Warne delighted to give departing Rotherham kit man McVann all three points

Posted Sunday, November 03, 2019 by PA

Rotherham manager Paul Warne dedicated their 3-0 win over Gillingham to the club’s departing kit man.

Matt Crooks scored twice as Rotherham made it three away league wins in a row for the first time since December 2017.

Michael Smith also got on the scoresheet having earlier missed a penalty as victory moved Warne’s side up into the top 10, but the day belonged to kit man Steve McVann who heads for the door with all three points.

“I’m proud of the group today; it was our kit man’s last game for the club today so I asked them to give him a performance,” said Warne.

“They did exactly that and Steve’s going out on a win.

“It was a really good performance in difficult conditions. The lads are buzzing in the dressing room.

“With the whip he (Matt Crooks} got on it as soon as he hit it I thought it had a chance.

“It was a sweet feeling when it dipped in. He’s got an eye for a goal, which is why he’s leading the scoring charts at the moment.

“I was never brave enough to take a penalty in my career so I’m not going to criticise him (Michael Smith). He said he caught it sweetly but the goalkeeper guessed the right way.

“I asked our defence to stand up and be counted today. Our goalkeeper was excellent and whenever there was a bit of pressure we dealt with it well.

“Sometimes we may not create enough chances in games but the lads’ work ethic and willingness to win can never be questioned.”

Meanwhile Gillingham boss Steve Evans was left feeling hard done by after the visit from his old club.

“I think it’s a harsh scoreline because within a minute or two we’ve gone from having Regan Charles-Cook go through on goal to them having a penalty and then scoring,” he said.

“Take nothing away from Rotherham, though. They’ve spent fortunes; I’ve been there and benefitted from it. They’ve got a great squad, great manager and great fans.

“I don’t know if it’s a penalty or not but Jack [Bonham] bails us out with a great save.

“After that, we’re poor for their first goal. It’s a mix up that shouldn’t happen but it does at all levels of the game because of poor communication.

Evans was booked for dissent on the touchline in the first half and was not impressed by the performance of referee Lee Swabey either.

“He’s a poor referee. He was poor today and I’ve watched him a number of times neutrally and he’s poor,” he added.

“I don’t question his honesty or integrity but he didn’t give us a lot today. However, he’s not to blame for our defending for the goals.”