Buglers, Ring O’ Roses and the form team of League One … the story of Rotherham United 3 Lincoln City 0

It was poignant, haunting, emotional.

The strains of the Last Post hung in the sunny Remembrance Day sky before kick-off as the uniformed men of the Yorkshire Volunteers played in perfect unison.

Much like, in a footballing sense, the home side would go on to do on an afternoon at AESSEAL New York Stadium when Matt Hamshaw's vision of the future became something very much of the present.

The Millers stretched their unbeaten League One record to six matches, they climbed to 12th spot - and would have been ninth had other results gone their way. Five weeks ago, they were 23rd.

This was Rotherham United operating in the Rotherham United way, months before their manager expected them to hit such heights.

Matt Hamshaw, relaxed and happy in the media suite following the events of Saturday, said: “I've just said to the lads: ‘We've just got to keep believing in the process, because I've said to you all along, even when we're second bottom, that we'll get there.’

“The fact that we're doing it with the bodies that we're doing it with makes it even better. When you win games, your legs feel a little bit less tired. The run that we're on and another victory means the world.

“I could go through all the squad today. I just thought that everybody was ‘at it’ and at their best.”

The Millers had hinted at something like this in previous games – a good half here, compelling 20-minute spells there.

Now, the assault was orchestrated, considered and just kept on coming. It never let up against opponents who wilted under the weight of the quality and application that was bombarding them.

Rotherham were resolute at the back, thrusting in attack, they turned midfield into no man's land for the visitors. Poor old Lincoln City. They might have arrived in fifth position but they'd picked the wrong time to pitch up at New York.

Reece James scored wonderfully, Ar'Jany Martha struck gloriously, Denzel Hall took aim unerringly. By half-time, the contest was settled; by the hour-mark, completely over.

“We could have probably kept a bit more possession in the second half. I think that, sometimes, we got a bit panicky,” said Hamshaw, searching for something his team could have done better and finding it difficult to come up with anything.

By the end, the match had become a procession. It was the Millers best display of the campaign, the trio of goals and a clean sheet making it their biggest win.

Three buglers. Three points

“I'd spoken about getting more shots and crosses off,” Hamshaw said. “I think that, sometimes, we've looked for that perfect goal. I got a bit nervous about Jamo trying his luck from 25 yards out – I'm going: ‘Oof, Jamo, I'm not sure.’ It was a great strike.”

It surely was. Lincoln didn't think to close down the defender when he received the ball from Dan Gore and he stepped forward to locate the bottom corner from a range of 25 yards.

Anything James had just done, Martha did better. Picked out just outside the penalty area direct from a corner by Joe Powell, he produced a blur of quick feet and a blur of a volley to leave the keeper stranded.

“It was a drill,” said Hamshaw, delighted to get one over Lincoln centre-half Sonny Bradley after the pair's time together at Derby County. “The corner's called Ring o’ Roses. We've done it everywhere I've been, but never to the edge of the box.

“Sonny will know every one of my corners because I used to walk him through them. It's always a bit of cat and mouse. He'll be devastated that we've scored from one because he knows how much they mean to me.”

Cameron Dawson saved crucially from Rob Street just before the interval, spreading himself to block a low shot. Without that intervention, the second half might have looked very different.

As it was, a bit more Martha magic on the left flank saw the ball make its way across to the back post where Hall never looked like missing. Rotherham could – and should – have added to their tally, but didn't. Two late chances for substitute Martin Sherif went begging.

“A bigger scoreline would have been a fair reflection on the game,” Hamshaw said.

Excerpts from the famous Laurence Binyon war poem, For the Fallen, had been read out. Age shall not weary them. No, it was the all-action Millers who did that to play-off-chasing opposition.

A victory huddle at the end broke up happily before the form team of the division – four victories and two draws – made their way to the North Stand to acknowledge supporters.

“I've given the lads Monday off, which they're obviously delighted with,” Hamshaw grinned. “That's why they were all jumping about!”

There had been standing ovations for Shaun McWilliams, Jordan Hugill, Sam Nombe and Martha as they'd been substituted. The final whistle brought a communal one for every man in a red-and-white shirt adorned with a poppy badge and the words, ‘Rotherham United remembers’.

Days like this are hard to forget.

It was left to Hall to conduct one last celebration – a triple raising of his arms as fans responded in appreciative vocal symmetry.

Three buglers. Three points. Three cheers.

Rotherham (3-1-4-2): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty, Hamish Dougas, Reece James; Dan Gore; Denzel Hall, Shaun McWilliams (Dru Yearwood 80), Joe Powell, Ar'Jany Martha (Marvin Kaleta 90+3); Jordan Hugill (Martin Sherif 80), Sam Nombe (Josh Benson 89). Subs not used: Ted Cann, Jack Holmes, Josh Ayres.

Lincoln (4-2-3-1): George Wickens; Adam Reach (Dexter Lembikisa 79), Adam Jackson, Sonny Bradley, Tom Hamer; Tom Bayliss, Conor McGrandles (Ivan Varfolomeev 63); Rob Street, Freddie Harper (James Collins 63), Erik Ring (Francis Okoronkwo 79); Justin Obikwu (Oscar Thorn 63). Subs not used: Zach Jeacock, Ryley Towler.

Goals: James 10, Martha 31, Hall 59 (Rotherham)

Referee: Michael Skubala (America)

Attendance: 8,912 (1,534)