Chants, boos and Rotherham United 0 Crawley Town 4 ... the story of Steve Evans' last match in charge
“TIME to go.”
The chants drifted out of the away end and hung in the air on arguably the darkest day in the 13-year history of AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Rotherham United were being dismantled by opponents who had arrived in S60 nine points below League One's survival frame.
For Millers fans, it was the final straw in a sorry, spirit-sapping campaign. They left early in droves, prompting the taunts from the gaggle of Crawley Town supporters who had made the long trip from West Sussex.
Those that remained turned on their manager and told him it should be him leaving and not the home die-hards who had suffered enough this season.
“We want Evans out," they sang.
A day later, their wish would be granted.
Steve Evans had done well to remain in the hot-seat for so long after his broken summer pledge of a promotion push. But a woeful heavy home loss in which some of his players were plainly not playing for him ... well, not even a man of his survival instincts could withstand that.
New York was a bleak, horrible, hostile place to be, full of anger, empty of optimism.
The official attendance was given as 8,000-plus, the actual figure more like 5,000, those left at the end numbered about 500.
To his credit, Evans, knowing that his employment was in all likelihood about to be terminated, still faced the media.
“Everything my teams have been famous for in more than 30 years in management, none of it was deployed today,” he said. “Today is as low as it's been for me in 31 years.
“We can't do any more than work on the training ground during the week and talk the players through how Crawley play. I thought we defended poorly. We didn't close people down in the middle of the park.
“A couple of good chances came our way in the first half to level and maybe lift the spirit of the group a little bit. We didn't even hit the target. I just apologise. Fans don't want to hear apologies, do they? They want to see the performance be right.
“I understand how unhappy fans will be with the performance. And how unhappy they'll be with me because I head it up.”
The first boos on Saturday surfaced in the 15th minute and they grew louder and more prolonged as the contest wore on.
Crawley were playing like Rotherham were supposed to this term: with smoothness, intelligence, as a unit, picking out openings almost at will.
Rotherham, meanwhile, were playing like Rotherham weren't supposed to this term but have done for much of it: without shape, nous, passion or understanding.
They'd come close to taking an early lead when Sam Nombe met Louie Sibley's cross with a cushioned volley that bounced off the bar.
But Crawley then hit the woodwork through teenage Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jamari Doyle and had an Armando Quitirna shot cleared off the line before sweeping into a 23rd-minute lead.
Doyle, just 19 years old, did the damage with a lovely curling finish.
Jonson Clarke-Harris failed to connect at the back post after a driving run from Pelly Mpanzu and then smacked a post with a low effort for an injury-hit Millers side barely going through the motions.
“We can't be any more down to the bare bones than we already are in terms of selection options,” Evans said.
“That creates an unhealthy situation for a team when a player can walk into a dressing room from Monday to Friday knowing that he's going to be playing on Saturday because the manager has no other choices.
“We won't make excuses. The performance was limp and way off the minimum standards expected.
“The fact is, the players haven't played in a Rotherham United fashion for much of the season. In the games they have – Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Reading – we've won the games comfortably.”
Seven minutes after the restart, Crawley struck again, Doyle coolly picking his spot, and the Millers were sliding to 16th spot and their heaviest home loss since a 5-1 FA Cup humbling against Bournemouth back in 2015.
The exodus began, the boos increased and Evans, a lonely, head-bowed figure by the dugout, looked as broken as his team.
Late goals from Gavan Holohan and Panutche Camara rubbed salt into open wounds and supporters switched their attention to the players.
“You're not fit to wear the shirt,” rained down from the North Stand.
Afterwards, in a cramped interview room deep inside New York, Evans could already hear his death knell beginning to sound, despite the victory music blaring out of the nearby away dressing room.
“There's no hiding place when you have a performance like that,” he said. “It'll be all around the country. It's the one result in the EFL that everyone will look at and think: ‘Wow.’
“Decisions lie elsewhere. I just have to say that I'll be back at work on Monday unless I'm told differently.”
At the final whistle, he'd quickly disappeared down the tunnel, out of view and forever out of the Millers picture.
Time to go.
That Crawley chant had taken on a different meaning.
Rotherham (4-3-1-2): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odoffin, Cameron Humphreys, Reece James; Pelly Mpanzu (Jack Holmes H-T), Joe Powell, Louie Sibley (Liam Kelly H-T); Mallik Wilks; Sam Nombe, Jonson Clarke-Harris. Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Jake Hull, Harrison Duncan, Jordan Hugill.
Crawley (4-2-3-1): Jojo Wollacott; Charlie Barker, Toby Mullarkey, Josh Flint, Jeremy Kelly (Gavan Holohan 83); Liam Fraser, Bradley Ibrahim; Armando Quitirna, Louie Watson (Panutche Camara 45+3), Kamari Doyle (Harry Forster 72, Tyreece John-Jules 83); Rushian Hepburn-Murphy. Subs not used: Max Anderson, Ben Radcliffe.
Goals: Doyle 23, 52, Holohan 84, Camara 87 (Crawley)
Referee: Leigh Doughty (Lancashire)
Attendance: 8,177 (229)