Rotherham start life after Steve Evans with comfortable victory over Northampton

Rotherham started life after Steve Evans with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Northampton.

Matt Hamshaw took charge of his first game as interim boss and saw Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu give the Millers a first-half lead before Sam Nombe snuffed out any hope of a Northampton comeback.

Rotherham should have taken an early lead at Sixfields but Hakeem Odoffin’s shot lacked conviction when the goal was at his mercy before the same player headed straight at goalkeeper Lee Burge.

Burge was a busy man in the early stages, also reacting smartly to deny Nombe, but he could do nothing about Rotherham’s 22nd-minute opener when Louie Sibley’s shot was deflected into the net by Mpanzu.

Northampton offered zero threat in an error-strewn first half but they improved after the break and Cameron Dawson needed to be at his best to brilliantly keep out Sam Hoskins.

However, Rotherham hit their hosts with a sucker-punch in the 65th minute when a corner caused chaos in the box and Nombe stabbed in from two yards out, and from there the result was never in doubt.