90’+5’Full TimeSecond Half ends, Rotherham United 2, Burnley 2.90’+3’Attempt missed. Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Josh Brownhill with a cross.90’+2’Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Burnley were made to wait to clinch the Championship title after being held to a 2-2 draw at Rotherham. Scott Twine’s left-footed volley from the edge of the box gave the Clarets the lead, but Shane Ferguson’s inswinging corner on the stroke of half-time bamboozled Burnley with Vininho getting the final touch as he put the ball into his own net. The away fans were celebrating after Manuel Benson’s superb curling left-footed effort into the top left corner restored the lead, but Georgie Kelly equalised from close range with five minutes to go. The draw means Vincent Kompany’s team – who are 10 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United – still need one more win to secure the title with four games to go.
The game started brightly for Burnley as Connor Roberts had a low sixth-minute effort saved by the legs of Josh Vickers after good build-up play down the left by Anass Zaroury. Two minutes later it could have been 2-0 had Vitinho’s curling effort been the other side of the post after a mix-up between Vickers and his defenders on the edge of the box. Burnley felt they should have had a penalty six minutes before the break when Josh Cullen’s shot appeared to be blocked by the arm of Jamie Lindsay and the Millers levelled with a fortuitous equaliser from Ferguson’s corner.
Rotherham keeper Vickers was unable to take goal-kicks towards the end of the half and was replaced by 21-year-old Robbie Hemfrey, who was making his first appearance as a professional. He was called into action in the opening minute of the half as he saved Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s shot before palming away a Roberts effort 10 minutes later. Gudmundsson then saw a 69th-minute header whistle past Hemfry’s near post and Twine also went close but they finally found a way through with Benson’s superb effort, but Kelly side-footed home from Chiedozie Ogbene’s cross as Rotherham ended strongly. Ogbene and Tarique Fosu forced late saves from Bailey Peacock-Farrell as the Millers pushed in vain for a winner, but had to settle for a point.
Rotherham manager Matt Taylor praised his team’s spirit: “The goalkeeper getting injured in the first half, being unable to take goal-kicks and coming off at half-time, losing Jordan Hugill to injury, going behind twice, the spirit we showed was outstanding. They were the better team, they have better quality players, but I thought we deserved something and it was important we got something to improve that belief.”
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire: “I feel sorry for the lads because they deserved more. It really was a tremendous performance. You’ve always got the risk of standards dropping and there wasn’t any of that. You’re going to get cagey moments if you don’t finish off your chances. We’ve got to kill the game off. It doesn’t make sense: we scored with our two hardest chances and didn’t seem to put it in the net with every unbelievable opportunity we had.” He added: “It’s nothing to complain about. We’ve got the same outcome on Saturday that we wanted. That’s exciting.”