An A to Z of Rotherham's 2015-16 campaign

Another season has ended and in true Rotherham United style it was full of ups and downs.

For large parts of the 2015-16 campaign it looked like the Millers were heading to League One until Neil Warnock rode into town and masterminded an 11-game unbeaten run that will be remembered for years to come.

Here we look back at the season through the medium of an A to Z.

A is for Arrivals - Rotherham carried on in the same vein as last season with a plethora of signings throughout the year. Even Steve Evans' exit in September did not temper the arrivals, which by the time the window shut in March stood at 31 - the exact same as last term.

B is for Braveheart - Kirk Broadfoot is Rotherham's very own Braveheart as the Scottish centre-half made up for his 10-game ban at the start of the season by putting in some sterling performances. Assuming the armband, he headed it, kicked it, cleared it, marauded out of defence with it and looked a genuine Championship defender.

C is for Changes - Not until Warnock came to the club did Rotherham have any semblance of consistency in their starting line-ups. Steve Evans battled with out-of-form players in his own style while Neil Redfearn was unlucky with injuries, both of which contributed to there being 97 changes over the 49 games of the season.

D is for D-Day - The April trip to MK Dons was long pencilled in the diary as 'must-not lose', though not many people thought Rotherham would arrive six points ahead of their rivals. And on such a big occasion the Millers produced a simply brilliant display to win 4-0. Safety was not mathematically achieved until a fortnight later, but this was the day the job was done.

E is for Eleven - Eleven matches doesn't seem much, it's less than 23 per cent of the season. But it was 11 games from February 28 to April 23 that decided how Rotherham's campaign would end. Going unbeaten in that period of time saw the Millers go from six points adrift of safety to 10 points clear and they picked up some notable scalps along the way. Whatever happens next, it is what Warnock will be remembered for.

F is for Flops - When you are bringing 31 players into the club over the course of the season, it's only natural that some of them are not going to work out. But, as was the case last year, a high percentage were failures, with both Evans and Redfearn guilty of signing duffs. Kelle Roos, Aidy White, Chris Maguire, Emmanuel Ledesma, Brandon Barker, Simon Lenighan and Shay Facey headline the list of failed signings.

G is for Gamble - When Rotherham sank to a desperately disappointing defeat at Bolton, they slipped into the relegation zone for the first time since before Christmas. But Tony Stewart had seen enough and pulled the trigger on Redfearn just 21 games after appointing him, turning his back on a long-term project. It was a massive gamble, but boy did it pay off.

H is for Hillsborough - Hillsborough has long been a happy hunting ground for Rotherham and this year was no different. Led by staunch Unitedite Warnock, Matt Derbyshire's first-half goal was enough to take all three points and see the Millers become the first team to win at Sheffield Wednesday since August. It also stretched their unbeaten run at S6 to 35 years.

Is is for Integral - Never has one man's contribution been felt more than Lee Frecklington this season. The Millers stalwart, and only survivor of League Two, was so integral to his side and results showed it as 10 of the 13 wins came with him in midfield. His return from injury twice sparked winning runs and he was arguably the key player of the campaign with his box-to-box mobility and lung-bursting energy.

J is for Justice - In a game that Rotherham had simply no option but to win, they were dealt the unfairest of hands after referee Mark Brown inexplicably gave Brentford a penalty just before half-time despite a perfectly clean tackle by Frecklington. The Bees scored and the Millers were pegged back until Danny Ward fired home a late winner to serve justice for the earlier shocking decision. Brown later told Frecklington that he was glad the Millers found a winner.

K is for Keeper - Rotherham's season was a tale of two goalkeepers. For the early part there was Kelle Roos, an error riddled loanee from Derby who was the poster boy of a terrible start to the campaign. Then there was Lee Camp, who was everything Roos was not, with his superb shot-stopping making him a landslide winner of the club's player of the season.

L is for Leeds - Rotherham's campaign was inextricably linked with Leeds for a number of reasons. First of all, the Millers took six points off their Yorkshire rivals (taking the tally to 14 from 18), then Evans, who started the season as Millers boss, went to Leeds, just over a week after their former boss Redfearn replaced Evans at New York. You can also throw into the mix an FA Cup tie in January and another former Leeds manager in Warnock coming to the Millers in February.

M is for March - March is the month where Rotherham really laid the foundations of the great escape. With wins against Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, and Ipswich and a draw against Derby from 3-0 down, the Millers picked up a superb 10 points which fired them out of the relegation zone and earned Warnock manager of the month.

N is for Never-say-die - Rotherham's fighting ability underpinned the superb 11-game unbeaten run. The second-half defensive rearguard action at Hillsborough, the last-gasp winner over Boro, the once-in-a-lifetime comeback against Derby, the late drama against Leeds, they kept showing their relentless spirit on a number of occasions and kept getting their rewards. 

O is for Ojidja-Ofoe - September seems a long time ago, but it was the arrival of Vadis Ojidja-Ofoe on loan from Norwich that kick-started Rotherham's season. After a dire start, the Belgian arrived on transfer deadline day and his undoubted quality helped the Millers to seven points from his four games at the club.

P is for Promotion contenders - Rotherham took real pleasure in playing promotion contenders as they provided some of their best results of the season. In fact, eight of the Millers' 13 wins came against sides in the top 10. And they did it when it mattered too as Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Ipswich were all dispatched during the club's 11-game unbeaten run. 

Q is for Quips - Warnock might just be the only man who performs better with a microphone in his face than Evans and with five months of the dry-humoured Redfearn in between it really was a season of sound-bites from the Millers managers. Warnock is the one you wanted to listen to most, though, with his old-school humour, self-depreciation and unerring ability to say it like it is.

R is for Resurrection - When Rotherham were tackling the long journey home from Reading in February, there were dead and buried. Six points adrift of safety and their position worsening since the arrival of Warnock, they were staring down the barrel and finishing bottom seemed more likely than staying up. But then the Messiah worked his magic and the Millers magically produced a stunning run of form to raise from the dead.

S is for Sackings - Rotherham disposed of two managers in a season for the first time since 1996-97 as Evans and Redfearn faced the bullet. Evans' departure was dressed up as mutual as tensions over the manner of his reign came to a head after the win at Birmingham while Redfearn paid the price for back-to-back defeats to Charlton and Bolton.

T is for Turnaround - T could also be for Turbulent. Both words are suitable to describe Greg Halford's season. Starting the campaign on a high having been named captain, things turned sour very quickly and he found himself an outcast at the club. Some petulant tweets did not help his cause and it was only when Warnock came to the club that he proved his capabilities, becoming a key player.

U is for United - Before Warnock came to the club, it was in disarray. Results were poor, players had been frozen out and the fans were calling for Redfearn to be sacked. But once a testing first fortnight in the role had passed, Warnock with his man-management prowess was able to unite the club so that fans, the management, staff, the board and players were all pulling in the same direction.

V is for Virgo - Everyone's favourite pundit did little to endear himself to Rotherham fans when he piled into their team after he saw then in defeat at Brighton. Virgo said he could only see the Millers' season "ending one way" and it led to Evans describing him as "awful". At least the Channel 5 man had the good grace to admit he was wrong when Warnock led the great escape.

W is Warnock - The undoubted man of the season, the key reason Rotherham beat the drop. The 67-year-old was lured out of retirement on a 16-game brief to deliver safety and it was mission accomplished after he oversaw an 11-game unbeaten run which will be remembered forever, beating teams at the top end of the division and firing the Millers up the table.

X is for X-rated - There were plenty of horror shows throughout the season for Rotherham, who put in some desperate displays. They were shockingly beaten by MK Dons on the opening day, lost 7-2 to Fulham over two games, were hammered 5-2 at home to Ipswich, put in a complete no-show at Huddersfield, were whipped by Charlton at home and ended the season with a thumping at Hull.

Y is for Yorkshire - Huddersfield were the only side from the White Rose County that Rotherham were unable to beat over the course of the campaign. The Millers scored wins over Leeds (twice), Sheffield Wednesday, Hull and Middlesbrough, though suffered defeats in the reverse fixtures. Huddersfield took four points off the Millers.

Z is for Zip It - Arrogant Derby boss Darren Wassall gestured to the Rotherham fans to button it when his side went 3-0 up in their March trip to New York Stadium. He was still enjoying himself when the clock turned past 80 minutes as his side were coasting. But the following 10 minutes will go down in Millers folklore as they staged a superb fightback to wipe the smile off Wassall's face and earn a vital point. Boss Warnock ranked that game as his most favourite owing to the Derby manager's earlier premature celebrations.

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The highs and lows of Rotherham's 2015-16 campaign

They may have booked their Championship spot for a third year, but as ever, Rotherham did not do it the easy way.

Indeed, until Neil Warnock's late intervention League One looked more likely to be the Millers' home next season as a disappointing campaign was heading in the wrong direction.

But it would not be a Millers season without ups and downs. Here's a look at their highs and lows of the 2015-16 campaign.

Highs

Leeds 0 Rotherham 1 - November 21

Neil Redfearn's ultimately ill-fated spell as Rotherham manager got off to the toughest of starts, plunged in to an unforgiving run of fixtures against top sides which yielded just one point in six games. After that subsided came a trip to his former club and what happened next was written in the stars. Deprived of a car parking space by Massimo Cellino, Redfearn had the last laugh as he tasted victory for the first time thanks to Joe Newell's second-half header. Oh, and the Millers also got one over their former boss too. It was a sweet day.

Rotherham 2 Hull 0 - December 19

Things were still patchy under Redfearn, but everything came together perfectly as they put in their most complete performance of his reign to blow away a promotion-chasing Hull. Their high-tempo pressing game bore fruit just before half-time as Lee Frecklington despatched a penalty to give them a deserved lead. Although the Tigers had their chances, a rare solid defensive showing allowed the Millers to keep a clean sheet and Joe Newell's impressive solo effort in the second half sent them off with some pre-Christmas cheer.

Sheffield Wednesday 0 Rotherham 1 - March 5

The entire 11-game unbeaten run was just one high after another, but the win at Sheffield Wednesday was particularly special and extremely important in giving Rotherham belief. Neil Warnock would have wanted to win this game more than any other of his 16 at the helm and his side put in a masterclass away performance. They started well, got the goal and then defended for their lives. It was nervy, especially in the second half, but the Owls were unable to cancel out Matt Derbyshire's first-half goal to ensure the Millers remained unbeaten at Hillsborough since 1982. More importantly, the juggernaut was picking up pace.

MK Dons 0 Rotherham 4 - April 9

Such had been Rotherham's unbelievable run of form that they arrived for the game at MK Dons knowing they could afford to lose and still be out of the relegation zone. More pertinently they also knew that a win would affectively see them safe, opening up a nine-point gap. What happened next was dream stuff. They took the lead in the 54th second through Derbyshire and it only got better from there as Leon Best, Kirk Broadfoot and even Richie Smallwood got on the scoresheet to make it a day to remember for the Millers.

Wolves 0 Rotherham 0 - April 23

Ultimately this day will be remembered for nothing other than being the day Rotherham completed the great escape. There was an undoubted drop in level after that MK Dons rout and the Millers had been limping to safety with back-to-back draws. And it was a third draw in a row that got the job done as the stalemate extended their unbeaten run to 11 games and meant that the Dons could not longer catch them. Being away from home and coming on the back of a 0-0 draw, there was a hint of anti-climax about it, but no one of a Millers persuasion worried about that for too long.


Lows

Rotherham 1 MK Dons 4 - August 8

After a pre-season full of optimism and a newly-promoted side visiting New York Stadium on the opening day of the season, hopes were high that Steve Evans' Rotherham could hit the ground running. However, MK Dons clearly hadn't read the script and inflicted a heavy defeat on the Millers, which set the tone for a shocking opening to the campaign. They found themselves a goal down after five minutes and after brief parity they trailed 3-1 at the break. The Dons enjoyed their maiden outing in the second tier and made it four after the break.

Rotherham 2 Ipswich 5 - November 7

Coming on the back of a gruelling run of fixtures against promotion-chasing teams, Neil Redfearn's men hit rock-bottom with the visit of Ipswich. It was the day Paul Green will try and forget ever happened as his two errors gifted the visitors a 2-0 advantage and two more goals either side of half-time saw Ipswich lead 4-0 after only 47 minutes. Rotherham brought some respectability with the two goals of the game, but Daryl Murphy's hat-trick-sealing goal put the scoreline into official hammering territory.  

Huddersfield 2 Rotherham 0 - December 15

After back-to-back defeats, the trip to Huddersfield represented the chance for Rotherham to regain some form against a side who were around them in the table. However, Redfearn did not bank on one of the biggest no-shows of his reign and the Millers sunk without trace at the John Smith's Stadium, going down to a goal in either half. So unimpressed with his side's performance was Redfearn that he embarked on his now infamous 'B&Q' rant and told his players to buck their ideas up.

Rotherham 1 Charlton 4 - January 30

Rotherham's form on home soil had been impressive and with Charlton woefully out of form the first of a relegation double-header was supposed to see Redfearn's men land a decisive blow on the Addicks. However, that could not have been further from reality as the Londoners swept the woeful Millers aside, scoring early before going on to dominate in a heavy win. It was a limp display from Redfearn's men just when the boss needed a big performance the most. The vultures began circling after this one.

Bolton 2 Rotherham 0 - February 6

Coming seven days after the Charlton defeat this was a game that Rotherham simply could not afford to lose against a Bolton side destined for relegation. Unfortunately, they did and it cost Redfearn his job. While the Charlton loss was a horror-show, this could have been entirely different had the Millers stuck their chances away, none better than Andrew Shinnie's in the second half with the score at 1-1. However, they could not make the breakthrough when on top and were killed by the sucker-punch as Bolton won it deep into injury time. Redfearn was sacked 48 hours later.

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Rotherham's 2001 promotion-winning team: Where are they now?

April 28 2001 goes down in history as one of the most famous days in the Rotherham's history.

Alan Lee wrote himself into club folklore as he scored a last-minute winner against Brentford to seal back-to-back promotions for Ronnie Moore's side against all the odds.

Here's what the 14 players who played that day are doing 15 years later.

Paul Pettinger

The goalkeeper was in and out of the side during the promotion campaign, but was in possession of the gloves for the Brentford clash and made a vital save off Lloyd Owusu. He was released at the end of the 2000-01 season and headed into non-league. He had his own building firm and now works in plant hire.

Marvin Bryan

Bryan was a versatile option for Rotherham and was deployed in the right wing-back role in this clash. He stuck around for the Millers' first two seasons in the second tier but left the game after his release in 2003. He worked as a driving instructor but recently worked in private security in the Middle East.

Rob Scott

The striker-turned-defender played a key role in the Millers' promotion and subsequent stay in Division One before leaving post-relegation in 2005. He went into management after retiring, forming a fruitful partnership with Paul Hurst. The two parted ways a couple of years ago and Scott, whose brother Andy managed the Millers, works as a radio summariser and also has business interests.

David Artell

Rotherham-born Artell was living the dream as a figurehead of his boyhood club's promotion season in his debut year. The central defender had a solid lower league career and amazingly is a current international following Gibraltar's emergence in the last 18 months. He works for Crewe's academy and also has studied for a degree.

Guy Branston

A bona fide cult hero, Branston is a key figure in the club's history owing to his antics over his five-year stay. He left the club in 2004 and enjoyed a journeyman status throughout the rest of his career. Now retired, the centre-half is Notts County's chief scout and also has two online businesses.

Paul Hurst

Hurst is Mr Rotherham United as no one has made more appearances in a red and white shirt than the left-back. He is currently the Grimsby manager, trying to win promotion to the Football League.

Kevin Watson

Watson has the honour of captaining a double-promotion-winning side and he was majestic throughout the campaign. But things turned sour for the midfielder, who was hounded out by boo boys the following season. Post-retirement he has worked as a pundit for Sky Sports and was recently sacked as Stevenage's assistant manager.

Paul Warne

The striker is a fans' favourite owing to his long service to the Millers. A key figure in both promotions, he stuck around in the second-tier days too before returning to see out his playing days at Don Valley. He is currently the fitness coach having worked under the last four management teams.

Stewart Talbot

The hard man of the Millers side, Talbot scored the equalising goal against the Bees before going off injured at half-time. A mainstay of the side following promotion, Talbot worked in childcare after hanging up his boots, but is now employed as a railway engineer.

Alan Lee

Lee's ecstasy-inducing goal which secured the rise won him a place in the hearts of all Rotherham fans and he was the star asset in the next two seasons, eventually being sold for close to £1million. A strong career followed before a knee injury forced retirement. He currently works for Ipswich's academy.

Mark Robins

It was Robins' goals that put Rotherham in with a chance of promotion after a fine campaign. He followed that up in Division One and stayed at the club, eventually going on to manage them. Success looked on the horizon until Barnsley turned his head in 2010. He recently left Scunthorpe.

Jeff Minton

Minton was a late-season arrival on loan following injury and suspensions and he came on for Talbot at the break. He headed into non-league not long after his Millers exit and played as recently as 2012.

Chris Sedgwick

Coming through the ranks at Millmoor, Sedgwick was a firm favourite with the crowd. Like Lee, he impressed in the second tier and was sold to Preston in 2004. The right winger is currently on the coaching staff at Bury.

Richie Barker

Barker largely provided back-up for Lee during his first spell at Millmoor but made his own entry into the history books at Hillsborough the following season. He returned for a second spell late in his career. Barker has had several jobs as a manager but currently is the MK Dons' assistant manager.

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1996 Auto Windscreens Shield final: How the Rotherham players rated

Rotherham are 1995-96 Auto Windscreens Shield champions after a 2-1 success on the club's first ever visit to Wembley.

A brace from Nigel Jemson led the Millers to glory, but it was a team effort that got the men in red and white over the line.

Here is how the players rated on a glorious day at the national stadium.

Matt Clarke 7 - Clarke will go down in history as the man who lifted the trophy for the Millers and in truth, that's the most work he had to do. Was barely tested by the Shrews but stood up well when balls were being thrown into the box.

Paul Blades 6 - The right-back tried to join in attack, but his biggest involvement was a crucial interception in the frantic final 10 minutes.

Neil Richardson 7 - Richardson was solid throughout and stood up to the challenge of Shrewsbury's late onslaught as they looked for a way back into the game.

Ian Breckin 8 - Continued to enhance his growing reputation with an imposing display. Coped especially well with the introduction of Steve Anthrobus at half-time.

Paul Hurst 7 - Was a solid presence on the left and was energetic in getting up and down to join in attack.

Trevor Berry 7 - A constant threat with his pace and trickery on the right, but his final ball often let him down.

Shaun Goodwin 7 - Looked classy on the big stage and his bombing forward runs from midfield made him dangerous.

Darren Garner 7 - The midfielder provided vital protection for the back four and controlled the middle of the park.

Andy Roscoe 7 - Let no one down, but similarly to Berry, Roscoe found himself in some good positions on the left only to waste his delivery.

Nigel Jemson 10 - The star of the show, Jemson played himself into Millers folklore with his two goals that earned glory and he was inches away from a Wembley hat-trick.

Shaun Goater 9 - Another impressive performance from the Bermudan who is forging a fine partnership with Jemson. Close to scoring in the first half, it was his fine play that set up the opener.

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Bittersweet Wembley memories for Gary Bowyer

For every Nigel Jemson and Alex Revell, there is a Gary Bowyer.

Wembley only tends to remember winners and that’s why Jemson, with his brace in the 1996 Auto Windscreens Shield win and Revell, with his ambition and brilliance in 2014 etched their name into Rotherham United folklore following their heroics at the national stadium.

It rarely remembers losers, indeed, even Ryan Taylor’s two-goal salvo in the 2009-10 League Two play-off final cannot sustain itself in the memory alongside the truly great moments in the club’s history.

But what about players like former Millers full-back Bowyer?

Look up the word bittersweet in the dictionary and there is likely to be a picture of the Scot next to its definition.

Bowyer was part of that 1996 squad that created history by becoming the first Millers squad to play – and win – at Wembley.

The victory over Shrewsbury Town was the culmination of a superb run in the competition, in which Bowyer more than played his part, with the Area Final second-leg win over Carlisle United often spoke about as one of the great away days in the club's history.

The glory at Wembley, in front of almost 25,000 fans from Rotherham, was sealed by Jemson’s two goals and led to scenes that go down in history.

That was the sweet part for Bowyer.

The bitter part – he was left out of the side by joint-managers Archie Gemmill and John McGovern and was an unused substitute, something that no matter what brave face is put on it, must overshadow the day slightly.

But to his credit, there was no sulking from the former full-back and he put his obvious disappointment to one side.

“Unfortunately for myself I got left out on the day which wasn't very good from a personal point of view," he said.

“Everybody wants to play but the managers at the time made the decision that I didn't play so that was that.

“You just have to quickly accept it and get around the ones that were playing.

"I remember going straight up to Paul Hurst, who had taken my place, and wished him all the best and then at the end of the game I congratulated him because it was a team effort.

“I had played my part in getting us there and I was really delighted to go as winners.

“It was great to go there and be a winner at Wembley. It's a special place - and to go and win is a fantastic achievement.

“I can remember the Rotherham fans came out in their thousands, it was brilliant to see in terms of the level of their support. It was a great day out for them and fortunately we helped that.”

Unfortunately, things did not get much better for Bowyer, or the club, after the Wembley win and both endured horror seasons in 1996/97.

Bowyer suffered a career-ending back injury while the Millers went through arguably their worst-ever campaign which resulted in relegation to the fourth tier following the appointment of the eccentric manager Danny Bergara – who later claimed to be the trailblazer in allowing English clubs to appoint foreign managers.

Bergara resided over some of the darkest times at Millmoor, but Bowyer insists the Uruguayan, who passed away in 2007 aged 65, wasn’t all bad.

“I can remember the first day he (Bergara) came in and he got introduced as the new manager and he started speaking in Spanish,” he added.

“He addressed us in Spanish for a couple of minutes and we all kind of thought, 'Oh my god - we might have a problem here!'

"But he was a good bloke; he was very, very passionate about football and would talk football all day long. I loved listening to him.”

When Bowyer exited Millmoor in 1997, just prior to Ronnie Moore’s arrival, it would have been unthinkable for the club to be where it is now, playing in the second tier in a fantastic new stadium.

Steve Evans led this particular rise, following in the footsteps of Moore, and Bowyer has watched on from a distance with admiration.

"When I left, the club had just got relegated and attendances had dropped," he added.

"But you always knew that there was support there for the club, as was proved when we went to Wembley.

"But the turnaround of the club over the last couple of years has been nothing short of magnificent.

"The stadium is an unbelievable stadium.

“There's no slope on the pitch like there was at Millmoor like when we used to play. That makes it easier for the players because they don't have to run uphill!”

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Lee Frecklington's key goals for Rotherham

To say it has only been open for coming up to four seasons, the New York Stadium has already had it's fair share of iconic moments.

The ups and downs and drama of these last few years has meant it's never been dull to be a Rotherham fan, especially as there have been far more ups than downs.

And one man who has been present in virtually all of those key moments is Lee Frecklington.

The Millers midfielder, who is the club's longest serving player, added another to his list by giving his side the lead in the 2-1 win over Leeds - a success that could have a huge bearing on the club's survival chances.

Here's a look at some of the other key goals Frecklington has scored at New York Stadium.

Aldershot (April 27, 2013) 

Frecklington was taking a shine to playing against Aldershot and his third goal of the season against them was the one that sent him into Millers folklore.

With the hosts already 1-0 up and heading towards League One, Frecklington coolly slotted home on the break to score the promotion-clinching goal.

He was immediately submerged by thousands of delirious Millers fans who invaded the pitch to celebrate the glory and he had the bruises to show for it.

Sheffield Wednesday (August 6, 2014)

Any Rotherham player who scores against Sheffield Wednesday goes straight into the hall of fame, but they will be talking about this goal for years to come.

After Ben Pringle had already lit up New York with his opener, it was Frecklington’s turn to wow the crowd.

Wednesday failed to deal with a set-piece and after Michael O’Connor passed to his midfield colleague, Frecklington shifted the ball to his right and then unleashed a rocket that flew into the top corner.

It was fit to win any match, but it gave the Millers a first home win over the Owls in 37 years.

Preston North End (May 15, 2014)

In terms of the spectacular this doesn’t come close to some of others, but its importance cannot be understated.

With the play-off semi-final finely poised in the second leg at 1-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate, Frecklington came up with a fine header that gave the Millers a crucial advantage.

It was typical of him as well, as he arrived late to get on the end of a pinpoint Pringle cross and placed his effort into the bottom corner.

The hosts went on to book their place at Wembley in arguably the most iconic night at their new home and the rest is history.



Reading (April 28, 2015)

Survival in the Millers' first season back in the second tier had been brought into question following a three-point deduction, but a famous night under the New York lights put the matter to bed.

And of course it was Frecklington who provided what ended up being the decisive moment. Minutes after Matt Derbyshire had put the Millers in front, the midfielder made it two when he perfectly timed his arrival at the back post to tap in Danny Ward's cross.

That proved vital as Reading pulled on back, meaning Frecklington had completed the double - a goal to send the Millers up and one to keep them up.

Middlesbrough (March 8, 2016)

Although this goal in isolation did nothing other than win the game against Boro, it continued a potentially season-defining run of form in the unlikeliest of fashions.

With Boro bound for the Premier League, the Millers had soaked up everything they had thrown at them and then produced a late sting in the tail.

When Jonson Clarke-Harris broke down the left and sent in a low cross, Frecklington was there to meet it following a lung-busting run and kept his cool to slam the ball into the roof the net.

No other player would have been capable of that in the 88th minute and it provided a third straight second-tier win for the first time in 13 years.

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Steve Evans' top five matches at New York Stadium

Steve Evans makes his first return to New York Stadium on Saturday since his tear-inducing meeting with Tony Stewart in September which saw his three-and-a-half year reign of Rotherham come to an end.

This time, though, he won't be welcoming the opposition manager into his office for a Budweiser, he'll be heading to the away dugout in charge of Leeds and desperate for the three points amid intense speculation he is about to lose his job.

Walking to the right out of the tunnel will be a strange experience for the Scot as the echoes of his bellows and outbursts from the home dugout still ring around the stadium and the sight of him charging towards a helpless fourth official still etched into the memory.

His last home game in charge of the Millers was a 2-1 win over Cardiff, just a week before his exit, and it is perhaps fitting that he went out on victory, given some of the memorable times experienced at the stadium during his tenureship.

Here's a look at the five best games of his reign at New York Stadium.

Rotherham 2 Aldershot 0 (Apr 27, 2013)

Rotherham celebrated their first season in their wonderful new surroundings in the best way possible - with a promotion party. After a late surge in form had catapulted them into the top three in League Two the Millers knew that victory over Aldershot, who were managed by former boss Andy Scott and heading into non-league, would send them up. And they duly obliged as second-half goals from Johnny Mullins and Lee Frecklington delivered the club's first promotion since 2001. Indeed, when Frecklington's effort went in late on it was followed by memorable scenes not witnessed at the club since Alan Lee scored that goal against Brentford. It was the perfect way to end their first season at their new home. 

Rotherham 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 (Aug 6, 2013)

Any win over Sheffield Wednesday deserves savouring, but Rotherham's first at their new home was particularly special, especially given the manner of their performance. The Millers were a League One outfit and they put their Championship neighbours to the sword, winning with two stunning strikes. Ben Pringle gave them the perfect start with one of the best goals scored in four years of football at New York as his rasping half-volley from the edge of area nearly broke the net and after Kieran Lee equalised for the Owls, Frecklington put the Millers back in front with an equally impressive strike, arrowing a 25-yard drive into the top corner. They saw the second half out in comfort and registered a win with a famous scoreline. Pringle's Twitter antics later that night made it even more memorable.

Rotherham 3 Preston 1 (May 15, 2014)

There has arguably never been a better night than the one which saw Rotherham book their place in the League One play-off final at Wembley. The atmosphere, the realisation of what was on the horizon, the team showing a watching nation they were the real deal and the scenes at full-time all made this incredibly special. It didn't start off too well as Preston took an aggregate lead when Paul Gallagher's free-kick crept in but then the Millers, who had been rampant since the new year, took control and headers from Wes Thomas and Frecklington gave them the lead on the night and in the two-legged tie overall. Kieran Agard's strike after the break booked their place on Wembley Way and the full-time whistle was greeted with another pitch invasion and raucous scenes in the directors' box. 

Rotherham 2 Leeds 1 (Oct 17, 2014)

There's nothing better than a Yorkshire derby win and when Leeds visited a couple of months into Rotherham's Championship campaign they became the latest side from the White Rose county to be sent packing at New York Stadium, following in the footsteps of both Sheffield sides and Bradford. The Millers managed this scalp thanks to a superb second-half showing after Leeds had bossed the opening period and led through Mirko Antenucci's cute finish. But Evans clearly got into his side at the break and they came out firing, levelling 10 minutes into the second half when Alex Revell poked home from close range. The winner came soon after and it was special as Jonson Clarke-Harris introduced himself to the Millers faithful in fine style, hitting a blockbusting 25-yard drive low into the bottom corner.  

Rotherham 2 Reading 1 (Apr 28, 2015)

After everything the Millers had been through, points deduction and all, the sense of relief after they secured their Championship status is what made this game so special. They came into the match knowing their fate - a win would keep them up. It was not their best performance of the season by any stretch, but two goals in five second-half minutes eased the nerves and looked to have made it a straightforward affair for the Millers. But Reading threatened to put a spanner in the works and made it a bum-twitching finale when Oliver Norwood slammed home a late effort from distance. But Evans' men hung on and the full-time whistle was greet with what is becoming an annual pitch invasion before more fun and frolics in the directors' box, with the pink champagne on ice.

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