The suits, the huddle and the changed mood ... the story of Rotherham United 2 Huddersfield Town 1

This was a match Rotherham United had to win and simply couldn't afford to lose.

It would be going too far to say that their season depended on it. But belief, confidence and momentum – all essential requirements if a team wants to contend for promotion – certainly did.

It was a crisp black dress code before the players went out and did the red and white shirt proud, fighting back from the second-half blow of falling behind to end Huddersfield Town's 100 per cent record of League One wins.

“We've been wanting to wear the suits for a while,” said manager Steve Evans. “It's been down to waiting for one for me. The rest of the boys were all done and fitted but mine didn't turn up.”

Understandably, the manager was in a good mood as he held court in the AESSEAL New York Media Suite after watching his team start to climb the table.

He was grinning as he added: “The chairman said to me on Wednesday: ‘Where were the suits last night at Fleetwood Town?' I said to him: ‘We're waiting on one.’ He said: ‘Don't tell me, it's yours, isn't it?’”

Suddenly, he turned serious again: “I agree with the chairman that we should dress gentlemanly ... and then we go to war. We arrived almost like the Marines in their proper uniforms and then took them off and put our war gear on.”

The visitors were donning tin helmets when the charge from the home side came.

The Millers should have won against Bristol Rovers and didn't. They should have won at Wycombe Wanderers and didn't.

On Saturday, as New York roared its approval, they took their game to another level and did.

THE MATCH

The handshake with his counterpart was cursory, almost unfriendly; he had a dig at the officials; a drawn, tight, slightly manic look distorted his face.

But this wasn't Evans, this was Huddersfield boss Michael Duff at the final whistle. A correct, straight-backed man with a military pedigree was letting his discipline go AWOL.

His team had been a man light on the pitch in the closing stages when Rotherham old boy Danny Ward was given a straight red card soon after entering the fray as a substitute.

In the dugout, Town were even lighter. Goalkeeping coach Andy Quy had been dismissed for hanging on to the ball in an attempt to stem the Millers' late push and now the head coach himself was being sent off for the manner in which he'd framed his protests to referee Sebastian Stockbridge.

Evans wasn't watching as Duff hounded the ref at the mouth of the players' tunnel, he was busy being part of a huddle that could turn out to be a defining image of Rotherham's campaign.

In that joining of victory arms were also the players and staff. And right at the heart of it as they came together in a show of togetherness was the club's recovering DNA.

“Paul Raynor did a lot of it, Jonson Clarke-Harris did a lot of it, Reece James did a lot of it,” the manager said. “It was just about: ‘This is us, this is what we're about.’”

The Millers had the best of the first half and almost went in front in only the third minute as Nombe delivered an early statement that his afternoon was going to be one of hard-running intent.

The striker chased down Dillon Phillips' long clearance, beat Town debutant Nigel Lonwijk near the corner flag and ran in on goal to force a fine stop from Lee Nicholls with a curling effort from a tight angle.

The 23rd-minute close-range save to deny Clarke-Harris, who had been set up by Liam Kelly's cross and Mallik Wilks' header, was even better.

Before the break, Tom Lees should have given the visitors the lead, heading over from 'must score' range. After it, as they attacked the North Stand, the Millers began to assert control.

Evans had swapped his formalwear for a black tracksuit and trainers and was out of the dugout more than than in any other match this season as he urged on his side in their quest for a first league goal and triumph.

“I genuinely believed that today was the day it would come for us,” he said. “We've beaten a really good team and deserved to beat them.”

Liam Kelly was full of quiet, string-pulling authority in midfield, Nombe's all-consuming pursuit of everything turned lost causes into promising ones, Wilks was emerging as the contest's most dangerous player.

Ward came on and quickly went off, dismissed for a reckless challenge in the 72nd minute that saw his shoulder make contact with Jamie McCart's head.

Yet two minutes later ten-man Town – to everyone's surprise, including probably their own – were ahead.

Having required treatment, McCart was off the field as Christ Tiehi lost out to Josh Koroma and then couldn't chase down the former Millers loanee who's arcing run towards the right flank culminated in him crossing for Joe Hodge to apply a precision finish.

Crucially, Rotherham were level almost before the away end had finished celebrating. Not for the first or last time, Wilks made inroads and his run into the box brought a 77th-minute spot-kick as he made full use of Lasse Sorensen's presence.

The sun was shining on New York but the glint in Clarke-Harris's eye had nothing to do with the weather as he lined up his kick. He was never going to miss.

“We were back in it within a minute or two,” Evans said. “I think that's when the fans believed.

“I've seen it back, it's a penalty, it's a lazy challenge. Mallik does well to get it. He goes across the boy and it's just a late leg, a poor defensive challenge.”

From then on, it was all Rotherham as they brushed aside Huddersfield's delaying tactics and went all out for victory.

Hakeem Odoffin should have put them ahead with a point-blank header, Joe Powell drove the ball off target. No matter, something special was about to happen.

Tiehi fed Wilks down the right and before you could say ‘90th-minute hero’ the attacker cut inside on to his left foot and buried the winner into the bottom corner.

Evans came out of the huddle to salute the kop, raising his arms, conducting the cheers.

“That is the DNA I spoke to the chairman about when I came back here in April,” the boss said. “He said to me: ‘We can lose games, Steve, but we have to play the Rotherham United way.’

“I said to the board that I would take all the responsibility for that. It's why we've signed the players we've signed and kept the ones that we have.

“It was beautiful. The players deserved the win. I'm so pleased for them that we got it because our efforts in recent weeks have been worth victories.”

MAGIC MALLIK

Wilks was at the start of many good moments, in the middle of plenty more and on the end of the most significant one of all.

In this form, with his acceleration and trickery, there can't be a more dangerous player of his type in the division.

“Mallik was giving them a real problem,” Evans said. “Every time he got the ball they were scared of him – and I'm using the appropriate word there. I kept shouting on to the pitch: ‘Keep giving him it, let him get one v one in the box.’”

Meanwhile, the suits will be on show for the rest of the season.

“That's our attire for matchdays now," said Evans. “We are very proud of what we have got here - the stadium and the facilities - and we want to reflect that.

Afterwards, the players swore happy smiles along with their collars and ties.

It was a look to match their display: very smart.

Rotherham (4-3-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Hakeem Odoffin, Cameron Humphreys, Jamie McCart, Reece James; Christ Tiehi (Shaun McWilliams 90+6), Liam Kelly, Joe Powell; Mallik Wilks; Jonson Clarke-Harris (Jordan Hugill 85), Sam Nombe (Esapa Osong 90+2). Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Alex MacDonald, Zak Jules, Joe Hungbo.

Huddersfield (3-5-2): Lee Nicholls; Tom Lees, Michal Helik, Nigel Lonwijk (Josh Ruffels 85); Lasse Sorensen, Antony Evans (Joe Hodge 67), Jonathan Hogg, Ben Wiles, Mickel Miller; Callum Marshall (Danny Ward 67), Josh Koroma (Ollie Turton 85). Subs not used: Chris Maxwell, Rhys Healey, Jaheim Headley, Tom Iorpenda.

Goals: Clarke-Harris pen 77, Wilks 90 (Rotherham); Hodge 74 (Huddersfield.

Referee: Seb Stockbridge (Tyne and Wear).

Attendance: 10,404 (2,170).