"The atmosphere was electric." Boss Paul Warne reacts to Rotherham United's opening-day win at New York

Rotherham had a two-goal cushion by the break and could afford to take their foot off the gas a little in the second half at AESSEAL New York Stadium before coming on strong towards the end.

Warne, who is hoping to earn a third straight promotion from this level after last season's relegation from the Championship, said: "I thought we deserved the win. Plymouth had a lot of the ball but I don't know if my goalkeeper made a save.

"Overall, I am pleased but not ecstatic. There were pockets of really good play from us but we should have really got the third goal. Then it would have been a more comfortable afternoon.

"There were some good performances. I liked how we looked dangerous in the final third and also looked organised."

Fans were back at New York for a competitive fixture for the first time after a 525-day wait because of Covid restrictions and Warne added: "The atmosphere was electric. The whole place had a really good feel."

Freddie Ladapo poked in the opener against his former club after reacting quickest in a goalmouth scramble from a corner in the tenth minute.

Ben Wiles doubled the advantage as he picked out the top corner when he was found at the back post by Michael Smith.

Plymouth had plenty of possession but few real chances on goal.

Their boss, Ryan Lowe, said: "You don't want to lose any game, particularly the first game of the season with the fans back in. It was a real buzz.

"I thought we had some good spells in the game. The first goal was a little bit of luck on their behalf.

"The second goal, I was disappointed with that because we had the ball and they got a cross in too easily.

"Our quality from set-pieces was very good. We just couldn't stick the ball in the back of the net.

"It's small margins. They have come from the Championship. Rotherham away is always going to be a tough ride."