Two-goal Jack Holmes and a pair of special fans in the Rotherham United away end
TWO of the most important people in the life of Jack Holmes were missing, yet his big day for Rotherham United was still a family affair.
The attacker joined the Millers two seasons ago when he was in the seventh tier of English football and played well against them for non-league Stamford in a summer friendly.
He hadn't scored in 55 outings for the League One club but broke his duck with a double blast in the 3-2 final-day defeat at Wycombe Wanderers last Saturday.
His parents couldn't make the trip from their Midlands home to Adams Park, but a couple of faces very familiar to the 24-year-old were cheering him on in the away end.
“Nan and Grandad came today,” he said after a loss that saw relegated Rotherham finish 23rd in the third-tier table. “Mum and Dad normally follow me all around the country, but they couldn't get away from work. That's a shame because they would have loved to have seen the goals.”
Ah, the goals … some sharp, jinking movement to create space for a 17th-minute 20-yarder whipped into the corner of the net and then a deft close-range volley as he timed his run perfectly to met Harry Gray's cross just five minutes later.
“The first one is one that I'd say is more my type of goal - one I'd expect myself to try to score,” Holmes said. “The second one, coming at the back post, I don't know if I've scored one like that before. But I'll take loads of goals if I can score them like that!”
Opening his account came as a relief to the man whose last strike had been against the Millers in that 2024 pre-season clash when he wore Stamford's colours for the last time.
He was signed by the Millers only a matter of days later, going on to make 36 appearances in his debut campaign and 20 this term without managing to establish himself as a regular starter
“Scoring is something I've needed,” he said. “I've been in the pro game and this is my second season. It's not gone as I wanted it to so far. But moments like today are why you do it and why you work hard behind the scenes. Hopefully I can take that into next season.”
Whether that's at AESSEAL New York Stadium remains to be seen as his contract is due to expire and he has yet to hear of he will be offered a new one.
It's been a campaign to forget, with the club marooned in the bottom four for months before the drop was confirmed three weeks ago, and Holmes spared a thought for the people who have continued to show up for games.
“It's been very tough for everyone, especially the fans,” he said. “It's been a difficult atmosphere at times. But, in fairness to them, in the last two away games they have come strong and been really positive. That's all you can ask from them, really. It doesn't go unnoticed.”
His first goal against the Chairboys levelled the scores at 1-1 and his next strike put Rotherham in front before the home team quickly levelled and then went on to triumph in stoppage time.
“It would have been nice, obviously, to finish with a win because it has been a difficult season,” Holmes said. "I thought we deserved it, probably. I thought we should have come away with at least a point.”
As for his absent parents, they weren't going to have to wait long to savour their son's exploits.
“I'll make sure I send them a video as soon as possible,” he grinned.