Just half a mile apart, Sheffield United's current crop produced a professional pre-season display at the Don Valley Stadium on Saturday but, 24 hours later, ex Blades players were embarrassed live on Sky Sports in the Yorkshire Masters at the Sheffield Arena.
In front of 2,500 Blades fans, Johnny Ertl and Daniel Bogdanovic's goals papered over the cracks of the first-half, and if it wasn't for a goal-line clearance from youngster Matt Lowton, United would have been going into the interval one nil down. Johnny Ertl's thunderous header beat veteran goalkeeper Andy Warrington in the Millers goal, and then Maltese striker Daniel Bogdanovic converted his penalty after winning the spot-kick himself with a mazy run into Rotherham's box.
Nyron Nosworthy featured, as did Leon Britton and Steve Simonsen, but Stephen Quinn, Darius Henderson and Ched Evans were all nursing an injury. Trialists Kerrea Gilbert, Shaleum Logan and Gregory Vignal will not be retained, despite the latter being provider for United's first goal.
Players from the past continued to be one of the dullest teams in Masters football last (Sunday) night. In the opening game of the evening, the Blades fell to a 2:1 defeat to Huddersfield Town. The old boys only had a one-game rest before they had to tackle Sheffield Wednesday, who swept aside United in the only Steel City Derby of the season - it ended 4:2.
The Masters side consisted of:
Lance Key (who actually never played a game for us), David Holdsworth, Paul Beesley, Carl Bradshaw, Mark Todd, Paul Wood, Peter Duffield, Adrian Littlejohn.
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