FRUSTRATING NIGHT – Daniel Farke’s Leeds United should have been two or three goals to the good in the first half but left Rotherham United’s New York Stadium with a 1-1 draw. Pic: Bruce Rollinson
Farke’s men were guilty of squandering good chances in the first half, having taken a sixth-minute lead through Crysencio Summerville. Daniel James, Glen Kamara and Joel Piroe were all off target when well placed to stretch the Whites’ lead and the wastefulness was punished in first half stoppage time, Hakeem Odoffin finding the net after a catalogue of errors from the visitors.
The second half saw the managerless Millers digging in and sitting deep to defend and although Leeds did have their moments, including a goal disallowed for Patrick Bamford touching the ball after straying just offside and a huge penalty claim for a challenge on James, the half-time 1-1 scoreline stood to the final whistle.
“The first emotion is definitely disappointment because we were that dominant in many periods it should be enough for three points,” said Farke. “Performance wise fantastic first half but you have to bury the game, we had chances to bury it in the first half. Cree one-v-one, Kamara five yards out, Daniel James, Joel Piroe three chances, normally it’s more than enough to bury the game. But if you’re one time not switched on – we took too much risk on the halfway line in stoppage time. When I compare what we created and what they did to score their goal, normally 1-1 is a joke at half-time. We enjoyed our dominance a bit too much I felt. We lacked the last two or three per cent to be on it and focused and bury the game. If you’re not doing this, this can happen in this league.”
Farke felt the match officials played a part in Leeds leaving with a single point rather than three, but ultimately his own men had the result in their hands and failed to bring it home. “Credit to Rotherham they always have good results at home, especially against top teams in the table,” said the German. “We struggled to create enough chances in the second half from our dominance. In the last 20 minutes we created enough to win the game, Pascal has to score, we have to get a penalty for Dan James, the linesman apparently had the thought Patrick Bamford is two inches offside. I was far away but my view was clear that it was 100 per cent a penalty. It’s the Championship, we don’t have VAR and probably a home game you get this situation all day long. Away game no one is really shouting for it. You have to accept it on Championship level. It’s definitely a penalty. It was obvious to see, my feeling was the referee was close enough to see it. On the other hand the linesman was pretty keen to see Patrick Bamford two inches offside. We didn’t score the second goal. When you can’t win the game you have to make sure you at least don’t lose it. Although the major feeling is disappointment because we were so close to three valuable and priceless points, it’s a draw on the road and in this league it’s never a bad result. From tomorrow we’ll value it’s another point on the road.”
Farke believes the result will form part of his side’s Championship education but the lesson was one he was well aware of before taking on the Millers: “It happens also to the best teams in the world. This league is relentless. Other teams had sometimes difficult times here at Rotherham. Each and every day you learn, every game and training session you learn. This is definitely a message we take but if I’m honest we knew it even before the game. You feel it a bit more with such an equaliser out of nothing. It probably helps them to be a bit more on it next time.”
