Millers draw with Minstermen...
Rotherham United’s reserves were held to a 1-1 draw by York City as they met with the Minstermen at Bootham Crescent on Tuesday afternoon.
Matt Hamshaw took charge of a team mainly made up of young professionals including the likes of Ben Wiles, Kuda Muskwe and Mason Warren, who lined up alongside left back Ben Purrington as the side’s most experience operator.
After an evenly-contested first half, the Millers took the lead seconds before the interval through Kuda Muskwe. However, the hosts restored parity on the hour-mark when Raul Correia applied a deft touch to a Louis Almond centre.
The hosts were almost first to draw blood after 18 minutes had elapsed when Clovis Kamdjo rose to meet a corner, only to see his headed effort go narrowly wide of the target.
Muskwe and young defender Jake Southern-Cooper ensured that York stopper Luke Simpson was on his guard with both taking on efforts, with the former denied by a smart save.
The pendulum swung in favour of the hosts when Jack Osborne was adjudged to have handled Steels’ effort, after he had rounded goalkeeper Laurence Biboe. However, the Millers stopper picked himself up to deny Louis Almond from the spot with a good save with his legs.
With the scores looking deadlocked as the game headed to the break, Muskwe had other ideas and put the Millers ahead in first half stoppage time. The forward, who has just returned from a Youth Loan with Sheffield FC made no mistake as he advanced into the area before striking an effort across the goalkeeper.
Half-time: York City 0 v 1 Reserves.
The Millers’ trialist was the first to threaten a second half goal after he stole possession in the middle of the park before embarking upon a driving run towards goal, which came to an end as he fired a shot over the crossbar.
There was little Bilboe could do this time to prevent York from scoring when they got their equaliser on 59 minutes. Almond provided the ammunition with a cross from the wing, which saw Correia nip in to turn home in front of goal.
The introduction of Tom Maguire almost saw the Millers retake the lead 20 minutes from the end, but a heroic block from a York defender ensured his effort couldn’t reach it’s intended destination.
The visitors almost clinched all three points right at the death after Bilboe had denied Correia a second, when Yates’ stoppage time 25-yarder whistled just wide of the post.
Full-time: York City 1 v 1 Reserves.
Millers | Bilboe; Osborne (Kayode 55), Atherton, Southern-Cooper, Purrington; Trialist (Maguire 63), Wiles, Warren, McGinley; Yates, Muskwe.
Unused | McMahon, Hinds, Murr.