The new boy, the substitutions and the hope for the future ... the story of Rotherham United 2 Wigan Athletic 2

Just a goal on his debut and the promise of more – much, much more – to come during his time wearing a Rotherham United shirt.

Martin Sherif had announced himself as a Millers loanee with a smooth rendition of ‘Baby’ in his first-ever press conference two days before Saturday's lunch-time League One clash with Wigan Athletic.

The 19-year-old Everton centre-forward had said in that interview that he was ready for the step up into men's football and he was true to his word, to the delight of the North Stand fans who lapped up his 80th-minute swoop: right time, right place, right in front of them.

‘You know you love me, I know you care,’ you could almost hear the new crowd favourite thinking as the cheers rained down on him.

“No, he hasn't sung any Bieber to us yet,” grinned manager Matt Hamshaw as he dissected a breathless encounter that swung first in the visitors' favour before a huge shift towards the home side that gave an exciting glimpse of what a newly-formed young team could develop into.

“He's a character and we want characters at this club. I really like him as a lad. I think he's shown a bit of naivety with the press that you don't often get in football. I'm sure Everton will be talking to him about not singing songs to journalists!”

Sherif was in the side from the start and had shown pace, strength, agility and a youngster's enthusiasm before Rotherham fell behind three minutes before the break for the second successive match.

Ryan Trevitt scampered down the right and tried his luck from a tight angle and the last touch was an unfortunate one off Sean Raggett who inadvertently turned goalkeeper Cameron Dawson's parry into his own net.

Alongside Sherif, Jordan Hugill laboured, forcing a save out of Sam Tickle with a header and missing the target with a bouncing shot. He's trying, but he's 33 now and it's not happening for him this term.

Hamshaw acted at the break, taking off the striker along with fellow veteran Liam Kelly in favour of legs with less miles on the clock, and Rotherham were a side transformed.

Suddenly, Sherif had an extremely capable deputy in Kion Etete at his side and the visitors couldn't cope.

Rotherham won first balls, mopped up all the seconds, New York turned up the volume level and the Millers were level on the hour mark. Shaun McWilliams had been introduced at the interval and was doing more than any other player to wave the flag for Hamshaw's new era.

He'd been here, there and everywhere and was now at the edge of the penalty area whipping the ball into the bottom corner after an Etete shot on the turn had been blocked.

Meanwhile, Sherif was a man in a hurry. As the scorer celebrated with teammates by a corner flag, the teenager picked the ball out of the net and headed straight for the centre circle, eager for play to resume. He wanted to see his own name on the scoresheet as well.

His moment duly came as he slid in to apply a striker's finish to Reece James' low centre from the left flank.

“Martin's still learning,” Hamshaw said. “That's his first goal in men's football. I think you saw some naivety in his play at times when he was letting centre-halves come through.

“He's a threat, though. And the thing I love about him is that he just keeps going. I like strikers who, when they miss, they keep going and want the ball again. He'd just missed a chance when he scored.”

Indeed he had. Etete had taken possession of a long ball and his control, vision, movement and weight of pass were smoothly perfect as he played in his young partner for a left-footed nudge that lacked the punch to get Tickle.

Amid all of this, referee Oliver Langford was giving a truly rotten performance. Rotherham should have had two spot-kicks for handball - when old boy Joe Hungbo and, even more clearly, Jensen Weir infringed - and were awarded neither.

The official was almost as poor for the visitors and the boos he received from both sets of supporters were a fair reflection of his failings.

Hamshaw, keen to avoid an FA censure, chose his words carefully about the spot-kicks that never were: "I'm going to leave that to the fans and media to decide. I can't get involved in that, for obvious reasons. I could say something but I'm not going to."

The boss had been bothered in the build-up to the contest as he debated the merits of young versus old and has come close to leaving one or two starters on the bench.

“Sometimes you get the substitutions right, sometimes you get them wrong,” he said. “We got them right today.

“I didn't sleep on Friday night as well as I might have done. In my head I was tinkering with one or two things. My gut, when I went for my run this morning, didn't feel as right as it should have done. I just felt that at half-time those changes were what we had to do.”

Paul Mullin spoiled the party, heading home from close range when Fraser Murray's corner was flicked on by Maleace Asamaoh Jnr.

On his previous visit to New York, with Wrexham, he'd scored after 16 seconds. He left it a little later on this occasion, pouncing with two minutes of the regulation 90 remaining.

Dawson denied the same man in stoppage time and the teams traded shots in the dying seconds, with Sherif firing over the bar. A point each, which left Rotherham in 17th place and Wigan 12th, was about right.

It was a draw that almost felt like a defeat yet in some ways also brought a feeling of victory. Whatever, in the second half the connection between team and fans that will underpin any progress this term was stirringly palpable.

Sherif and Etete offered hope for the future, as did a clutch of babies in red and white, along with the contributions of positively ancient 20-somethings Denzel Hall and McWilliams.

Imagine just how dangerous the Millers might be up front when the injured man signing autographs in the West Stand, Sam Nombe, is fit again and back in the mix.

As Justin might croon: ‘Baby, Baby, Baby, oh.’

Rotherham (3-1-4-2): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty, Sean Raggett, Reece James; Liam Kelly (Shaun McWilliams H-T); Denzel Hall (Jack Holmes 84), Dan Gore (Dru Yearwood 84), Joe Powell, Marvin Kaleta (Ar'Jany Martha 65); Jordan Hugill (Kion Etete H-T), Martin Sherif. Subs not used: Ted Cann, Ciaran McGuckin.

Wigan (4-1-3-2): Sam Tickle; Fraser Murray, Will Aimson (Steven Sessegnon 84), Jason Kerr, Morgan Fox; Tyrese Francois; Ryan Trevitt (Jensen Weir 53, Paul Mullin 84), Callum Wright (Baba Adeeko 76), Joe Hungbo; Dara Costelloe, Christian Saydee (Maleace Asamoah Jnr 84). Subs not used: Tom Watson, Jonny Smith.

Goals: McWilliams 60, Sherif 80 (Rotherham); Trevitt 42, Mullin 88 (Wigan)

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)

Attendance: 8,200 (981)