Rotherham United handed huge attacking boost - it could secure survival | OneFootball

Matt Hamshaw was able to welcome his talisman back to the fold in the Millers' win over Northampton Town.

Rotherham United's win at Northampton Town could be looked back on at the end of the season as a pivotal turning point for Matt Hamshaw's side.

The Millers had endured a tough start through their opening 10 League One games, winning just twice and looking rather leaky defensively.

Therefore, after a Sam Hoskins penalty had Kevin Nolan's side 1-0 up in the first half on Saturday, Millers fans were fearing the worst.

A dominant second-half performance from Rotherham, which saw them keep 67% of the ball and limit Northampton to just one attempt, saw the tide swing, and when Josh Benson curled a late free-kick in to take the lead, not many could say that Hamshaw's side didn't deserve it.

It was an impressive victory, especially taking into account Northampton's record at home so far. Before Rotherham's win, the Cobblers had lost just once in their five games at Sixfields, a 1-0 defeat against Lincoln City, and had kept clean sheets in the other four.

It's not just the win which has provided a huge boost after a poor opening couple of months to the season, but also the welcoming back of Rotherham's star striker, Sam Nombe, after two months out injured with a hamstring problem.

If the 26-year-old stays fit and firing, the Millers' survival chances will increase tenfold.

The win against Northampton was just the third of the season for Rotherham, with the other two coming against Exeter City in September and Port Vale on the opening day, the latter of which was dubbed by many as the Sam Nombe show.

The former Exeter City, Luton Town and MK Dons man bagged a brace in the 2-1 win, but was forced off late on in their following game against Stevenage after tearing his hamstring.

Nombe was initially targeting a November return, so Rotherham fans would have been ecstatic to see him back on the bench on Saturday a month earlier.

Those two goals on opening day extended what was an impressive end to last season under Hamshaw for Rotherham's talisman. After failing to get into a groove under Steve Evans, Nombe burst into life when Hamshaw took over, netting five goals in eight games under the current boss.

Therefore, before his injury, Nombe had netted seven in nine under the Rotherham-born manager, and it was clear that, if the Millers had any chance of surviving in a competitive League One this season, their striker needed to be fit.

Now he's back, and Rotherham will be hoping that this two-month layoff hasn't affected the explosiveness he was showing in the side before his injury.

However, given the Millers were still 1-0 down when the versatile forward made his return from the bench, the presence of Nombe could even be enough to instil some goalscoring belief within his teammates.

Either way, having him back in the side is definitely a plus for Hamshaw.

Rotherham United's survival chances have increased with Sam Nombe's return

Many were predicting a difficult season for the Millers before a ball was kicked, but Hamshaw's side have been defiant in their losses and have looked strong going forward when things clicked.

Only Cardiff City have blown Rotherham away this season, and there's no shame in that. Otherwise, all of their losses have come by one-goal margins, and they've netted twice in four of their eleven games so far.

The results clearly weren't there whilst Nombe was on the shelf, but the Millers weren't far off. They needed their missing piece, and the 26-year-old clearly provides that.

Under Hamshaw, Nombe is playing arguably the best football of his career, and if he can get back to that level quickly, Rotherham could have themselves a striker who can push the 15-20 goal mark this season.

If that proves to be the case, then the Millers will have a major advantage over their fellow relegation candidates.

If they can continue to play with the belief that Hamshaw will give them and be a little tighter at the back, Rotherham could find themselves finishing outside the bottom four when it's all said and done in May.