Memories of Viktor, the boss's little tipple and a day of history ... the story of Barnsley 0 Rotherham United 1

He was a coach back then on the afternoon that the footballing equivalent of GBH was committed on Rotherham United's goalkeeper and the visitors fell to their customary loss on Barnsley soil.

The manager, despite his boyhood Millers allegiance, lives much closer to the Tykes' ground than he does to AESSEAL New York Stadium.

“I walked home from here in disgust when Victor Johansson got elbowed in the eye,” he recalled. “I've driven here today. But if I walk back tonight, I'll be skipping!”

The scoreline on Saturday was the same as it had been four and half years ago –1-0. Only this time the result had been wonderfully reversed. At the 17th attempt, for the first time since 1970, Rotherham finally had their win in S71.

His Millers side were up to 15th spot in League One and they'd just extended their unbeaten run to five matches. Win next time out in the league, at home to Burton Albion, and a team that was in the drop zone earlier this month will climb into the top ten.

Momentum is building. In the face of lingering illness and that progress-slowing injury list, momentum is building.

“We've worked on things all week,” Hamshaw said. “It's been difficult because we've not had bodies in. Denzel Hall and Jordan Hugill didn't train on Monday or Tuesday. We've been trying to get Sam Nombe back without risking him.

“I brought Josh Benson off at half-time. He'll be devastated because I know how much it meant to him coming back to his old club.

“But I said to the group afterwards: ‘I'm going to make decisions that are for this club. It's not about individuals, it's about collectively getting results.’ That's what means the most to me.”

THE MATCH

Rotherham had given advance warning of what their approach would be. These days, they're as one, they care about each other, they're fighting for a common cause.

Pre-match, they wore Weston Park T-shirts, the slogan across their chests applying to their identity as well as the cancer charity.

Together at every step.

Initially, all those steps were backwards ones. Barnsley were on top, they forced corner after corner, the ageless David McGoldrick hit the woodwork, Cameron Dawson saved well from Reyes Cleary and superbly from Luca Connell.

But the developing Millers are made of sterner stuff than earlier in the campaign. They defended stoutly, they stuck to their task, they threw a hyphen between bloody and minded and got to the break still level.

Already, they'd won a small victory, ordering the opposition to switch halves at the toss so that the Tykes couldn't play towards their own supporters in the second half.

“My game-plan was to try to weather the storm,” Hamshaw said. “I thought it was important for us to change ends. It sounds daft, but I heard a few boos straight away, which was nice.”

Slowly but surely after the interval, the tide turned. Kian Spence was here, there and a nuisance everywhere, Dan Gore's combativeness was rather less delicate than his touch and Nombe's introduction was giving the visitors more thrust up front.

Gore had already flashed a volley just over the bar when Joe Powell launched a long, long free-kick into the penalty area, Jordan Hugill beat Marc Roberts to a crucial header and the home side could clear the ball to only a few metres outside their box.

There, in the 64th minute, lurked Spence, eyeing up his options and scenting something spectacular. Perhaps his manager's mood mantra popped into his head because the truest of half-volleys was never too high, never too low as it flashed beyond Murphy Cooper into the net.

As the clock ticked down, Barnsley had plenty of possession, some pressure but no punch as the Millers closed in on their moment of history.

Hamshaw thought of previous derby losses this term, at Oakwell in the Carabao Cup and at Doncaster Rovers in the league, and the last-gasp heartache at another nearby side.

“I've tasted a little bit of a defeat this season – here, obviously, and at Donny and Mansfield. I said after those games that I didn't want to make excuses, but I think it's quite clear to see now the difference in the squad – the team and the options that I have.

“I'm glad that people have stuck with it. I think that the more we can come together as a group of players, as a group of fans, the stronger we will be.

“That connection between team and fans hasn't always been there in the last few years. I've seen in the past what a bit of union can do at this club.”

THE SCENES

When even the assured McGoldrick got his feet in a tangle late on and the ball ran harmlessly out of play, the home side's day was up. Rotherham's was just beginning …

The final whistle sounded and an ecstatic Dawson turned and launched the ball high into the away end, kicking away more than half a century of Millers misery as he did so.

The players huddled in victory and then went jointly to the 2,000-strong band of travelling supporters. Spence basked in the limelight and tried to spot his parents in the crowd, Jamal Baptiste and one or two other orchestrated mass cheers.

Hamshaw had been so focused on the clash that he'd asked his family to stay away so that he had no outside concerns to distract him.

“It's really difficult, sometimes, for me not worry about them – about whether it goes right or wrong,” he said. “You want them here, but I just felt that today might not have been the day.

“They'll be gutted that they missed it but, at the same time, they'll be well pleased for me. As an away derby performance and a 1-0 win, it probably gets no better.”

The boss was a far, far different figure to that dark day of April 2021 when Johansson's eye socket and Rotherham's hopes were fractured. He fist-pumped, he held his arms aloft, he tapped the badge on his club coat.

Fifty-five years! He went high. 55 years! He didn't give a damn about low.

Afterwards, in the more sober environment of his press conference, he wished he hadn't done it. But the victory smile was still lighting up his face.

He drove home for a celebration far milder than the one that he had been going on in the away stand.

“I might have half a lager tonight, to be fair,” he said. “If my missus lets me.”

It's a shame he didn't make the journey on foot. Because this was a magical, momentous day when all Millers had a skip in their step.

Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Murphy Cooper; Mael de Gevigney (Tannai Watson 70), Marc Roberts, Jack Shepherd, Nathaniel Ogbeta; Jonathan Bland (Caylan Vickers 70), Luca Connell; Davis Keillor-Dunn, Patrick Kelly (Jon Russell 77), Reyes Cleary; David McGoldrick. Subs not used: Kieren Flavell, Jake Rooney, Neil Farrugia, Vimal Yoganathan.

Rotherham (3-4-3): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty (Denzel Hall 53), Zak Jules, Jamal Baptiste; Shaun McWilliams (Sean Raggett 90), Kian Spence, Dan Gore, Joe Powell; Ar'Jany Martha, Jordan Hugill (Reece James 77), Josh Benson (Sam Nombe H-T). Subs not used: Ted Cann, Liam Kelly, Dru Yearwood.

Goals: Spence 64 (Rotherham)

Referee: Ben Speedie (Merseyside)

Attendance: 12,468 (1,982)