A player singled out as Alex Bruce reacts to Rotherham United's win at Alfreton Town

The former Coventry City attacker had threatened to put his name on the scoresheet in the club's opening three summer friendlies and achieved it at the fourth attempt in the 1-0 victory at Alfreton.

He capped a man-of-the-match display as his quick feet set up a scoring opportunity that he finished off in the 23rd minute.

"He's a livewire," said the admiring head coach. "His attitude and application have been great in pre-season and long may that continue. He's had a few chances. It was good to see him take one."

League Two Rotherham now have two wins and two draws under their belt against non-league opposition after their best display of Bruce's short tenure.

They dominated both halves and could have won by a much heavier margin against opposition from National League North.

"I was pleased tonight, I really was, especially with the first-half performance," Bruce said. "The lads in the second half came on and did a job. It was a tricky pitch again, the same as at Matlock Town last Saturday, but the character and effort of the players was what I was looking for. I thought they did very well. A good attitude is the absolute minimum.

"When you do think the right things, it creates a little bit of bite and a bit of needle - and that's what football is all about."

Rotherham have three matches left before they kick off the 2026/27 campaign with a Carabao Cup clash with at home to Championship West Bromwich Albion on August 8.

Bruce, who is desperate for more recruitment after a lull following four signings, expects the Millers to improve as they build up their fitness.

Players are lasting for longer before being substituted, with some staying on the pitch for an hour or more against Town.

"It's important that you manage them and give them the right amount of minutes," Bruce said. "When you get to this stage, more or less halfway through pre-season, you want to start giving players more playing time.

"I'd like to think that the level of the performance will go up with the more games that we have, and it's going to need to because we've got some tough fixtures coming up now. There's Sheffield United on Saturday, Darlington next Tuesday and then we've got Derby County before we take on West Brom in the cup.

"It's a tough couple of weeks, so the lads need to be ready, they need to be bang at it. Putting in a shift like they did tonight, physically, will stand them in good stead."

The squad remains threadbare until extra reinforcements come through the door and once Rotherham turned to youngsters to pad out their matchday group.

"We are still light on numbers and the academy lads have had to come on in the second half of most of the pre-season games," Bruce said. "They've handled being thrown in at the deep end very well, I have to say."

Teenage full-back Lewis Clarke enhanced his reputation against Alfreton with another decent showing.

Meanwhile, Bruce, who was appointed in June, can't wait for his first New York match when the Championship Blades make the short trip across the Parkway this Saturday.

The 41-year-old is expecting a tough afternoon against Rotherham's South Yorkshire neighbours.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "It's obviously a good game for us, taking on Chris Wilder's Sheffield United. It'll be a good test for the boys and we'll be able to gauge where we are at."