Rotherham United boss Matt Hamshaw makes admission after League One win at Bolton as Millers leapfrog rivals Barnsley in table

The Millers made it three wins out of three under Hamshaw as Sam Nombe's first-half strike earned them a smash-and-grab win on a night when they leapfrogged White Rose rivals Barnsley in the table.

The Millers took their only real opportunity of a one-sided game at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, with Nombe plundering a 12th goal of the season after a mistake by Gethin Jones after 11 minutes.

Play-off chasing Bolton wasted a plethora of chances to at least draw themselves level and also found Cameron Dawson in fine form, the keeper making eye-catching saves to deny Josh Dacres-Cogley, John McAtee, Aaron Collins and George Johnston.

McAtee also hit the outside of a post after finally getting around the Rotherham stopper in the second half and Hakeem Odoffin made two goal-line blocks.

It was a night when Jack Holmes started for the Millers, while teenager Hamish Douglas, who recently returned from a loan spell at non-league Warrington - came on from the bench for the injury-hit visitors.

Hamshaw, speaking to Radio Sheffield, said: “It was certainly not easy and if I am going to be brutally honest, we were second best.

“That is not being defeatist. I thought with our character and defensive stuff, there were a hell of a lot of positives, don’t get me wrong.

“But I openly said in the press that I worried about this game physically and I wanted a performance for the first 45 minutes and I thought we did that and created problems.

“I think everyone is well aware of the situation we are in at the minute with injuries and Kells (Liam Kelly) and Jonno (Jonson Clarke-Harris) were ill and that killed us a little bit.

“But it is what it is. We don’t make excuses.

“Fair plat to the kids, I thought Hamish Douglas came in and did really well and Holmesy (Jack Holmes).

“I don’t want to be too negative as it’s an unbelievable three points against what is in my opinion a top, top team. I just said to their players and Schuey (Steve Schumacher) - although he probably doesn’t want to hear it - they will go up if the keep playing like that."