Paul Warne talks to www.themillers.co.uk...
Rotherham United interim boss Paul Warne expressed his delight at the opportunity to hand game time to a number of players in a behind closed doors game with Sheffield United earlier today.
The match, which saw the return of striker Jonson Clarke-Harris from long term injury, saw the Millers give valuable minutes to the likes of Alex Bray as well as number of trialists and youngsters.
Clarke-Harris, who sustained an ACL injury in pre-season, returned to full contact training last week and interim boss Warne was delighted to give him a much needed workout.
“It was good to get a competitive game and it gave Jono the chance to get 45 minutes playing time under his belt,” Warne told www.themillers.co.uk.
“He scored a penalty in the game as well which will be good for his confidence as he continues his recovery.
“We had four trialists that came up from London who all had good backgrounds, so we have had a look at them.
“There were some good performances and we got young Laurence Bilboe some minutes as well because he's had a little injury, and that did him some good.
“We've had the lads in all week but this was a good chance to put a team out with the lads that are on the periphery of the squad, the young pros and a few trialists.”
Warne admitted that he was particularly impressed by the performance of winger Bray, who has starred for the reserves in recent weeks, and took time to pay tribute to his side’s midweek opposition.
“We lost the game 4-3 and they had a really strong side out,” Warne added.
“The highlight from the game was the outstanding performance from Alex Bray. He won a penalty in the first half, scored one and was a constant threat every time he had the ball.
“We just needed a game to top a few up and a few local sides had asked us for a game, so it was perfect for us really.”