RUFC - Sarll 'pleased with performance'

Rotherham United Player Development Manager Darren Sarll was pleased with the work ethic of the Reserves yesterday afternoon, who stepped up from Youth Team Manager to take charge of the second string.

Speaking to MillersPlayer after the one-one draw with Scunthorpe at Glanford Park, Sarll said, 'It was nice to see the lads pass the ball and move it about. The last forty-eight hours have been a bit hectic for anyone and I was pleased with the performance.

'We had some good chances and I thought Tom Brown had two terrific chances when he came on and Alec Denton had one in the first half, and if you take those chances then I think this would be a completely different conversation.

'We played four-three-three which has worked for the Youth team for the last six or eight weeks and, with the players we had in from the first team today, I thought it would suit a little bit better. It gave us a real numerical overload in the central areas and the boys were comfortable playing it which is important.

Talking about Paul Warne, who had a midfield role, Sarll said, 'It was a bit of a flip up where Warney was going to play. We had so many forwards - three on the bench and three in the starting line-up and I've not seen Warney shoot a goal in the reserves all year and with him being thirty-eight I thought we'd move him back out of harms way.'

Some of the youth team have been out on work experience and Sarll said, 'Alec Denton didn't have a great exposure to mens football because he was only there a few weeks but it's helped Tom Brown and he's come back a man and understands how his size can really work for him. Alec's been brilliant all year and is probably one of the closest to the senior side in terms of his development. Mitch Rose has been ill so didn't play, though, I think he'd have liked to play today but he's had no training this week we felt it best we keep him at home.

'The senior pro's were good today and their attitude was terrific. When you've got Paul Warne and Andy Warrington in the side they take over the dressing room anyway and they are a really good influence not only on the other pro''s but on the young ones as well.'

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