Daryl Murphy has scored in each of his last three games for Newcastle

Newcastle went back to the top of the Championship with a comfortable win over bottom side Rotherham United.

Daryl Murphy struck in first-half stoppage time with the Magpies having dominated much of the opening period.

Matt Ritchie made the game safe soon after the restart as he slotted home after Yoan Gouffran's shot was saved.

Ayoze Perez scored the third before Ritchie got his second with a composed finish as Newcastle re-established their one-point lead at the top.

With first-choice strikers Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic both injured, there were concerns as to where Newcastle's goals would come from, but those fears were banished as Perez went close a number of times as the home side dominated the first half.

It was the Millers, however, who should have taken the lead when goalkeeper Karl Darlow fumbled the ball on the edge of the area and into the path of Jerry Yates, who was eventually denied by the Magpies' stopper as he recovered well from the error to save.

Murphy gave Rafael Benitez's men the lead seconds before the break as he turned in DeAndre Yedlin's cross, and soon after the interval Ritchie made it 2-0 to help ensure Rotherham would lose for the 17th time in 21 games in all competitions.

Perez then got his first goal since October after another cross from Yedlin, before Ritchie got his second of the game, slotting home a well-timed pass by Jonjo Shelvey - who returned for his first league appearance after the completion of his five-match ban.

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez: "We scored the first goal at the right time and then got the second at a good time too. We had a lot of chances, it was a comfortable win in the end.

"Credit to them, they were working hard and in the first half they made it difficult to play against.

"We needed to win, we did it, we scored four goals, got a clean sheet and three points, so it was job done. We are going in the right direction."

Rotherham manager Paul Warne: "We limited them to very few chances in the first half. I thought the way we set up was working a treat and we went to toe-to-toe with them.

"My conversation at half-time was a lot more different to what I wanted to have and it was a psychological hit for the lads.

"Newcastle started the second half well and then the game was away from us. But I don't think our season will be decided on this game. They have got class and quality all over the pitch, they will be a Premier League club again next season."