Bananas, traffic cones and the draw that should have been a win ... the story of Stevenage 1 Rotherham United 1

Not real ones, obviously. It was fancy-dress day for Rotherham United supporters as they hit the road for the final time in a 2024/25 campaign that began with Steve Evans in charge and will end later this week with Matt Hamshaw at the helm.

A group of cowboys and cowgirls cheered on the Millers and, well into stoppage time, thought their side had lassoed a sixth League One victory on its travels.

Then Rotherham spurned a glorious opportunity to double their lead, Stevenage went straight to the other to equalise and the afternoon had suddenly caught the mood of the whole season: deep dismay.

“We felt like we were under no pressure,” said Hamshaw whose late-March arrival has been the year's only real highlight.

“I was disappointed with our attacking play in the second half. I felt like we didn't hurt Stevenage enough, we didn't turn them enough. We played in front of them a bit too much.

“The times when we did get in behind we looked a threat. We've got an away point but it feels like a defeat.”

Rotherham were the better side in Sunday's first half at the homely Lamex Stadium to such an extent that the Stevenage boss, Millers old boy Alex Revell, made three substitutions at the interval.

Mallik Wilks, latching on to Joe Powell's defence-splitting pass, had had an effort dubiously disallowed for offside and Pelly Mpanzu had been beaten by a back-post bobble just when he thought he was about to beat the goalkeeper.

Happily, the Millers still led through Sam Nombe whose sweet, low shot from a tight angle in the eighth minute found the back of the net when Powell's free-kick evaded everyone else in the penalty area.

Fourteen goals this term for the scorer, eight assists for the creator.

“We've worked on a lot of set-plays since I've come in,” Hamshaw said. “We need to work on a few more. We've got good delivery in Powelly.”

Significantly, the visitors lost Nombe to injury soon afterwards. They still had some control of the contest and were able to negate the home team's attacking threat, but they never had the same cutting edge again and it would hit them in the end.

Before the break, Dillon Phillips held on to Jamie Reid's close-range touch; after it, when the opposition had been made stronger by their changes, he dived full length to parry Jake Young's rasping shot.

Louis Appere headed wastefully wide for Stevenage. At the other end, Joe Rafferty almost scored with a 40-yard lob when keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond went walkabout.

Time was almost up when Josh Kayode made a dart through the home defence. He had inviting options left and right but the best one of all would have been to go it alone and get a shot away.

Instead, a weak pass wasn't to fellow substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris's liking and, seconds later, the ball was in the other net.

“We should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up at half-time and then the game is put to bed,” Hamshaw lamented. “You always worry that something can happen with a long ball or a long throw. I'm just disappointed with how we managed the last few minutes of the game.

“We came here knowing what to expect. We dealt with 99.9 per cent of it but the .1 per cent has killed us.”

Clarke-Harris couldn't or wouldn't commit to Kayode's pass and Stevenage regained possession and opted for route one.

Phillips needed to come out and take everything. Instead, he dithered and took nothing, allowing Dan Sweeney, who'd been on the pitch for only three minutes, to head in a ball he had no right to reach first.

“I'm not going to come out here and slag off Dillon,” the manager said. “He made a few saves.”

True. There was another one seconds after the leveller when the keeper's chest was wide enough to foil Harvey White and prevent a real miscarriage of a result.

Hamshaw should have had his first victory as permanent boss to go with the three he'd picked up while in temporary charge and his frustration at the end was evident.

At the final whistle, Revell made a guest appearance in front of the away following, applauding fans of the club where he will always be an ‘ambitious but brilliant’ legend.

Hamshaw was also out on the pitch with his players saluting their commitment to the cause.

“I can't thank them enough,” he said. “They've been excellent with myself and the team since I've come in after what's been a really, really difficult season. I can't dress that up, I can't say it any other way. That's what it has been.

“They've turned out today in force and they've given us a good reception. We run the ship but it's their club.

“I know how much it means to them, I know how much it will mean next year. I'm just really excited about the summer and how we can implement things to move forward.”

The outcome left Rotherham in 13th place and Stevenage in 14th, both sides with an identical number of points, wins, draws and losses.

At length, the curvy yellow fruit made their downcast way to the exit. A set of traffic cones, an elf and a leopard did the same.

A game that should have been won had been drawn.

Hamshaw admitted that, internally, he'd been raging as he headed back down the tunnel at the end of the match.

Going bananas, in fact.

Stevenage (3-1-4-2): Taye Ashby-Hammond; Charlie Goode, Carl Piergianni, Lewis Freestone (Dan Sweeney 89); Louis Thompson (Eli King 26); Kyle Edwards (Jake Young H-T), Dan Phillips, Harvey White, Dan Butler; Jamie Reid (Louis Appere H-T), Elliott List (Jordan Roberts H-T). Subs not used: Rylee Mitchell, Ellis Bates.

Rotherham (3-4-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odoffin, Cameron Humphreys; Pelly Mpanzu, Liam Kelly (Shaun McWilliams 67), Joe Powell, Reece James; Louie Sibley (Dan Gore 67); Mallik Wilks (Josh Kayode 84), Sam Nombe (Jonson Clarke-Harris 22). Subs not used: Jake Hull, Jack Holmes, Jordan Hugill.

Goals: Nombe 8 (Rotherham); Sweeney 90+2 (Stevenage)

Referee: Lewis Smith (Wigan)

Attendance: 4,012 (654)