How events played out and how the trialists fared as Rotherham United kicked off their pre-season campaign against Parkgate

It had nothing to do with the players as League Two Rotherham United took on non-league neighbours Parkgate at Roundwood in their first outing of the summer. Neither bench was involved either on a hot, hot Friday evening at the complex the two clubs share. No, the assistant referee on the far side had been stung by a wasp. He was a cheery soul and bravely soldiered on with a running line of banter while also running the line. "I'm a bit shook up, I'm not going to lie to yer," he grinned. Nine-hundred-and-twenty-five of the 1,200 available tickets had been sold and that figure was increased by some on-the-day walk-ups. It's usually a sell-out but Rotherham are low on numbers at the moment and coming off a relegation campaign. Two signings were announced in the build-up to the 7pm kick-off but that came too late to swell the crowd. Head coach Alex Bruce, new to the annual event, was still impressed by the support. "It was amazing," he said. "It was a really good turnout. I think people enjoyed the night. It was nice to see a few happy faces and long may that continue. "It was good for the lads to get their first run-out. The first game of pre-season is always a bit difficult but we got there in the end. The main objective was just fitness. The lads have worked really hard this week and finished it off by getting a good 60 minutes under their belts. "I was pleased with some of the things. There's a lot of work to do, that's evident. We've brought in a couple of players today. We need a few more in the building." Only one of the four signings so far was involved. That was Fabio Tavares and the attacker's light-footed runs and deft touches made him one of the Millers' liveliest performers. A couple of trialists were on show. James Furlong was neat without doing anything too meaningful and Brandon Williams, still finding his way back into the pro game after his time with Manchester United, and Hull City, will have more productive outings than this one. The first half was goalless. The Millers, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, laboured and didn't create much. Parkgate gave as good as they got and were denied what looked like a clear-cut penalty when Denzel Hall brought down someone down in the box. "Seen them given," said the assistant ref. Suddenly, he waved his flag furiously. Maybe he was trying to swat the offending insect, we thought. It turned out to be just an offside. It was boiling, as it always seems to be at this fixture which does so much to help keep Parkgate afloat. Every year, it's a friendly occasion, brimming with community bonhomie, but things matter on the pitch. Rotherham want to beat opposition operating in the ninth tier of English football - the Northern Counties East League Premier Division - and the Parkgate lads want to make their mark on the pros in the biggest match some of them will ever play in. Both sides achieved their aim. With the evening sun beating down, Kian Spence felt his own temperature rise. The Rotherham midfield got mad with himself, a couple of his teammates and a few members of the opposition as an expected lead failed to materialise. In the 64th minute, the senior pros departed proceedings and the contest pretty much became Parkgate v Rotherham's youth set-up. Some people were on the pitch, even though it wasn't all over, and a stern rebuke over the tannoy saw the gaggle of offending under-10s making their way back to the correct side of the barrier. Finally, the breakthrough came. Academy youngster Alfie Ramsell was first to a second ball and his 86th-minute looping header clinched a 1-0 triumph for the Millers. Not bad for the contest's smallest participant whose shorts were so long and socks so high that at times you couldn't actually see his legs. "I thought he did great," said Bruce. "He put a few good balls in the box, didn't he? He can be pleased with his nice work in the second half." The head coach wasn't overly concerned by the narrow margin of victory. "We'll get there," he said. "We've introduced a couple of things and you could see them a little bit in the first half. It's difficult on a sticky surface to get the style of play we've been working on, but that'll come in the coming weeks." After the final whistle, as Rotherham's players mingled with fans, the winning raffle numbers were read out. Someone won a television. But they weren't as happy as Ramsell whose match-clinching smile was turned up to full brightness. Happily, there had been no further wasp incidents after the interval. The Parkgate players trailed away looking a little disconsolate. They'd done themselves proud and had come close to a memorable draw. Defeat so late on ... well, it stung. Rotherham first half: Ted Cann, Denzel Hall, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Hamish Douglas, Joe Rafferty, Jamie Spence, Brandon Cover, Marvin Kaleta, James Clarke, James Furlong (trialist), Fabio Tavares. Rotherham second half: Cann, Hall, Lenny Agbaire, Douglas, Rafferty, Spence, Cover, Cohen Lee, Brandon Williams (trialist), Furlong, Tavares. Second-half substitutions (all 64 minutes): Off: Cann, Cover, Furlong, Rafferty, Hall, Douglas, Spence, Tavares. On: Ben Childs, Jack Lowe, Lewis Clarke, Alfie Ramsell, Max Truswell, Kane Richardson, Dean Gardner, Reece Wilson. Goal: Ramsell 86 (Rotherham) Attendance: 925 plus a few more