A point for the Millers in New York Stadium finale ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 1 Reading 1
LEE Clark had appealed to his Rotherham United side to give their suffering a supporters a rare win to cheer in the final home match of the 2025/26 League One campaign.
They couldn't quite answer their manager's call, but they at least avoided another loss as their relegation campaign draws towards a welcome close.
With the Millers already down and Reading out of top-six contention, the teams had nothing to play for other than pride at a sparsely-populated AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Top scorer Sam Nombe raised optimism with a well-taken first-half goal but the visitors hit back early in the second period as honours ended even.
On a sunny day in S60, neither team threatened in the opening stages and it took 10 minutes for the first moment of danger to arrive, Dru Yearwood's fierce goalbound effort being deflected for a corner.
Despite the favourable weather, many fans, disillusioned by a dismal season, had again decided to give a game a miss and there were empty seats all around the ground.
There was a familiar figure in the away dugout as Royals boss Leam Richardson returned to New York for the first time since his five-month reign as Rotherham's head coach during the 2023/24 Championship relegation season.
He didn't like what he saw in the 25th minute when the Millers sparked into life and Dan Gore picked out Nombe who ran in from the left to caress a pinpoint low shot into the far corner of the North Stand net.
At the start of the month, the visitors had been eyeing a play-off spot, but three successive defeats had put paid to those hopes and they were showing little sign of avoiding loss number four.
That suddenly changed in the 35th minute when quick feet from Daniel Kyerewaa set up a clear chance and it required superb reactions from Ted Cann to push the winger's close-range shot over the bar and keep the home team's lead intact.
Rotherham had made three changes to the side that had started the midweek loss to Luton Town, bringing in Dru Yearwood, Denzel Hall and Jack Holmes, with Cohen Lee, James Clarke and Ar'Jany Martha dropping to the bench.
In the Reading side was former New York loanee Lewis Wing.
Harsh words were exchanged in the Royals dressing room at half-time and they had the required effect as the Millers gave up their advantage just 89 seconds after the restart when Kyerewaa this time got the better of Cann with a low strike.
The Millers were having to do plenty of defending and Cann got down quickly to deny Paddy Lane as the hour mark approached.
However, they came close to retaking the lead soon after Clark had made two substitutions.
One of the replacements, Cohen Lee, floated in a probing cross and Emmanuel Adegboyega was unlucky to see his header come back off the bar before Holmes wasn't too far away with a slashing 20-yarder and Lee tried his luck from closer range.
Rotherham were now looking the team most likely to score but the opportunities dried up as the clock ticked down and no-one was sorry to hear the final New York whistle on a year to forget.
Rotherham (4-3-3): Ted Cann; Joe Rafferty, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Zak Jules, Jamal Baptiste; Denzel Hall ( Ar'Jany Martha 62), Dan Gore, Dru Yearwood (Cohen Lee 62); Jack Holmes (James Clarke 76), Sam Nombe. Subs not used: Ben Childs, Harrison Duncan, Gabriele Biancheri, Jordan Hugill.
Reading (5-4-1): Joel Pereira; Ryan Nyambe, Finley Burns, Paudie O'Connor, Jeriel Dorsett (Matt Ritchie 84), Haydon Roberts (89); Daniel Kyerewaa, Lewis Wing, Paddy Lane (Emmanuel Osho 81), Liam Fraser; Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan (Sean Patton 89). Subs not used: Tom Norcott, Michael Stickland, Luke Howard.
Goals: Nombe 25 Rotherham); Kyerewaa 47 (Reading)
Referee: James Brooks (Leicestershire)
Attendance: 8,029 (883)