A strong Town Reserves side fell to a 2-0 defeat by Rotherham United in their latest Central League Cup group match.
After losing their opening Group A fixture at Mansfield Town, the Mariners welcomed a Rotherham reserve outfit also boasting plenty of senior experience to Cleethorpes Town’s HPS Plant Hire Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
Neither side could break the deadlock in a keenly-contested first half but the visitors took the lead four minutes after the break through James Clarke and Reece Wilson made sure of their victory when he added a second goal on 72 minutes.
Town lined up with Seb Auton in goal and a defence of Joe Foulkes, Charlie Elliott, Edon Pruti and Alex Graham. Kristian Catchpole sat behind the midfield of Fin Cartwright, Mark Shelton, Jamie Walker and Henry Brown, while youth team striker Ted Sharp led the attack.
Rotherham’s team included former Salford City midfielder Ossama Ashley, ex-Notts County and MK Dons winger Aaron Nemane and attacker Klaidi Lolos, who joined on loan from Peterborough United last week. The South Yorkshire side’s head of football, former England manager Steve McClaren, was among the club staff watching on.
FIRST HALF
Sharp was unable to get on the end of a great cross from Foulkes on the right as Town created the first opening on three minutes.
Pruti cleared a low cross from Clarke at the other end, before another Foulkes cross found Sharp but this time, the striker headed at goalkeeper Julian Eyestone.
Walker volleyed wide on 12 minutes, then the best chance of the game so far saw Rotherham’s Kane Richardson beat Cartwright on the away left and send a low ball across the six-yard line which was turned wide at the far post by Wilson.
Foulkes won the first corner on 21 minutes but it was headed clear, before Graham saw a shot blocked and was off-target from the rebound.
Shelton linked up with Foulkes to create an opening on the right but the cross was held by Eyestone, then Richardson let fly with a powerful strike from 20 yards which took a deflection for a Rotherham corner. From it, Clarke headed wide of the far post.
Foulkes earned another corner at the other end after getting the ball from Cartwright on the right on 38 minutes but the Middlesbrough loanee’s delivery from the right was cleared.
Auton got down to stop a low cross from Richardson after a run down the left and the winger called the keeper into action again soon afterwards, as Auton dived full-length to tip his powerful low drive away for a corner.
A foul by Foulkes on Richardson brought a free kick for Rotherham on the left but after it was played short to Lolos, his ball into the box was headed wide by centre-back Hamish Douglas.
Walker and Douglas were both booked after an altercation in midfield in the closing seconds of the half, as the score remained goalless at the break.
SECOND HALF
Town’s trialist replaced Shelton before the restart and the deadlock was broken four minutes in, when CLARKE ran onto a through-ball from Lolos, rounded Auton and tapped into the empty net from a narrow angle to give the away side the lead.
Walker had the Mariners’ first chance of the second half as he won the ball in the middle and took it forward but could not beat Eyestone from the edge of the box.
Another attempt by Walker from distance drew a good save from the keeper and gave Town a corner, although they were unable to make the most of the set piece opportunity.
Lolos set off on a run through the middle for Rotherham soon afterwards but eventually fired wide from 25 yards, then Eyestone again denied Walker from a similar distance. Cartwright’s resulting corner was cleared.
More good goalkeeping saw Eyestone race off his line to get to a ball from Walker ahead of Cartwright, as the Mariners looked for an equaliser.
A foul on Cartwright brought an opportunity to create danger from the right and from the free kick, Brown cut into the box but his cross was caught by Eyestone.
Foulkes made a good interception on the right to set up Town’s next chance but when he crossed, Brown could only volley at he keeper.
Darius Neagu replaced Cartwright with 20 minutes to go but soon afterwards, Rotherham doubled their advantage. A neat move led to Nemane pulling the ball back from the right for WILSON to tap into the net.
That proved to be the signal for four Rotherham changes as senior players Ashley, Kieran Ngwenya, Wilson and Nemane all came off and the away side took on a more youthful look.
Elliott saw a header from a Foulkes free kick held by Eyestone, before Curtis Manyika replaced the trialist in the Town midfield for the final eight minutes of the game.
Manyika forced Eyestone into action to stop a curling strike from the left, then a well-worked corner led to a shooting opportunity for Neagu but he could only find the side-netting.
More good play by Manyika saw him win a free kick on the left but again, the hosts were unable to make it count.
Town kept looking for a consolation goal but it was not to come, as Rotherham saw out the remaining time to secure a clean sheet and the three points.
The Mariners will conclude their Central League Cup campaign with a home fixture against Notts County Reserves.
Town: Auton, Foulkes, Elliott, Pruti, Graham, Catchpole, Cartwright (Neagu, 70), Shelton (Trialist, 46 (Manyika, 83)), Walker, Brown, Sharp
Sub not used: Roberts
UTM
