Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Rotherham and Blackburn Rovers at the New York Stadium as Lewis Wing struck an 86th-minute equaliser to keep the Millers' survival hopes alive going into the final day of the season
Saturday 1 May 2021 18:55, UK
Rotherham gave their bid for Championship survival a boost after battling back for a potentially crucial 1-1 draw against Blackburn.
Lewis Wing's late equaliser meant Paul Warne's side avoided a sixth straight loss and although they remain in the bottom three, they now have their destiny in their own hands.
The Millers play their final game in hand on Tuesday at Luton, where victory would lift them above Derby and out of the drop zone ahead of the league finale next weekend.
Adam Armstrong's 26th goal of the season looked like it was going to hand Tony Mowbray's side the three points but they were guilty of being wasteful in front of goal and were punished by Wing.
Rotherham had the first opening as Jamie Lindsay fired just wide after Ryan Nyambe's header fell kindly for the Scotsman to volley from the edge of the box.
The lively Armstrong then raced in for a 17th-minute opener. He snatched the ball away from a dithering Angus MacDonald and then slotted it calmly past Jamal Blackman.
It took an alert save from Blackman save to deny Armstrong a second before Rotherham midfielder Ryan Giles set up a good opening for Chiedozie Ogbene but his free header flew wide of goal.
Blackburn were still crafting chances of their own and Sam Gallagher would have been disappointed not to turn in a header at the back post.
Joe Rothwell was also off target twice from range before the break for the visitors.
The home side looked poised to level but Freddie Ladapo was denied a tap-in at the far post, with Nyambe just getting in the way following Michael Smith's low shot.
Blackman kept Rotherham in it as he managed to claw away Bradley Johnson's powerful header from close range.
Giles was then teed up by Ladapo but lashed his shot high into the stand.
Ben Brereton was the next Rovers player to be disappointed as he failed to hit the target after having a clear sight of goal from 15 yards out, and Rothwell again threatened for the visitors but his shot flashed across the face of goal.
Chances were also falling for Rotherham with Ogbene racing in down the right flank but failing to test Thomas Kaminski.
However, just when it was beginning to look like Blackburn would hold on for the points, Rotherham drew level in the 86th minute when Wing powered a low free-kick into the bottom corner.
A chaotic finale saw Rotherham substitute George Hirst denied by a strong save by Kaminski before Blackburn threatened on the counter-attack until Giles' intervention.
Blackman denied Armstrong again in the final minute after he was rolled in one-on-one by Harvey Elliott as Rotherham earned a point which could yet prove key in the battle to avoid the drop.
Rotherham's Paul Warne: "I am proud of them as a group. The season is still alive and we go in with a bit of hope. I thought we started the game really well but we gifted them a goal and it's not League One or League Two. Those players don't really miss those chances.
"I felt the players lacked a little bit of belief. They have licked their wounds so many times this season but we fought back. After 90 minutes I was happy with the point because if we had lost it, it would have been a hammer-blow. The lads kept going. They are determined to maintain their Championship status and we live to fight another day. "
Blackburn's Tony Mowbray: "I think we are frustrated we didn't win by a lot of goals. I felt like it should have been four at half-time as a minimum and it could have been any number at the end. Late on we were still creating chances. The team played alright but didn't take their chances. You can't have those one-on-ones and free headers at the back stick and not take them.
"The percentage of goals scored from the chances we created hasn't been as high as we would have liked it to be. We know when you come to Rotherham what you are facing and what you have to see out. You just have to be more clinical and ultimately we missed too many good chances. Their goal should have been irrelevant."
