Rotherham United chief Paul Warne warns his table-toppers

A brace from Kyle Vassell and Richard Wood’s goal on the stroke of half-time sent the mighty Millers to the League One summit on goal difference.

Marcus Browne gave the hosts a glimmer of hope but it was not enough to stop Warne’s merry men marching to their fourth straight league win – and sixth without defeat.

“It’s nice to be top but there are so many points to play for – with 19 games left that’s 57 points,” admitted Warne, who is plotting an immediate return to the Championship.

“I’ve now just got to get my players’ feel back on the ground after this and then we go again.

“My only grumble is we didn’t score again in the second half.”

Warne also revealed: “I read one of their players in the programme saying how they think they’re the best team in the league, so that was great, that was my team-talk.

“The stadium was locked when we got here, we couldn’t get in, so that was my team-talk done. So, that was good, that fired the lads up a treat.”

Former Blackpool striker Vassell opened the scoring with the first real chance of the game as he converted Chiedozie Ogbene’s drilled cross.

Daniel Iversen kept the visitors ahead with a smart stop to keep out Josh Ruffles’s header.

It was almost two when new signing Hakeeb Adelakun lashed over the bar.

Vassell made no mistake moments later as he doubled his tally with a clever lob.

The Millers put the game to bed deep in first-half stoppage time as Wood headed home the third.

Just after the hour, Vassell missed the chance to bag his first career hat-trick as his low effort was saved by goalkeeper Simon Eastwood.

With 19 minutes left, Browne gave the visitors something to think about when he pulled one back.

Substitute and West Ham loanee Nathan Holland forced Iversen into a top stop a keep the two-goal advantage intact.

At the death, record signing Freddie Ladapo was denied by Eastwood’s feet.

Oxford Uited: Eastwood, Dickie, Moore, Long, Ruffles, Gorrin (Holland, 45), Brannagan (Browne, 45), Fosu-Henry, Baptiste, Sykes, Mackie (Taylor, 61). Unused substitutes: Stephens, Mousinho, Kelly, Hall.

Rotherham United: Iversen, Wood, Ihiekwe, Olosunde, Wiles, Barlaser (Clarke, 89), Adelakun (Lindsay, 71), Crooks, Vassell (Ladapo, 76), Ogbene, Smith. Unused substitutes: Bilboe, Hastie, Lamy, Kayode.

Referee: D Webb (Lancashire).