York 0 Rotherham 0: Return of Kerr is bonus for York after stalemate

It was followed by a ringing endorsement of the 30-year-old central midfield player from manager Gary Mills after the Minstermen had captured a point from a Millers side who remain confident they can carry the mantle of promotion favourites despite not even being in the play-off frame just yet.

Kerr had returned from seven months on the sidelines after a cruciate ligament injury in a midweek victory against Newcastle Reserves and Mills had no hesitation in giving him a place on the bench against the big-spending Millers.

“He deserved that reception. Not only has he been out a long time but he missed the two Wembleys last season,” said Mills of the central midfield man who missed the FA Trophy and Conference play-off final triumphs at the national stadium after being injured in March.

“He was a major part of our success last season. He got brought to York when Lincoln let him down and he wasn’t a Football League player any more,” continued Mills.

“He took a step backwards or a gamble that he would be back in the League with York and he was one of the main reasons why we did get back into the League. So I’m delighted that he has gone out there and that we weren’t playing a team in the Conference as now he’s a Football League player again because he deserves that. He is itching to play in every game.”

Kerr is in line to start tomorrow’s Johntone’s Paint Trophy home tie against Coventry City with Mills adding: “He wouldn’t have been out there today if he wasn’t close to starting. The more minutes he gets and the more he plays the sharper he is going to get and the only way is by playing in games like today’s and maybe games like Tuesday.

“Reserve games are great but when there is something at stake be it a Cup when you need to get through to the next round or whether it is a match for three points you have to give that little bit more to make it happen.

“Because of who he is and the big heart he has got, he is back bang on. Whereas some players may say ‘I need a couple of reserve games’ he is wanting to play before he has even had a reserve game.

“When you have players like that with that desire it’s great because they are honest and make the job of a manager a lot easier.”

Kerr was brought on to provide stability along with on-loan Peterborough debutant Danny Kearns after the Millers, seeking revenge for their JP Trophy home defeat to the Minstermen, had taken control after reshaping their side at the break.

Kieran Agard was brought on to the right, Ben Pringle was removed and Lionel Ainsworth was switched into his position behind striker Kayode Odejayi, whose aerial threat had been nullified in the first period by Danny Parslow.

Ainsworth’s pace through the middle finally rattled what had been a composed York defence but, after avoiding Chris Doig’s attempted trip, the former Huddersfield winger side-footed wide from inside the area and was later off target from six yards as he attempted to convert a drive from Gareth Evans.

Paul Rayner, the Rotherham No 2 in charge of affairs while Steve Evans serves a touchline ban, said: “We just didn’t have that killer instinct to take the chance and kill the game off.

“We are disappointed because we took a grip of the game in the second half. We made a little tactical change – it just wasn’t Ben’s day – and got Lionel Ainsworth to make things happen and he did give us a real spark and although he missed those chances, these things happen.

“I’m just disappointed we couldn’t grab that goal but it was a solid performance and keeping a clean sheet away from home gives us something to build on. York kept the ball well in the first half but we felt that little change at half-time would make it better for us and it certainly did.

“We want to be better and higher up the table, but we are still gelling and we are getting there.”

Mills’s side are certainly a more cohesive unit at present than the Millers, players knowing instinctively where team-mates are going to make runs and also where extra cover is required when they are under threat.

They are a potent force on the break with not only a fluid three-man strike-force but with the extra threat of converted midfield man Matty Blair making runs from deep.

From one such first-half surge, Blair threaded the ball through for Jason Walker only for a sliding challenge from Craig Morgan to avert the danger and fellow centre-back Ian Sharps did the same to deny Blair.

Scott Shearer, who had seen a shot from Ashley Chambers thud off his chest, then saved with his legs from Walker and the Millers, who have let Johnny Mullins go on loan to Oxford, must have been relieved to be level at the break.

Attacking the open end packed with 1,600 Millers fans in a crowd of 5,417, Rotherham were much brighter after the interval and Odejayi put Gareth Evans through only for the shot to be saved by the legs of Michael Ingham, who later produced a great save from Odejayi’s far post downward header.

York’s counter-attacks were more sporadic in the second half but Walker went close from the edge of the area after he expertly hung back to take a return pass from Michael Coulson; Shearer blocked from Walker and then got back onto his line to smother the prodded follow-up from Patrick McLaughlin before Chambers failed to test the goalkeeper by firing into the side-netting after going down the right in the closing stages.

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York city: Ingham, Challinor, C Smith, Doig, Fyfield; Blair, Parslow, McLaughlin (Kerr 66); Coulson (Kearns 66), Walker, Chambers. Unused substitutes: Musselwhite, Blanchett, Reed, Johnson, Carlisle.

Rotherham United: Shearer, Hunt, Sharps, Morgan, Harris; Ainsworth, O’Connor, Arnason, Evans; Pringle (Agard 46); Odejayi. Unused substitutes: Tonge, Taylor, Bradley, Noble, Warrington, Denton.

Referee: D Webb (Co Durham).