Win number two for Millers ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 1 Leyton Orient 0

The Millers struggled through February but have opened this month with two straight victories.

Against Leyton Orient at AESSEAL New York Stadium tonight, a Louie Sibley strike after the interval separated the two teams and added to the win at Bristol Rovers at the weekend.

Steve Evans' 14th-placed men are now 11 points clear of the drop zone.

On a mild evening, the opening 20 minutes came and went without either team creating a real chance.

Visiting winger Dan Agyei had looked the game's most dangerous player and on 25 minutes he cut inside to force a save from Dillion Phillips who had to react smartly soon afterwards to repel a Charlie Kelman strike.

Rotherham responded with a shot from Mallik Wilks, although the Millers man was off balance and couldn't generate enough power to give Josh Keeley any trouble.

Just after the half-hour mark, the lively Agyei again cut in from the right flank and tested Phillips' reactions before a Wilks header gave the Orient goalkeeper another easy save

The O's had recovered so spectacularly from a poor start to the season that they had occupied a play-off spot at one stage but three successive losses had dropped them to eighth place.

In a scrappy contest, Agyei was giving Orient the edge and it required a fine Phillips stop to keep out the attacker's shot in first-half stoppage time.

By that point, Zak Jules had departed injured, with Cameron Humphreys dropping back to centre-half and Sibley being introduced in midfield.

Rotherham had named the side that had started the 3-2 stoppage-time win in Bristol on Saturday.

They were able to add Andre Green to their squad after illness but another sickness victim, Joe Rafferty, wasn't fit enough to make the matchday 18.

In the Orient line-up were former Millers player Dominic Ball and Rarmani Edmonds-Green who spent a season on loan at New York in the 2021/22 third-tier promotion campaign.

The Millers were second best in the early stages of the second half but should have taken a 58th-minute lead when Jonson Clarke-Harris's headed flick-on played in Sam Nombe who was unable to beat the advancing Keeley.

Much better was to come just two minutes later as Odoffin went close with a header and Sibley drilled a shot into the bottom corner on the follow-up.

Sibley then looked to be clean through and set to make it 2-0 when Nombe released him with a lovely pass only for the ball to hit the loanee's heel and kill the danger.

The home team were relieved to see Kelman blast the ball over the bar from an inviting position on 70 minutes and, in turn, the visitors were just as relieved when Wilks made rapid ground only to send a tame attempt straight at Keeley.

Rotherham pressed for a second goal and had a late penalty appeal for a foul on Josh Kayode turned down.

By then, the hard work had been done and victory was theirs.

Rotherham (4-1-3-2): Dillon Phillips; Shaun McWilliams, Hakeem Odoffin, Zak Jules (Louie Sibley 45), Reece James; Cameron Humphreys; Pelly Mpanzu, Mallik Wilks (Jack Holmes 90), Joe Powell; Sam Nombe, Jonson Clarke-Harris (Josh Kayode 78). Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Andre Green, Jordan Hugill, Ben Hatton.

Orient (4-2-3-1): Josh Keeley; Ethan Galbraith, Brandon Cooper, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Jayden Sweeney; Jordan Brown, Dom Ball (Sean Clare 82); Dan Agyei (Randell Williams 67), Jamie Donley (Azeem Abdulai 82), Dilan Markanday (Diallang Jaiyesimi 67); Charlie Kelman (Sonny Perkins 82). Subs not used: Noah Phillips, Darren Pratley.

Goals: Sibley 60 (Rotherham)

Referee: Lewis Smith (Wigan)

Attendance: 8,106 (259)