Blades Win Derby Friendly

Rotherham United lost their friendly game at the New York Stadium one-nil for the second time in three days this evening against neighbours Sheffield United.

With the game being delayed for fifteen minutes to allow the eleven thousand plus fans into the new ground the first applause of the night from the Millers fans was for top referee and Millers supporter Howard Webb as he came out to officiate the game.

When the game finally started it was the Millers on top and Mark Howard in the Blades' goal did well to stop a shot from Daniel Nardiello and from the following corner Johnny Mullins headed wide. On thirteen minutes a Ben Pringle free-kick found its way into the net only for the linesman to flag for an offside - presumably Mullins but couldn't quite see how that might be. At the other end Harry McGuire saw a header hit the post. The opposite goal was soon under fire again but the crossbar came to Howard's aid when the lively Pringle shot from a free-kick while the visitors''keeper saved from Lionel Ainsworth. Just before half-time the Blades took the lead when John Cofie, on loan from Manchester United, curled the ball over Millers' 'keeper Scott Shearer and into the top corner of the net from twenty-five yards out. Minutes later Shearer was on his toes to make a point blank range shot from David McAllister.

In the opening minutes of the second half Maguire lost the ball to Nardiello who passed to Kayode Odejayi but the tall striker failed to put the ball into the back of the net. With second half substitutes coming like buses (in twos and threes) the game lost a lot of its flow but every move for the Blades seem to go through former Millers' loanee Stephen Quinn (who got a great reception from the home fans when he was warming up). Jason Taylor (on for David Noble) tried a shot from twenty yards out which whistled just over the bar while Quinn blocked a shot from Pringle. Shearer did well towards the end of the game to tip a Quinn shot round his post while the Millers had a corner in time added on with Shearer coming up for it but it didn't manage to reach him.

The Millers certainly didn't disgrace themselves this evening and, for much of the game, were the better side although the Blades were a better side once Quinny came on.

Teams

Millers

Shearer

Bradley

Sharps

Mullins

Ainsworth (O'Connor)

Wilson

Noble (Taylor)

Arnason (Evans)

Pringle

Odejayi

Nardiello (Agard)

Subs unused - Warrington, Rose, Revell

Blades

Howard

Westlake

Williams (McMahon)

Montgomery (Doyle)

Maguire

Hill

Flynn (McFadzean)

McAllister (McDonald)

Porter (Cresswell)

Cofie (Miller)

Tonne (Quinn)

Subs unused - Long, Ironside, Philliskirk

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