Rotherham 0 Hearts 1

Jul 29 2012 By Gavin Berry, Sunday Mail
hearts rotherham

hearts rotherham

JOHN McGLYNN watched John Sutton keep up his hot streak in pre-season then joked he expects the Hearts hitman to continue scoring at almost a goal a game in the SPL.

The Englishman took his tally to three in four friendlies as he bagged a second-half winner against the League Two outfit.

Now McGlynn hopes Sutton is on fire when the real action starts at home to St Johnstone next weekend.

The Hearts boss is short of strikers and must rely heavily on the man who was frozen out under former boss Paul Sergio and sent out on loan to Australia.

But he said: “John has scored three goals in four games and I’ve said to him if he can score 37 in the next 38 games I’ll be delighted!

“My tongue was in my cheek a bit but if he can go out and score a few for us we’ll be happy. He has a big part to play. We have other strikers at the club, of course, younger players we can put on.

“If they have to come on quicker then that’s the way it’ll have to be.

“John is a good professional who trains well every day. He can take the weight off those playing around him.

“He has scored goals for St Mirren and Motherwell in the past and that’s why Jim Jefferies signed him.”

Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York blared from the Rotherham tannoy and the Hearts fans can start spreading the news that they made history as the first side to win at the New York Stadium.

It was Rotherham’s first defeat at their impressive new home and Sutton’s goal rounded off a fine pre-season for the Jambos as it sealed their third victory from four matches.

McGlynn came up against a familiar face yesterday as he was on the books of Bolton as a kid alongside Rotherham’s Scottish boss Steve Evans.

The Jambos almost grabbed an early goal when Callum Paterson forced a low save out of Scott Shearer.

Ex-Albion Rovers keeper Shearer was one of three familiar names in the Rotherham line-up with Scotland ‘B’ cap David Noble and former Aberdeen midfielder Kari Arnason also starting.

The Millers had Hearts worried on a couple of occasions with Daniel Nardiello hitting the side netting and Alex Revell taking a fresh-air swipe inside the box.

But McGlynn’s side took the lead two minutes after the break when Noble dithered and Ryan McGowan charged the ball down before swinging in a delivery that Sutton steered past Shearer.

Rotherham should have netted a quick-fire equaliser when Johnny Mullins headed on Mark Bradley’s free-kick but with Jamie MacDonald stranded, former Pittodrie star Arnason somehow steered his shot wide.

Taken from the Scotsman