Clinical Rotherham United deliver the goods once again to the delight of boss Warne

Goals either side of the break from Joe Newell and Semi Ajayi earned the Millers their fourth straight win, stretching their unbeaten run to 11 games in the process.

“I was really pleased, obviously,” said Warne afterwards. “I thought it was a really good game with two really in-form teams.

“I knew if we could get in and around Scunthorpe and compete against them then we are taking good strides forward. We are happy with how we played.

“There were not many chances in the first-half, although not through a lack of effort from either team.

“We took our chance well and in the second-half, we more than matched them. We were the stronger side in the second half and on another day, we might have scored more. I was disappointed with the goal we gave away but apart from that I don’t think our goalkeeper had much to do.”

Following Newell’s first-half opener, Ajayi looked to have given Warne’s men some much-needed breathing space in the second half, with a well-taken header but substitute Lee Novak put the game back in the balance, almost immediately.

Warne also praised his side’s defensive display as they came under pressure late on.

“We defended really well,” he added. “We weathered the storm and kept breaking away.”

Scunthorpe: Gilks, Vermijl, McArdle, Wallace, Townsend (Williams 87), Holmes, Ojo, Bishop (Adelakun 75), Morris, Toney, Hopper (Novak 66). Unused substitutes: Goode, Burgess, Yates, Watson.

Rotherham United: Rodak, Emmanuel, Ajayi, Wood, Mattock, Forde, Towell, Vaulks, Newell (Williams 68), Ball (Lavery 75), Smith. Unused substitutes: Palmer, Taylor, Price, Ihiekwe, Yates.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).