FIREWORKS are banned at the Don Valley Stadium but York City still sparkled in a FA Cup first round spectacle against Rotherham United.

In the cavernous Sheffield venue, soulless but for the roars of more than 1,100 Minstermen, Gary Mills’ team put on a performance which was a match for any of the rockets and bangers you might have seen in the sky that evening.

The Millers will be thankful their name went into yesterday’s second round draw after they were battered by a York side which saved their best of the season for the romance of the Cup.

But for better finishing, York could already be planning their trip to Darlington in the next round. As it is, they will have seen nothing from Rotherham that will cause them fear ahead of the replay a week on Wednesday.

Having played, and been a vocal fan of 4-3-3, Mills sprang a shock on Ronnie Moore’s side – Djoumin Sangare sitting in front of the back four in a 4-1-4-1 formation.

For a man who hasn’t played much this campaign, and is under the pressure of knowing his short-term contract is set to run out in January, the French utility player put in a sublime display, sweeping up numerous enemy advances and providing an excellent bridge between defence and attack.

If that was clever management, then Mills’ use of two wingers – David McDermott and Peter Till – with Michael Rankine the target man, also worked well as the trio caused a League Two back-four all sorts of problems.

Rotherham rarely threatened but, when they did, City’s defence also stood up to the task.

Daniel Parslow nullified the league’s top scorer, and £1 million-rated frontman, Adam Le Fondre, while David McGurk and Chris Smith put themselves in harms way – McGurk literally throwing himself at the ball in two sensational second-half challenges – to keep the home side out.

In the first half, particularly, City were inspired.

Former York goalkeeper Andy Warrington was soon at work in the Rotherham net, getting down well to his left to keep out a firm Jonathan Smith effort from 20 yards after nine minutes, while Rankine was frustrated, and the Millers relieved in equal measure, when a fiercely struck drive only just cleared the crossbar.

Rotherham did have their early moments. Michael Ingham made the only really significant save of his afternoon when spreading well to keep out Le Fondre’s shot after Ryan Taylor put in his strike partner after 20 minutes.

But these were fleeting.

The Minstermen marched down the field and James Meredith, on the left-hand side of the area, weaved through the challenges to set up a clear shot at goal.

He delayed a moment too long and a Rotherham full-back dived in to block his eventual effort.

The Millers were shell-shocked, however. Rankine stole the ball straight back and Till had Warrington sprawling to his left for a shot which hit the wrong side of the netting.

Perhaps the key moment of the match came on 22 minutes.

Nick Fenton’s clearance was botched and McDermott dinked the ball over his head into the path of Rankine. The City striker powered down the left and, near the touchline, delivered a pin-point cross into the path of the midfielder, who had sprinted into the centre of the six-yard area.

It might have been the slightest bit behind him but McDermott was on his own in the box and had time to take the ball down and place it past Warrington.

Instead he tried to shoot first time, and scuffed it.

Ingham then came to clear a cross but palmed it into the path of Le Fondre. For a moment there was silence as his shot cleared both the goalkeeper and, thankfully for York, the bar as well.

Back came York, Parslow’s cross from the right curling onto Rankine’s head on 40 minutes. He could only direct his effort straight at Warrington. And, right on half time, Meredith spurned a great chance – running onto the ball at pace eight yards out but unable to keep his shot from sailing over.

Rotherham couldn’t be that ineffective again in the second half, but could City play just as well?

There’s no doubt the Minstermen were more effectively contained after the break but they still caused uncertainty in the ranks of the League Two high-fliers.

The home side also offered more threat but, on the occasions they were able to fashion an opening, the York back four remained an immovable object.

McGurk twice put himself in the line of fire, flinging himself at dangerous crosses and Rotherham were also wasteful – Le Fondre the villain when firing a shot miles over the bar from 12 yards.

As the home fans booed, left and accepted a replay, York almost took that option away as well.

Rankine moved clear with only three minutes remaining and smacked a powerful effort towards goal but Warrington was just about equal to it, stretching low down at his right-hand post to palm the ball away.

A win would have been no more than York deserved but with League scalps falling all around in first round action, they will get another chance to add Rotherham’s name to the list in a replay.


Match facts

Rotherham United 0, York City 0

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Daniel Parslow 8, David McGurk 8, Chris Smith 8, James Meredith 8, Djoumin Sangare 9, Jonathan Smith 7, Alex Lawless 7, David McDermott 7, Peter Till 7, Michael Rankine 7.

Substitutions: Racchi (for Till, 75); Fyfield (for McDermott, 89).

Not used: Knight, Carruthers, Barrett, Young, Constantine.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Sangare – impressive return to the first team. Controlled play as City’s anchorman.

Millers: Andy Warrington, Johnny Mullins, Ryan Cresswell, Nick Fenton, Tom Newey, Marcus Marshall, Danny Harrison, Jason Taylor, Nicky Law, Ryan Taylor, Adam Le Fondre.

Subs not used: Stephen Brogan, Jamie Green, Luke Ashworth, Kevin Ellison, Paul Warne, Tom Pope, Jamie Anderson.

Booked: C Smith 20, Sangare 47, Le Fondre 90.

Shots on target: Millers 3, York 6.

Shots off target: Millers 5, York 7.

Corners: Millers 3, York 9.

Fouls conceded: Millers 7, York 12.

Offsides: Millers 0, York 2.

Referee: Karl Evans (Manchester). Rating: Didn’t have a lot to do.

Attendance: 3,227 (1,104 City fans).

Save of the match: Michael Ingham spread himself superbly to halt Adam Le Fondre in one of Rotherham’s few efforts on goal.

Miss of the match: David McDermott had far more time than he realised when he was found in the centre of the box by Michael Rankine’s brilliant cross.


Head to head - Adam Le Fondre v Daniel Parslow

Rotherham’s £1 million rated forward was marshalled effectively by Daniel Parslow, who grows more assured at right-back with every match.

Pushed a little wider than usual, Le Fondre found the going tough against the former Welsh Under-21 international, who shackled his man impressively.

Le Fondre eventually retreated deeper in a bid to escape his clutches and Parslow was also an impressive figure supporting the City attack as the Minstermen played with a lot of width.