Rotherham United 1 Bristol City 2: No happy anniversary for Matt Taylor in the cruellest of finales

Keeping in that vein in terms of football, Matt Taylor’s pre-match message was certainly sober and staid.

Reflecting on where this season is currently positioned for Rotherham United and what can be expected in the months ahead, the Millers chief said that it represents an ongoing ‘fight for survival’, just as it was in the previous campaign. It is not a time for self-indulgence.

Amid Rotherham’s scrap, every point matters, a common refrain of Taylor’s predecessor Paul Warne.

On the first anniversary of his tenure, Taylor, did not feel in party mood at the end.

A point that would have mattered was cruelly ripped from his and the Milers’ grasp.

It looked like Tyler Blackett – with his first goal in English football at the age of 29, let alone with the Millers – had provided a late and very welcome present, cancelling out a magnificent 81st-minute opener from Robins substitute Tommy Conway.

Sadly, Conway was not finished as he fired home following a left-wing cross from fellow replacement Haydon Roberts in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Desperately cruel upon the Millers too, with Blackett having had to make way after his goal with the hosts having made all five substitutions and finishing the game with 10 men.

It was the most dramatic of finishes to a game which lacked sparkle for the watching viewers for the most part until then.

The Millers’ home form has been propping them up so far this season and aspects as to why were showcased in the first half.

Granted, the most important bit – by way of an opening goal – was missing. But plenty of what the hosts did was good and meaningful and reflected well on their young manager.

There was intensity, tenacity and balance in the team – all the better for the return of Cafu, as the Millers matched up to the visitors’ 4-2-1-3 diamond system and looked handy for it.

Lee Peltier was also a welcome returnee at the back – while the hosts possessed a productive outlet on the left especially in the shape of Cohen Bramall.

The full-back/wing-back has had his travails defensively, for sure. On Wednesday night, he was a potent outlet and a willing raider going forward and showed what he brings to the table.

Three quality crosses wreaked havoc. The first yielded a cushioned header back across goal from Jordan Hugill. It just missed the stretching Andre Green.

A pin-point low delivery then almost picked out Hugill in front of goal, only for Kal Naismith to make a fine recovery clearance, while Fred Onyedinma headed another noteworthy Bramall cross over the top.

The Robins did not look like a side with three away wins to their credit so far in 2022-23 in the opening 45 minutes. Although you suspected that some words of cajolement from Nigel Pearson might yield a second-half response.

City’s only real threatening moment produced a decent save from Viktor Johansson after Rob Dickie helped on Harry Cornick’s long throw. A dangerous inswinging corner from Naismith also caused a few flutters.

Yet a measure of the hosts’ orderly defensive performance was that there was hardly anything else to worry about.

City did eventually produce a warning. A sweeping crossfield ball from Dickie picked out Sam Bell, who drove at Dexter Lembikisa before sending over a cross which was headed over by Cornick.

The West Country visitors did eventually call for the cavalry of sorts with two Championship gun-slingers in Nakhi Wells and Andi Weimann sent on.

For the Millers, a first appearance of the season from Grant Hall was also a positive tick from the bench – with Pelter getting just over an hour on his first-term return, alongside Cafu. Sam Nombe was also later called for. The hosts’ remained on-message defensively until Conway took matters into his own hands with a brilliant angled drive soon after coming on.

Fortunately, a Millers’ substitute took the hint after Oli Rathbone found Arvin Appiah with his steered cross from the right finding an unlikely goal-scorer in Blackett, whose finish was calm and true.

There was more to come, alas.

Rotherham United: Johansson; Lembikisa, Peltier (Hall 62), Blackett, Bramall (Revan 80); Tiehi, Cafu (Clucas 62); Rathbone; Green (Appiah 80), Hugill (Nombe 74), Onyedinma. Unused substitutes: Phillips, Eaves, Kelly, McGuckin.

Bristol City: O’Leary; Gardner-Hickman, Dickie, Naismith, Pring; James, Williams (King 79), Knight (Conway 79); Sykes (Weimann 66), Cornick (Wells 66), Bell (Roberts 85). Unused substitutes: Bajic, Mehmeti, Yeboah, Nelson.

Referee: D Whitestone (Northants).