Rotherham United suffer hammer blow to survival hopes after defeat to Wycombe Wanderers

Rotherham suffered a potential terminal blow to their Championship survival hopes after a dismal 3-0 home defeat to Wycombe.
Rotherham's Michael Smith gets away from a grappling Joe JacobsonRotherham's Michael Smith gets away from a grappling Joe Jacobson
Rotherham's Michael Smith gets away from a grappling Joe Jacobson

Although boss Paul Warne tried to downplay the importance of their Easter Monday clash with the Chairboys, it was one that simply had to deliver three points if their roadmap to safety is to be successful.

On this drab evidence, their only destination is League One as they were outplayed by Wycombe, who won it through goals from Admiral Muskwe, Jason McCarthy and David Wheeler to move off the bottom of the table.

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Those standings will make miserable reading for Warne this morning as rivals Coventry won, meaning his side are six points from safety.

The caveat is that Rotherham have three games in hand, but they are only useful if you win them and on this evidence that is going to be difficult, especially given they are about to enter a run of four games in nine days.

The death knell is not quite being heard yet, particularly as their fate remains in their own hands, but there is no denying this was a wretched afternoon.

It could not have got off to a worse start as Wycombe went ahead after less than two minutes.

Muskwe was the only player fully alert to a long ball and he slotted easily past Viktor Johansson who had left half of his goal gaping.

Another golden chance fell to the same player but he skied it well over. The opportunities kept coming for a Wycombe second with Anis Mehmeti scampering down the right flank before firing into the side netting.

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The Millers threatened to get back into it through Michael Ihiekwe and Michael Smith.

But Wycombe were more clinical at the other end and doubled their lead in the 24th minute as Uche Ikpeazu drifted into the box and crossed for McCarthy whose low effort was deflected in.

Rotherham huffed and puffed in a scrappy second half but continued to be frustrated by a resolute Wycombe defence.

Lewis Wing fired just wide of the post after being found on the edge of the box by Smith.

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The ball also dropped kindly to Angus MacDonald from close-range but his effort had the sting taken out of it by a block and was gathered easily by David Stockdale.

The visitors secured the points comprehensively in the 83rd minute as substitutes combined with Wheeler latching onto Adebayo Akinfenwa's flick before squeezing the ball into the far corner.

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