Father Christmases, crowd abuse and no festive cheer ... the story of Mansfield Town 1 Rotherham United 0

We're not talking about how Rotherham United lined up at Mansfield Town for the first game of the four-match Yuletide programme.

These were the travelling fans sporting Santa Claus outfits in a near-sold-out away end where there were hopes of a merry Millers start to Christmas courtesy of a fourth straight victory.

On the pitch, there was nothing wrong with the shape. Manager Steve Evans had his men in an attacking 4-2-1-3 shape that was a mirror image of the one that had worked so effectively against Northampton Town a week earlier.

Sadly, there was much wrong with the display as the visitors fell to mid-table opponents who hadn't won on their own soil in League One since early October.

In gale-force conditions that consistently made a mockery of Saturday’s proceedings, Rotherham's December momentum was blown away by a return to November form.

“The wind spoiled the game,” Evans said. “It made it a nonsense game. We had all the play in the first half. But if you make a big error they can score a goal and it's a big error.

“In the second half we changed systems, changed personnel. We got in some great areas to hurt Mansfield with balls into the box and it didn't quite happen for us.

“I'm disappointed with how few attempts we had on goal in the first half for all the play that we had. In the second half, we got in enough good areas to have got more attempts on goal.”

Ah, ‘the big error’ ... the boss was referring to one of his player's inadvertent contribution to the sole strike of the contest in the home side's favour in the 27th minute.

A Stags free-kick was headed out by Liam Kelly and then nodded even further away by Reece James only to be returned to the penalty area where Sam Nombe's attempted header saw the ball skim backwards into the path of Deji Oshilaja who fired into the corner of the net.

“Sam gets a clear shout from a covering defender, doesn't listen and it puts their boy through on goal,” Evans lamented.

Wide man Nombe was part of a front four, along with '10' Andre Green, winger Mallik Wilks and striker Jonson Clarke, that had looked so dangerous in the triumph over Northampton but failed to fire at Field Mill.

“I think they believed the hype from last week,” Evans said. “We've just told them that in the dressing room.

“It was hard for Andre. There wasn't a lot of room in there. Sam and Mallik can do a lot better and Jonno wasn't in the game.”

Defeat dropped the Millers one place to 18th on a tough day for their boss. Not only did his side lose, he suffered terrible abuse from supporters of the club he used to manage.

A time of goodwill was on the calendar but not in the minds and mouths of many Stags fans who still resent the Scot leaving them nearly seven years ago.

Opposition bosses expect to be booed, to be told they're getting sacked in the morning, but some of the torrent overstepped the bounds of acceptability and left the Scot visibly stung. One song even referenced him dying.

“Some of the words ... oh my dear,” he said. “They've got no place in society, never mind in football. I wonder if the people singing that should be in society."

An even first half was unbalanced by Sam's slip. In the second, Mansfield took control for 20 minutes and Millers goalkeeper Dillon Phillips bailed out Zak Jules, whose underhit back-pass had let in Will Evans, and was equally as sharp in keeping out Arron Lewis's low, skidding shot.

Rotherham roused themselves but nowhere near enough. Possession didn't amount to penetration and they never looked like forcing an equaliser.

The final whistle left their manager grasping for positives.

“If we came here tomorrow with no wind we'd fancy ourselves," he said. “It's a complete leveller, a spoiler. They take advantage of a huge error, we don't have that advantage at the other end.

“We'll get back on the training ground on Monday and get ready for Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day.

“We've lost here by the odd goal. Three or four weeks ago, there would have been more in it. We still have the opportunity to have a really good Christmas.

“I think our fans have seen us attack in numbers in the second half. Five or six times we've gone six v four but that final ball into the box wasn't there.

“There were four or five players up front at the end. It wasn't to be.”

By the end, there had been no serious attempt on target from the Millers and the closest they'd come to scoring was a first-half effort that Wilks hooked over the bar.

Evans described the Millers followers as “brilliant”, but there was plenty of rancour from them being aimed in his direction as the contest played out to its miserable conclusion.

Festive feeling was in short supply. Even some of the Santas left early.

Mansfield (4-1-3-2): Christy Pym; Elliott Hewitt, Jordan Bowery, Deji Oshilaja, Baily Cargill; George Maris (Aden Flint 61); Keanu Baccus (Stephen McLaughlin 88), Aaron Lewis (Hiram Boateng 67), Frazer Blake-Tracy; Lucas Akins, Will Evans (Ben Waine 88). Subs not used: Scott Flinders, Alfie Kilgour, Stephen Quinn.

Rotherham (4-2-1-3): Dillon Phillips; Joe Rafferty (Jamie McCart 61), Hakeem Odoffin, Zak Jules, Reece James; Liam Kelly (Shaun McWilliams 61), Joe Powell; Andre Green (Jack Holmes 61); Mallik Wilks (Ciaran McGuckin 86), Jonson Clarke-Harris, Sam Nombe (Jordan Hugill 79). Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Alex MacDonald.

Goals: Oshilaja 27 (Mansfield).

Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle (Northumberland).

Attendance: 8,401.