Millers return to winning ways with victory over Mariners...
Rotherham United’s Academy returned to Youth Alliance League action and winning ways as they recorded a comprehensive 3-0 win away at Grimsby Town.
The Millers youngsters suffered defeat for the first time in 2017/18 at the hands of Fleetwood Town in the EFL Youth Alliance cup, but advanced in the competition anyway having finished with a points tally high enough to see them through the group stages.
Garreth Barker’s side returned to league action as they travelled to face the Mariners and gave a much-improved performance from the one the previous week which saw goals from Tom Maguire, Reece McGinley and Jack Osborne ensure a comfortable victory.
“We were looking to get back into the swing of things after giving ourselves a decent position in the league before our trip to Fleetwood in the cup,” Barker told www.themillers.co.uk.
“It was a very interesting game and we showed a much better level of control and composure than we did up at Fleetwood.
“There were some good individual performances and I thought Akeem Hinds was excellent and I don't use that word lightly, as was Lewis Murr.
“JJ did really well having come back from his injury and he was just missing a goal and I thought Tom Maguire was very good.”
Barker reiterated his delight at his side’s first goal which saw a number of his team combine to allow Maguire the opportunity to strike home from distance before two equally well-taken goals from McGinley and Osborne capped the result.
“We had a bright start which we'd asked for and scored a goal which was really well-worked from a team perspective,” he continued.
“For me that outweighs any goal scored through individual skill. We started from the full back from a quick free kick with a series of one touch passes before it came back inside to Tom Maguire, who hit one from 25 yards out and into the side netting.
“It was a really incisive goal and very well-executed and we were really pleased with that.
“We moved on from there and stepped up a gear to take control of the game.
“Reece scored from some great work by JJ down the right hand side. JJ ran beyond three players and put a fantastic ball across the box where Reece came in at the back post to turn it home.
“The third goal came from Jack Osborne, who went on as a substitute and did well. It took a little deflection, but we're not taking anything away from him because it was just over 20 yards out.”
Millers | McMahon, Atherton, Johnson (Ibe 69), Murr, Southern-Cooper, Hinds, Lewthwaite (James 45), Carlton (Osborne 77), Kayode, Maguire (Martin 84), McGinley.
Unused | Hutchinson.