Rotherham United 2 Northampton 2: Inquest due as Millers let two-goal lead slip

RONNIE MOORE will this morning begin the inquest into how his Rotherham United side threw away an early two-goal lead against a Northampton side battling at the foot of League Two.

Rotherham went 2-0 up inside 20 minutes but a defensive collapse saw the Cobblers draw level in two minutes before going on to create more gilt-edged chances which should have given them the win.

The Millers led after just four minutes when Ryan Taylor fired a looping shot over goalkeeper Chris Dunn from 25-yards.

Rotherham struck again after 19 minutes when Marcus Marshall blasted a terrific shot home from the edge of the area.

But then it all went wrong as the home defence crumbled.

Abdul Osman pulled the first back after 21 minutes, flipping home an Andrew Holt free-kick. Barely two minutes later it was all square when Rotherham were caught square and Holt crashed the ball past Jamie Annerson.

Northampton should have gone ahead when two golden chances fell to striker Leon McKenzie but he couldn't convert.

But Town could also have snatched a third in a tepid second half when, with 20 minutes to go, Craig King's low shot was well-blocked by United goalkeeper Annerson.

Rotherham carved out half chances for Adam Le Fondre and Nicky Law but they were left rueing two points thrown away.

Rotherham United: Annerson, Coid, Mullins, Fenton, Green, Marshall, Law, Bradley, Ellison (J Taylor 45), R Taylor, Le Fondre. Unused Substitutes: Harrison, Pope, Brogan, Ashworth, Warne, Elliott.

Northampton Town: Dunn, Hall, Beckwith, Gilligan, Osman, Holt, Wedderburn, Johnson (Rodgers 68), McKenzie, Tozer, King (McKay 72). Unused Substitutes: Thornton, Hinton, Herbert, Jacobs, Walker.

Referee: RL Lewis (Shropshire).