'Maybe it's the wine talking' ... Lee Clark jokes about man-of-the-match verdicts and gets more serious about blooding young players

The winger was the sponsors' choice as the Millers' star player despite being on the pitch for only around half an hour in Tuesday’s League One clash with Luton Town at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

While praising the 24-year-old's contribution, the manager light-heartedly suspected alcohol was involved as the people sponsoring the game and watching from the corporate seats arrived at their conclusion.

“I've never been a fan of sponsors' man of the matches, because they've usually been in hospitality and they might be on their fifth or sixth bottle of red by then!” Clark smiled.

“Even back when I was a player, there were some strange ones. When I've won it myself, I've sometimes thought: ‘How did I win that?’ And then I've gone up (to the corporate area) and I've realised how many beers or glasses of wine they've sunk.

“Fair play to Jack, though, he's come on and given it a go. What I've said is just a bit of fun.”

Holmes was one of three subs in the second half and the boss praised their contribution as Rotherham played out a goalless second half and created a number of opportunities after trailing 2-0 at the break.

“Jack, Dru Yearwood, Denzel Hall, they were all terrific for us,” he said.

Right-back Hall is being eased back after a long-term injury and had been in the starting 11 in the 2-0 triumph at Leyton Orient four days earlier.

“Unfortunately, I couldn't start Denzel again because of his load that he's having and his recovery,” Clark said. “I couldn't start Dru either (after a calf problem). He was allowed a bit more time than he got as a sub at Orient.

The Millers' drop from League One was confirmed last week with four matches left to play and the manager is using the 'dead' fixtures to run his eye over some of the club's youth talent.

Nineteen-year-olds Cohen Lee and James Clarke have made starts - including against Luton - while Harrison Duncan, aged 17, was used off the bench at Orient.

“There are players who are starting to get a chance to show me what they can do who haven't had that chance in previous games,” Clark said. “That's what I've got to do. It's probably the only plus point that comes with relegation.

“I've got to see players who I hadn't seen on a matchday. You see them on the training ground and they do well. But it's about transferring that training-ground work onto the matchday pitch.”

The Geordie, who took the hot-seat last month until the end of the campaign, had only 20 bodies available to him for the Luton encounter because of the club's well-documented injury problems.

Speaking straight after the match, he said: “I look at the players who weren't available tonight and the players who I've never been able to have. You think what might have been.

“It's at least allowed some talented youngsters from our academy to get a chance. I don't want it to knock them. I want them to learn from this, I want them to watch this match back and look at the players who are playing for Luton in their positions and what they've done. We want to create pathways for our young local lads.”