The magic of Mallik, different benches and fans see past the disappointment ... the story of Rotherham United 3 Mansfield Town 3

Rotherham United were rampant, Mansfield Town were being mauled, the Millers were 3-1 in front and fans roared their approval before settling back into their seats in the bubbling expectation of more goals to come.

And more goals duly did come; only at the other end as a season of shortcomings caught up with Matt Hamshaw's men.

5-1 had looked a possibility. Less than half an hour later, it was 3-3 and the home side were hanging on towards the end.

Hamshaw is the man charged with turning around the League One mess he inherited less than a month ago. Armed with a three-year contract and the full support of a previously-disillusioned, under-prepared squad, he's already on the right path but knows his job will take time.

“We're on a journey and there are going to be bumps in the road,” he acknowledged. “There are pleasing signs and there are parts of it that I don't like.”

The Good Friday clash marked his first fixture at the full-time helm after flying through a four-match audition.

The reception he received before kick-off was even friendlier than the spring weather but Mansfield had failed to read the script and took an early lead when George Maris got his head to a Louis Reed shot and diverted the ball beyond Cameron Dawson.

After that, the Millers gave a tantalising glimpse of what might be in store as they took control of the contest.

Hamshaw is organiser and entertainer in equal measure and home spectators were treated to their best football of the campaign while the opposition were picked apart.

Wilks warmed up by finding the top corner with a 20-yarder than combined power, precision and curl in equal measure, then he turned provider as his good work down the left culminated in his low cross being sharply turned in by Sam Nombe.

Hamshaw reflected on what had gone before his tenure and what is now beginning to stir.

“Physically it's been tiring for the players and psychologically it has been as well,” he said. “We're trying to put bricks in place every week. I'm getting there step by step. I'd like to get there a lot quicker.”

Talking of getting there quickly ... cue the fleet-footed intervention of Wilks in the 65th minute.

His run began just outside his own box and saw him leave an opponent for dead on the halfway line, then bear down on the North Stand net and produce a bullet finish to match the bullet burst.

The attacker's stunning effort had echoes of a similar wonder-goal scored by Hamshaw himself at the start of his own playing career, for Sheffield Wednesday against Watford in 2001, before injury blunted his promise and Premier League prospects.

“Mallik is an unbelievable footballer, everyone knows that,” the boss enthused. “He has moments of quality that nobody else has.”

Rotherham, as a team, have never been fit enough this term and fatigue kicked in around the 70-minute mark – about the same time as Town changed the complex of the encounter from the bench.

Due to a packed treatment room, the Millers didn't have the right options among their substitutes, which was in stark contrast to the visitors.

“Mansfield just kept putting big player after big player on,” Hamshaw said. “They got crosses into the box. They were just throwing in balls from all angles. We have to deal with that better.”

Big men made a big difference and two of them put their names on the scoresheet.

Aden Flint, all nine foot 11 inches of him, fired in after a deflection off Cameron Humphreys had conspired against the home side, and New York old boy Jordan Bowery found himself all alone with an easy task at the back post because goalkeeper Dillon Phillips had, for some reason, given up his chase of a header by another replacement, Caylan Vickers.

By then, Dawson had been stretchered off with a leg gash sustained in the build-up to Mansfield's second goal.

Replays showed that it shouldn't have counted because Alfie Kilgour had strayed into an offside position before his touch on to Humphreys had fallen perfectly for Flint. The officials' error rubbed salt into the keeper's wound.

Yet another sub, Keanu Baccus, should have put Town ahead but he miscued horribly after doing all the hard work and, in the dying seconds, as Rotherham launched one last last push, Deji Oshilaja was lucky not to be sent off after illegally preventing Wilks from going clean through.

Honours were even after a pulsating game, the Millers comfortably in mid-table spot, the 18th-placed Stags – far from the worst team to come to New York this season – a step closer to safety.

“I was disappointed with the start, then we did the things I've been looking for us to do,” Hamshaw said. “We had more bravery on the ball.

“Our squad depth isn't amazing. We've got a lot of injuries. I just felt that we got a bit too deep.”

Despite the late setback, supporters had seen enough to be encouraged and Rotherham were applauded off at the final whistle.

“My goal was miles better than Mallik's,” Hamshaw smiled. “I beat three or four players, he beat one.”

Wilks' lightning break almost the full length of the pitch had been the highlight of the afternoon, though.

How good might Matt's Millers be next term when they're similarly up to speed?

Rotherham (3-4-1-2): Cameron Dawson (Dillon Phillips 82); Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odoffin, Cameron Humphreys; Jack Holmes (Hamish Douglas 82), Pelly Mpanzu, Joe Powell, Reece James; Louie Sibley; Sam Nombe (Josh Kayode 89), Mallik Wilks. Subs not used: Lewis Clarke, Jake Hull, James Clarke, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Mansfield (3-5-2): Christy Pym; Deji Oshilaja, Alfie Kilgour, Baily Cargill; Elliott Hewitt (Aden Flint 74), George Maris (Aaron Lewis 64), Louis Reed, Matthew Craig (Keanu Baccus 64), Stephen McLaughlin (Jordan Bowery 70); Lucas Akins, Dom Dyer (Caylan Vickers 64). Subs not used: Scott Flinders, Jordan Rhodes.

Goals: Wilks 11, 65, Nombe 36 (Rotherham); Maris 8, Flint 77, Bowery 86 (Mansfield)

Referee: David Rock (Hertfordshire)

Attendance: 10,665 (2,181)