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Just a quickie (ooo err!) as most of the action was put on Twitter as it happened. Photos from Foxy to follow...
Rotherham United 1 (Marshall) - 4 Sheffield United (Philliskirk, Lokberg, Gardos, Chapell)
Seeing as it looked a nice night to be sat out in the open, we thought we'd have an amble along to Don Valley to watch the reserves take on Rotherham. Rather strange that our home matches are played outside Sheffield and yet an away match is played in the city boundaries... and the location got to Foxy as he consistently tweeted the scores the wrong way round (Blades as the home team)!
Anyway, the starting line-up was a mix of our foreign development players and some of the lads who've come through the Academy. We've not really had as much chance to see the reserves this season as in previous years so it was good to see how some of the players have progressed physically, especially against a Rotherham side which looked that little bit taller and stronger.
Rotherham kicked off and the play was pretty even in midfield but it was United who had the best of the attacking play. The Blades thought they'd scored early on when Shane Murray's outswinging corner found Kingsley James who saw his initial slot blocked by the keeper before a scramble in the box saw the ball in the back of the net. The linesman adjudged that there was an offside however and Rotherham were let off the hook.
Erik Tonne most certainly had a busy evening and linked up well with David McAllister. There was a lovely lay-off from Tonne to McAllister in the box, but the ball seemed to get caught under the Irishman's feet and it was hooked over for a goal kick.
There was very little traffic coming the other way but Mihkel Aksalu did his job very well when called upon. He was also very vocal in arranging his back line and even encouraging United players in the final third. If that lad struggled with English when he first got here, he certainly isn't struggling now!
Tonne was left shaking his head when he saw a powerful shot rebound back off the post before Danny Philliskirk opened the scoring with a beautiful right footed shot from outside the area which beat the Millers' keeper Jack Leyden at full stretch.
Callum Kennedy almost had an instant response for Rotherham after he was allowed too much space down the left hand side but leaned too far back into his shot which sailed high over Aksalu's net.
Kristoffer Lokberg was keeping himself busy in midfield, but when opportunity fell to him inside the box from a rebound off the keeper, he showed he has a very sweet left foot as he slotted a fine volley home to double United's lead.
Rotherham looked rattled as Ollie Banks was given a talking to by the ref for taking Shane Murray late but put their frustrations to good use as Marcus Marshall managed to pull one back for the home side just before the break. He poked home from close range with Aksalu stranded at his feet.
In the second half, there was really only one side in it. Tonne looked extremely comfortable pushing forward with the ball at his feet and showed great composure under pressure. He was unlucky not to bag a goal when his shot was saved by virtue of Leyden having his face in the way! I'm not sure the Millers' keeper was considering himself really that fortunate when he had to receive treatment for it.
Aksalu was also doing his bit to attack from the back and a route one ball to Tonne again provided a scoring opportunity but he just couldn't seem to get a touch on the ball before Leyden gathered it up.
Poor Murray wasn't having the best of nights when another late challenge saw him limping off with what looked like an injured ankle, being replaced by Hungarian midfielder Andras Gardos.
Aksalu again showed good awareness of the forward players to chuck a long throw to Tonne who won a corner which was eventually cleared as far as Seamus Conneely. His shot from 40 yards lacked accuracy but didn't half have some power behind it as it fizzed over the bar.
Tonne again was unlucky as he tried to place the ball across Leyden but saw his effort trickle just wide. McAllister then had a bursting run forwards, releasing the ball to Tonne who casually wandered across the box drawing three defenders out before cheekily back-heeling to Gardos. It looked as though the Hungarian had squandered the lovely bit of build up play as his shot on goal was parried by Leyden but he made sure he buried the ball home on the rebound.
Rotherham were well and truly beaten and it didn't take long for Jordan Chapell to completely finish them off as the Blades were allowed far too much time on the ball, Tonne again had chipped in with the assist with a good ball in to Chapell.
Not getting too excited as a Tuesday night reserve match in front of a handful of people is hardly the measure of any player. But on an absolutely shocking pitch, the Blades tried to play some neat and high-tempo stuff.
Teams:
Sheffield United: Mihkel Aksalu, Seamus Conneely, Phil Roe, Shane Murray (Andras Gardos), Kingsley James, Marc Warren, Jordan Chapell, Kristoffer Lokberg (Connor Brown), Erik Tonne, Danny Philliskirk, David McAllister. Unused subs: Lawrence Thomas, Troy Pennycooke-Morgan, Jack Adams.
Rotherham United: Jack Leyden, Liam Royles, Jamie Green (Shaquille Clark-Adams), Ollie Banks, Luke Ashworth, Jordon Hall, Marcus Marshall (Mitchell Rose), Stephen Brogan, Paul Warne, Liam Henderson, Callum Kennedy. Unused subs: Tom Foltym-Brown, Alec Denton, Tony Thompson.
Rotherham United 1 (Marshall) - 4 Sheffield United (Philliskirk, Lokberg, Gardos, Chapell)
Seeing as it looked a nice night to be sat out in the open, we thought we'd have an amble along to Don Valley to watch the reserves take on Rotherham. Rather strange that our home matches are played outside Sheffield and yet an away match is played in the city boundaries... and the location got to Foxy as he consistently tweeted the scores the wrong way round (Blades as the home team)!
Anyway, the starting line-up was a mix of our foreign development players and some of the lads who've come through the Academy. We've not really had as much chance to see the reserves this season as in previous years so it was good to see how some of the players have progressed physically, especially against a Rotherham side which looked that little bit taller and stronger.
Rotherham kicked off and the play was pretty even in midfield but it was United who had the best of the attacking play. The Blades thought they'd scored early on when Shane Murray's outswinging corner found Kingsley James who saw his initial slot blocked by the keeper before a scramble in the box saw the ball in the back of the net. The linesman adjudged that there was an offside however and Rotherham were let off the hook.
Erik Tonne most certainly had a busy evening and linked up well with David McAllister. There was a lovely lay-off from Tonne to McAllister in the box, but the ball seemed to get caught under the Irishman's feet and it was hooked over for a goal kick.
There was very little traffic coming the other way but Mihkel Aksalu did his job very well when called upon. He was also very vocal in arranging his back line and even encouraging United players in the final third. If that lad struggled with English when he first got here, he certainly isn't struggling now!
Tonne was left shaking his head when he saw a powerful shot rebound back off the post before Danny Philliskirk opened the scoring with a beautiful right footed shot from outside the area which beat the Millers' keeper Jack Leyden at full stretch.
Callum Kennedy almost had an instant response for Rotherham after he was allowed too much space down the left hand side but leaned too far back into his shot which sailed high over Aksalu's net.
Kristoffer Lokberg was keeping himself busy in midfield, but when opportunity fell to him inside the box from a rebound off the keeper, he showed he has a very sweet left foot as he slotted a fine volley home to double United's lead.
Rotherham looked rattled as Ollie Banks was given a talking to by the ref for taking Shane Murray late but put their frustrations to good use as Marcus Marshall managed to pull one back for the home side just before the break. He poked home from close range with Aksalu stranded at his feet.
In the second half, there was really only one side in it. Tonne looked extremely comfortable pushing forward with the ball at his feet and showed great composure under pressure. He was unlucky not to bag a goal when his shot was saved by virtue of Leyden having his face in the way! I'm not sure the Millers' keeper was considering himself really that fortunate when he had to receive treatment for it.
Aksalu was also doing his bit to attack from the back and a route one ball to Tonne again provided a scoring opportunity but he just couldn't seem to get a touch on the ball before Leyden gathered it up.
Poor Murray wasn't having the best of nights when another late challenge saw him limping off with what looked like an injured ankle, being replaced by Hungarian midfielder Andras Gardos.
Aksalu again showed good awareness of the forward players to chuck a long throw to Tonne who won a corner which was eventually cleared as far as Seamus Conneely. His shot from 40 yards lacked accuracy but didn't half have some power behind it as it fizzed over the bar.
Tonne again was unlucky as he tried to place the ball across Leyden but saw his effort trickle just wide. McAllister then had a bursting run forwards, releasing the ball to Tonne who casually wandered across the box drawing three defenders out before cheekily back-heeling to Gardos. It looked as though the Hungarian had squandered the lovely bit of build up play as his shot on goal was parried by Leyden but he made sure he buried the ball home on the rebound.
Rotherham were well and truly beaten and it didn't take long for Jordan Chapell to completely finish them off as the Blades were allowed far too much time on the ball, Tonne again had chipped in with the assist with a good ball in to Chapell.
Not getting too excited as a Tuesday night reserve match in front of a handful of people is hardly the measure of any player. But on an absolutely shocking pitch, the Blades tried to play some neat and high-tempo stuff.
Teams:
Sheffield United: Mihkel Aksalu, Seamus Conneely, Phil Roe, Shane Murray (Andras Gardos), Kingsley James, Marc Warren, Jordan Chapell, Kristoffer Lokberg (Connor Brown), Erik Tonne, Danny Philliskirk, David McAllister. Unused subs: Lawrence Thomas, Troy Pennycooke-Morgan, Jack Adams.
Rotherham United: Jack Leyden, Liam Royles, Jamie Green (Shaquille Clark-Adams), Ollie Banks, Luke Ashworth, Jordon Hall, Marcus Marshall (Mitchell Rose), Stephen Brogan, Paul Warne, Liam Henderson, Callum Kennedy. Unused subs: Tom Foltym-Brown, Alec Denton, Tony Thompson.
). Wasn't called upon an awful lot but collected the ball well from a couple of corners and definately made himself heard throughout the game, not just when defending.
