Stoke fight back twice to earn draw at Rotherham

Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2022 by PA

Stoke came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Rotherham in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Millers had only won one of their last 10 games and would have leapfrogged Alex Neil’s men with victory.

Rotherham led twice against the run of play but a late Lee Peltier own goal ensured a share of the spoils.

It was no less than Stoke deserved as they missed a host of chances to put the game to bed.

Tyrese Campbell forced the game’s first save out of Viktor Johansson as he raced onto a ball down the left and hit it first time across the Swede’s goal.

Liam Delap was then denied the opener by a last-ditch block from Peltier after he had skipped into the box.

With Stoke well on top, Manchester City loanee Delap had a further two chances fall his way but he glanced a header wide and sliced a right-footed shot straight at Johansson.

Campbell led another attack down the right and was denied by a dive from Johansson. The follow-up fell kindly to Will Smallbone but another heroic block from Richard Wood saved a goal.

Despite all the first-half pressure, it was Rotherham who went in at the break in front with Wes Harding’s 45th-minute cross being diverted into his own goal at the near post by Jordan Thompson.

Stoke started where they left off early in the second half and Jacob Brown spurned a big opportunity to level when he lashed a perfect cross from Josh Tymon high and wide.

They eventually got on level terms in the 61st minute when Wood underhit a pass back to Johansson and Campbell, at the second attempt, slotted home.

Rotherham struck back on 71 minutes to regain the lead. It came down the left flank with Chiedozie Ogbene cleverly getting to the byline and crossing for Conor Washington to bundle in at the back post.

Stoke levelled once again in the 80th minute with the ball looping over Johansson off the head of Peltier from Lewis Baker’s corner.

The away side were fired up in search of a winner and Johansson came to Rotherham’s rescue as he tipped Brown’s header over the top from Harry Clarke’s cross.

A breathless second half continued right into added on time with Peltier again getting in the way of a threatening Stoke attack.