan: Kept Deeney quiet for the vast majority of the game and won most of his duels in the air. Unlucky to be in the losing side. | 6.5 |
| Kari Arnason: Seems to get better the higher he goes (division wise) same as Morgan, didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. | 7.0 |
| Joe Skarz: Solid again but like Broadfoot got beat down the his flank which led to a Watford goal. | 6.5 |
| Richard Smallwood: Just what the Millers had been missing. A player to sit in front of the defence and allow others to get forward. Superb performance. Broke up play well and rarely wasted possession. | 8.5 |
| Paul Green: Down a notch from his last performance but still one of the better players in the side. Was a menace in the middle. The Millers seemed to lose their shape when he went off injured. | 7.0 |
| Lee Frecklington: Had a decent effort saved by Gomes and looked a threat going forward. Didn’t make as big of an impact as he’d of liked. | 6.5 |
| Paul Taylor: He was lively all game and looked the most likely to create something. Wasted a couple of great chances which you have to at least get on target at this level. | 7.0 |
| Ben Pringle: Didn’t have much of an impact stuck out on the right. Tracked back well to help Broadfoot out but was largely kept quiet. | 6.5 |
| Alex Revell: Again gave everything but found it tough tonight. Didn’t get much protection from the referee and when he did win flick-ons they were usually swept up by Watford’s extra man. | 6.5 |
Substitutions
| Michael Tidser: Did well when he came on and was denied a certain goal when he was bought down when through. | 6.5 |
| John Swift: Showed glimpses of ability but again was largely quiet. Had little time to make an impact. | 6.0 |
| Matt Derbyshire: Had very little time to make an impact. | 6.0 |
Watford
| Heurelho Gomes: A very accomplished performance. Made two outstanding saves in the first half and was an assured figure from set pieces. His throws were also instrumental in starting quick counter attacks for the visitors. | 7.5 |
| Tommie Hoban: Looked fairly solid and was an assured presence. Dealt well with the threat of Alex Revell. Produced a pin-point cross for the second goal as well. Very good display. | 8.0 |
| Gabrielle Angella: Like Hoban he looked solid, swept up very well and also looked to get the ball forward. | 7.0 |
| Gabriel Tamas: Again, looked very assured. Played his part in what was a good shift for the Watford back line. | 7.0 |
| Juan Carlos Paredes: Lightning quick and always looked a danger down the wing. | 6.5 |
| Ikechi Anya: Same as Paredes, gave Broadfoot a tough time with his pace. Always looked a danger. | 6.5 |
| Gianni Munari: Took his goal well, although it was harder to miss in fairness. Got his foot on the ball and rarely squandered possession, kept his passes simple. | 7.5 |
| Keith Andrews: Decent performance. He was too deep in the first half like his midfield partner but grew into the game as it went on. Good at breaking up the play and got it forward quickly in the second half. | 6.5 |
| Diego Fabrinni: Watford’s best player until he came off. Always looked a threat and at the time was most likely to make something happen for the visitors. | 8.0 |
| Troy Deeney: Was kept quiet by Morgan and Arnason for most of the game but still offered a threat. His strength is a key asset and unsettles defenders. | 6.5 |
| Matej Vydra: Went missing in the first half, didn’t have a big impact on the game at all. Disappointing performance. | 6.0 |
Substitutions
| Daniel Tozser: Didn’t have too much time to make much of an impact, but helped the Hornets see the game out. | 6.5 |
| Lloyd Dyer: Was at the right place at the right time for his goal, which he took really well. Made a very big impact.His direct running against a tiring Broadfoot made a big difference, as the Hornets were struggling to break Rotherham down prior to his arrival. | 7.5 |
| Odion Ighalo: Contributed to the first Watford goal. Did well to dribble his way past two defenders before his shot was saved, like Dyer he made an impact. | 7.0 |
Man of the Match: Richard Smallwood
| Best player on the pitch despite being on the losing side. Smallwood gave the Rotherham side everything it lacked against Wolves. He won everything in the middle, kept it simple when won and rarely gave the ball away. With him in the team Rotherham looked much more balanced. | 8.5 |
