Few fans and a cup exit ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 0 Newcastle Under-21s 1
The crowd was painfully sparse and there were empty seats everywhere.
Rotherham United's winless run stretched to double figures on a depressing night that saw them dumped out of the Jersey Mike's Trophy by Newcastle United's youngsters.
Only a win would have been enough to see the League Two Millers progress from Northern Group C to the knockout stages.
But, in front of a crowd at AESSEAL New York Stadium that didn't reach four figures, they were beaten by the Premier League Magpies' under-21 team to exit the competition.
It is now 10 matches and more than six week since Alex Bruce's men last tasted victory.
Early on, Kian Spence went for goal from distance and Toon keeper Roman Dowell held on to his 25-yard strike.
The same player then lifted an effort over the bar following a sweet link-up between Brandon Williams and Klaidi Lolos while, at the other end, Miodrag Pivas powered a header
wide.
Lolos made ground inside the penalty area and fired a shot into the chest of Dowell before George Sebine clipped a volley from Aaron Nemane's cross just off target.
The crowd, on a cold night, was painfully sparse and there were empty seats everywhere as most of the ground remained closed off to spectators.
The East Stand housed a small number of home supporters and far fewer from the north east while only the corporate section of the West Stand was open.
"Shall we sing a song for you," sang a group of young Newcastle fans even though there was barely enough of them to form a boy band.
They were in good voice in the 34th minutes when the visitors broke quickly and Kyran Thompson finished deftly - dinking the ball over Ted Cann - to put Rotherham behind.
Rotherham needed a win to progress to the knockout stages and fielded a strong side that included Kian Spence and Dominic Iorfa who are serving suspensions in other competitions.
Jili Buyabu - similarly banned, but also available in this tournament - wasn't even given a place in the squad after receiving a flood of criticism for his fourth-minute red card at Swindon Town four days earlier.
Young Geordie winger Kane Richardson was given a chance to impress on the left flank against his hometown club while loanees Sebine and Lolos were handed their first starts up front.
Former Manchester United man Williams was also in the side from kick-off for the first time.
The game meandered for a long spell in the second half as the Millers pushed and probed without fashioning any real opportunities.
The home team were stronger for a triple substitution just after the hour mark but still couldn't force their way back into the contest.
Dowell didn't have a save to make after the breaking, which was a damning stat, and Cann had to push away a late Michael Mills’ free-kick and a Thompson shot to prevent the evening from become worse.
An equally dispiriting figure was that crowd of just 805.
Rotherham (4-4-2): Ted Cann; Denzel Hall, Sonny Aljofree, Dominic Iorfa, Brandon Williams; Aaron Nemane, Kian Spence, Jayce Fitzgerald, Kane Richardson (Brandon Cover. 64); George Sebine (Tom Bradshaw 64), Klaidi Lolos (Paul Mullin 64). Subs not used: Julian Eyestone, Lenny Agbaire, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Josh Austerfield.
Newcastle (3-4-3): Roman Dowell; Henry Johnson, Miodrag Pivas, Logan Watts; Matheos Ferreira (Luke Craggs 74), Scott Bailey, Mason Miley (Jayden Kouossu 74), Dylan Charlton; Kyran Thompson (Guy Bloomer. 90), Vakhtang Salia (Michael Mills 74), Alfie Seldon (Kyle Fitzgerald 74). Subs not used: George Mair, Park Seung-Soo.
Goals: Thompson 34 (Newcastle)
Referee: Sunny Singh Gill (Greater London)
Attendance: 805 (72)