The fog, the miss and the boos ... the story of Rotherham United 0 Wigan Athletic 1

Boos have become the soundtrack to a Rotherham United season of unfulfilled hope. Now, on a Boxing Day grimly lacking in festive cheer, there were more of them.

The Millers had fallen to their second League One defeat in two Christmas outings and the reaction from supporters whose disaffection was reaching a new level was prolonged and painfully loud.

They'd seen enough, they'd had enough.

Steve Evans understood it. He'd have reacted the same had he been one of the sufferers in the North Stand, he said.

Promotion was summer talk, the lower reaches of the table are winter reality and the manager admitted he was left "searching for answers”.

The home side had begun encouragingly against Wigan Athletic and should have deservedly gone ahead.

Instead, they let in a soft goal just before the interval and for a team so short on steel and so brittle in belief there would be no way back.

“The boys were talking at half-time about not conceding a second as opposed to saying ‘Let's go and win the game’,” Evans said.

“Thinking about not conceding and hitting a team on the counter-attack ... that can't be our style.

“It's a big pitch. You keep your levels of energy better when you're in front.

“Some of the Wigan players at the end were lying on their backs. They've gone to the wire because they had a lead to protect.”

Talking of leads, Rotherham should have had one in the 27th minute when Joe Rafferty's precision cross from the right flank gave Andre Green a free header that he contrived to flick over an empty net.

“If we score then, the confidence grows and players want the ball," Evans said. “When it doesn't go in ... you can hear the disappointment in the stadium when the chance is shown on the big screen.

“It's a huge chance. Their keeper's gone for a walk. Andre is a top professional and knows it's a big miss.”

Fancy dress held sway in the away end where, among a variety of outfits, there were penguins, jockeys, aliens and curvy yellow fruit.

The last one seemed particularly apposite because Rotherham's defending for Wigan's winner left Evans going bananas.

“It's a good bit of skill by the Wigan boy on the touchline, but then we don't defend it properly,” the boss complained. “We're all guarding the goalline rather than going to the ball.”

Jonny Smith left Reece James in his wake and skipped in to find Babajide Adeeko. Somehow, in a crowded penalty area, the Wigan youngster had all the time and space in the world to drive the ball beyond Dillon Phillips for his first career goal.

“To be walking down the tunnel at half-time a goal down was hard to take,” Evans said. “We'd got the system right to affect the game positively. We had a lot of the play.

“When they scored, our confidence levels dropped. In the second half, we're looking to our front four to be more on the front foot, more dynamic, more everything. That front four looks good on paper but performances aren't driven by names.

“We just had to gamble really. We changed it and went with two strikers and 4-4-2. You have to put the fine margins in your favour. We're not doing that.”

A late Rotherham flurry, after Wigan had controlled much of the second period, brought unanswered appeals for a spot-kick when Joe Hungbo tumbled in the box.

“Joe said it was a penalty, I've not yet seen it back,” Evans said. “I'm not going to comment on referees because I'll get into trouble, but I look at some of the decisions today and they're baffling.”

At the final whistle, he made sure he acknowledged Latics counterpart Shaun Maloney and then headed straight down the tunnel.

Later, in New York's media suite, he held on to the notion that the slide can be reversed. Six points from the next available nine would bring the top half, he reckoned, which brushed aside the fact that Rotherham were already seven adrift of that standing.

Interview over, I began a sad trudge to New York's south car-park. By now, dark had long descended, joining the fog in masking visibility, and I had to pick my steps carefully.

Flirting with the drop zone in the second coming was never meant to happen.

Amid the murkiness, it was hard to see where the Millers go from here.

Rotherham (4-2-1-3): Dillon Phillips; Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odoffin, Jamie McCart (Cameron Humphreys 67), Reece James; Liam Kelly (Shaun McWilliams 71), Joe Powell; Andre Green (Joe Hungbo 67); Sam Nombe (Cohen Bramall 71), Jonson Clarke-Harris (Jordan Hugill 67), Mallik Wilks. Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Alex MacDonald.

Wigan (4-1-4-1): Sam Tickle; Toby Sibbick, Jason Kerr, Will Aimson, Steven Sessegnon; Matt Smith (Scott Smith 32); Jonny Smith (Michael Olakigbe 65), Babajide Adeeko, Thelo Aasgaard (Jensen Weir 65), Silko Thomas (James Carragher 86), Dale Taylor (Joe Hugill 86). Subs not used: Tom Watson, Callum McManaman.

Goals: Adeeko 45+2 (Wigan).

Referee: Martin Coy (Durham).

Attendance: 9,509 (883).