Rotherham United 2 Northampton Town 1: Leeds United's Harry Gray inspires vital Millers fightback

The Millers have been in freefall the past two months, going winless for 11 matches to slip to second bottom in League One.

And the knives were sharpening, the boos ringing out at half-time at the New York Stadium on Tuesday night as they trailed to a Northampton Town side just two places above them and threatening to leave them further in the mire.

That Tom Eaves, at 34 and a former Rotherham striker had scored the Cobblers goal, merely heightened the angst.

But it was a player half his age who inspired the turnaround.

Seventeen-year-old Gray, starting only his third game for Rotherham after joining on loan from Leeds until the end of the season, headed a second-half equaliser that lifted the gloom on 58 minutes.

And Rotherham went on to clinch all three points when Adegboyega - signed from Norwich earlier in the January transfer window - headed in another wicked Joe Powell set-piece to seal a first win since November 8.

Rotherham had started brightly enough, neat interplay on the edge of the area creating a chance for Kian Spence that was deflected wide and then from the resulting corner, Zak Jules took the ball down well and got a shot off that was blocked.

But once they fell behind, the stuffing was quickly knocked out of them.

Eaves had already guided a header straight at Cameron Dawson when on 27 minutes he found himself with time and space to control a flick on from Sam Hoskins’ hopeful punt into the area and slide the ball past the Rotherham goalkeeper.

Leeds teenager Gray - the great nephew of Whites legend Eddie and younger brother of Tottenham’s Archie - showed a couple of nice touches and flicks but the Millers weren’t getting the ball to him enough, either in behind or with his back to goal, as they toiled to get a leveller.

It was with his head though that Gray had a decisive impact, nodding home a Joe Powell corner at the near post on 58 minutes, running off to celebrate with a hi-five with Matt Hamshaw, whose job he may well have just saved.

Suddenly buoyant, Rotherham neatly had a second within 60 seconds, Dan Gore breaking at pace from the edge of his own area to the edge of Northampton’s, but his cross could not be converted by either Nombe or Ar’Jany Martha.

Shane McWilliams shot wide and Joe Rafferty had a header saved before Adegboyega struck the decisive blow having only just been introduced from the bench minutes earlier.

Hamshaw took the flak for his substitutes in the 1-1 draw with Wimbledon on Saturday, but he got them right on Tuesday.

Rotherham remain in the bottom four but have seen two months of gloom lifted by two young loan stars.