Millers record win over Mariners...
A successful Saturday in the Millers’ calendar concluded as the first team recorded victory over Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s following an impressive first triumph of the season for the club’s Academy who prevailed as 6-2 winners over Grimsby Town in the morning.Garreth Barker’s young Millers side set the tone for a jubilant weekend for the club as they came from behind to record a comfortable victory over the Mariners with goals from Kuda Muskwe, Adam Johnson, Fabian Bailey and Brandon Potts ensuring they took maximum points for the first time this season.
“It’s terrific when the first team win but it’s equally as good when we can say we’ve played well." Barker told www.themillers.co.uk.
“We’ve had an indifferent start to the season and the boys know that but its youth team football. At the weekend I thought that we played very well. It’s been a very business-like week and there’s been a lot of talking about areas in which we could improve and work done with individual players.”
The Millers fell behind but were buoyed by the deficit and levelled through Kuda Muskwe who combined with Darnelle Bailey-King in a move Barker says they have practiced on the training ground.
“We went 1-0 down but they responded positively to that. There was plenty of encouragement and they were still trying to work the right way.
“Our equaliser came from some excellent work from Darnelle Bailey-King wide on the right where he beat two players and delivered a fantastic ball which Kuda got on the end of. He doesn’t score many from headers considering how tall he is but it was something we’ve been working on and it was a great header.”
The Millers profited from some more good work on the wing which saw them double their tally when a move crafted by Adam Johnson provided Muskwe with his second of the morning.
“The second goal was really pleasing because it was great work from Adam Johnson in the left hand channel which saw him deliver a great cross which Kuda rose two or three feet off the floor to volley in.”
Goals from Johnson, Bailey and Potts followed to ensure there was no coming back for Grimsby Town but Barker admitted that he was disappointed to see his side concede a second goal but insisted his side could have won by a bigger margin on another day.
“It finished 6-2. We were a bit disappointed to concede the second goal which came about as a result of a breakdown in communication but in reality we could have had a couple more ourselves as well."