The Steve Evans homecoming ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 0 Birmingham City 0

He received a rapturous reception as he emerged from the players' tunnel and then he whipped up the crowd even more by producing the headwear synonymous with his first reign a decade ago and waving it towards the North Stand kop.

The cheers doubled in volume.

The Millers are already relegated from the Championship this season but some of the spirit of old was coming back along with the new manager on the day they faced survival-seeking Birmingham City at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

They couldn’t give Evans a win or a goal but neither did they lose.

Birmingham’s Tyler Roberts had obviously read the script and knew an early strike for the visitors wasn't supposed to happen.

He looked poised to score at the back post after only two minutes when Keshi Anderson crossed but put his effort into the side-netting.

The afternoon took a sad turn soon afterwards when a medical emergency in the East Stand saw both teams head back to the dressing rooms.

Nearly half an hour later, the spectator was taken to hospital in an ambulance and there was applause all around the stadium for him and those who'd administered treatment.

Rotherham had made an encouraging start up to that ninth-minute incident and were the first team to have an effort on target following the resumption, Sam Nombe's header giving John Ruddy an easy catch.

The save required from Viktor Johansson to keep out Anderson's fierce low drive moments afterwards at the other end was much sharper.

For months, the Millers' campaign of woe had been drifting to a flat conclusion, with more and more fans staying away, but the home sections of New York were noticeably fuller thanks to the effect of Evans' appointment earlier in the week.

One of the first things the new man has done in his second coming is switch the home and away dugouts round so he is closer to the North Stand.

He was off the bench and appealing in vain for a penalty when Nombe fell in the 26th minute, before superb work on the left flank from Seb Revan created an inviting heading opportunity that Jordan Hugill could only direct straight at Ruddy.

There was more of a threat about Rotherham than in recent times and they were winning corner upon corner. However, in open play their final ball was consistently poor and the breakthrough wouldn't come.

Three players who had been in the treatment room for varying lengths of time had returned to the squad.

There were starts for Hugill and Peter Kioso while Grant Hall, whose last action came in December, was on the bench.

Injuries were still biting, with Sam Clucas and Charlie Wyke the latest victims, and Evans was able to name only seven substitutes.

Further setbacks came in the first half when Cafu and then Kioso limped off to be replaced by Arvin Appiah and Cohen Bramall respectively.

The second half was low on quality and chances for both teams and the contest was slipping towards a goalless end.

In the 76th minute, Birmingham put the ball in the net through Jay Stansfield and away fans were on the pitch celebrating when a late offside flag ruled out a well-struck effort.

In response, two minutes later, Appiah ran well and finished badly.

Tom Eaves went down in the closing stages – again, no spot-kick given – Nombe lifted a shot over the bar, Johansson saved so, so well from Koji Miyoshi and Revan was denied by Ruddy.

That was the sum total of the second-half action and the occasion of the homecoming had turned out to be far better than a sub-standard game.

Pro-Evans chants had rung out at times during both halves. The sombrero remained out of sight at the the final whistle, but the new era was up and running.

Rotherham (4-4-2): Viktor Johansson; Peter Kioso (Cohen Bramall 38), Lee Peltier, Cameron Humphreys, Seb Revan; Ollie Rathbone, Andy Rinomhota, Hakeem Odoffin, Cafu (Arvin Appiah 32; Sam Nombe, Jordan Hugill (Tom Eaves 82). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Grant Hall, Femi Serika, Ben Hatton.

Birmingham (4-2-3-1): John Ruddy; Ethan Laird, Krystian Bielik, Dion Sanderson, Lee Buchanan; Seung-Ho Paik, Ivan Sunjic; Oliver Burke (Koji Miyoshi H-T), Tyler Roberts (Juninho Bacuna 59), Keshi Anderson (Siriki Dembele 77); Jay Stansfield (Scott Hogan 89). Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Marc Roberts, Jordan James, Gary Gardner, George Hall.

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).

Attendance: 11,001 (2,204).