Late Viktor Johansson appearance in goal fest ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 5 Cardiff City 2

Viktor Johansson warms up before the Cardiff City game but there would be no start for the Rotherham United goalkeeper. Picture: Jim Brailsford

THE player everyone had come to see was missing from the starting line-up as relegated Rotherham United ended their Championship season with a stunning victory at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Today's clash against Cardiff City is poised to be the final match of fan favourite Viktor Johansson before the Swedish international leaves for bigger things, but he was on the bench, with Dillon Phillips being preferred in goal.

Supporters were disappointed, yet it didn't stop the cheers ringing out at New York as the Millers recorded only the fifth win of their season to give new boss Steve Evans the first triumph of his second spell in charge.

After a season of woe, Evans' men turned on the style, running away with the match in the second period, and there was a party atmosphere at New York as fans bade farewell to the second tier.

Having scored in only one of their previous 11 games, Rotherham couldn't stop finding the net on an amazing final day.

Neither side had created anything meaningful in a contest with a real end-of-season feel to it until the Millers sparked into life in the 25th minute and took the lead.

Cameron Humphreys played in Cohen Bramall down the left and when a low cross came in Jordan Hugill was on hand to guide the ball home against one of his former clubs.

It was the first goal of Evans' second coming.

Phillips pushed away a Josh Bowler shot soon afterwards but was powerless to prevent a Cardiff equaliser on 38 minutes.

Ollie Tanner delivered a free-kick from Cardiff's left and Nat Phillips was unmarked at the back post as he headed the visitors level.

Sharp reactions from Phillips foiled Bowler and Cian Ashford flashed a shot off target as City began to take the upper hand.

Before kick-off, there had been warm applause for the people who had come to the aid of fan Sid Barraclough during the medical emergency at the ground a fortnight ago.

There was an early incident in the same East Stand early on in proceedings and play was halted for a spell. Happily, this situation didn't appear to be as serious and the action soon resumed.

Seb Revan whistled a long-distance effort just wide as Rotherham tried to respond to Cardiff's spell of dominance.

Their efforts paid off two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half when Bramall was the provider again and Tom Eaves applied a clinical finish after getting in front of a Bluebirds defender.

The Millers rounded off an injury-plagued campaign plagued by being able to name only five substitutes. Loan midfielder Andy Rinhomota missed out because he was ineligible to play against his parent club and there was an unfamiliar midfield role for striker Sam Nombe.

Cardiff needed only 69 seconds of the second half to equalise again, Ashford teeing up Tanner who fired a shot beyond Phillips into the far corner.

Eaves was denied by the outstretched foot of goalkeeper Ethan Horvath but it wasn't long before he was celebrating another strike.

Hakeem Odoffin was tripped inside the area and Rotherham's big centre-forward, after a debate with regular penalty-taker Hugill, coolly restored the home team's lead from the spot.

The Millers' afternoon got even better in the 64th minute when Nombe scored superbly on the turn from 20 yards and then Hugill took advantage of a weak Phillips back-pass to poke in his second goal of the encounter.

As the clock ticked down, only the woodwork denied the latter a hat-trick.

There were deafening "Oh, Viktor Johansson" chants in the second half when the keeper was spotted standing by the dugout and then warmed up.

"Bring him on," sang the crowd.

And Evans duly did, in added time.

What a way to crown a crazy, goal-laden occasion nobody had been expecting.

Rotherham (4-4-2): Dillon Phillips (Viktor Johansson 90+1); Seb Revan (Shane Ferguson 90+1), Lee Peltier (Grant Hall 76), Cameron Humphreys, Cohen Bramall; Sam Nombe (Ben Hatton 90+2), Ollie Rathbone, Hakeem Odoffin, Arvin Appiah (Femi Seriki 76); Jordan Hugill, Tom Eaves.

Cardiff (4-4-2): Ethan Horvath; Mahlon Romeo (Raheem Conte 58), Dimi Goutas, Nat Phillips (Mark McGuinness 89), Ollie Tanner (Callum O'Dowda 76); Josh Bowler, Manolis Siopis, Ryan Wintle, Cian Ashford; David Turnbull (Rubin Colwill 76), Famara Diedhiou. Subs not used: Matt Turner, Romaine Sawyers, Joel Colwill, Cameron Antwi, Dakarai Mafico.

Goals: Hugill 25, 70, Eaves 45+2, 57 pen, Nombe 64 (Rotherham); Phillips 38, Tanner 47 (Cardiff).

Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).

Attendance: 10,547 (1,541).