Huddersfield Town 1, Milwall 1
Frazier Campbell scored his first goal for his hometown club but Kamil Grabara gifted Matt Smith the equaliser as Huddersfield Town drew against Millwall.
Millwall survived two penalty shouts and a late red card for Shane Ferguson as the Terriers went for all three points in the second half.
Huddersfield Town haven’t won in 20 matches going back to February but the point lifted the Terriers off the foot of the Championship – above Stoke City into 23rd – but still 6 points adrift of Wigan Athletic outside the drop zone.
But the signs are positive after they played a full part in a game they deserved to win and were applauded off at the end.
Town boss Danny Cowley made two changes to the side that lost 4-2 to West Brom last weekend.
Wary of the threat of the Millwall down the flanks, newly signed ex-Manchester United and Leicester City right back Danny Simpson was making his debut after signing for the club on Friday.
Ex-Spurs youngster Jadon Brown filled the other full back position as Florent Fadergjonaj dropped to the bench and Terence Kongolo missed out with a soft tissue injury.
Playmaker Alex Pritchard also remained sidelined with injury.
Millwall made five changes from the team that lost at home to QPR, with Mahlon Romeo, Ryan Leonard, Shaun Williams, Connor Mahoney and Aiden O’Brien coming into the side, while Shaun Hutchinson, Ben Thompson and Jayson Molumby stepping down to the bench.
The Terriers were certainly more energetic in the opening few minutes at the John Smith’s Stadium but both sides had their chances.
Millwall’s Jed Wallace had Simpson on toast in the 23rd minute, and with no sign of a covering tackle the Millwall winger tried his luck and shaved the back post with an early shot as the Terriers were tardy in getting back.
Town had already given earlier notice – with Trevoh Chalobah’s header forcing Bartosz Bialkowski into a save.
Just as the home crowd were getting restless, Town struck the opening goal – only their third all season at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Frazier Campbell scores his first goal for his home town club
Jadon Brown had won the ball and kick started a counter attack which ended when Karlan Grant’s cutback was converted by the predatory Frazier Campbell in the 24th minute.
Embed from Getty ImagesElias Kachunga’s header was plucked out of the air by Bialkowski and Lewis O’Brien crossed for Campbell to head over the bar as Town pushed for a second.
Ryan Leonard’s thunderbolt of a shot from 30 yards was tipped over his bar by Grabara as Millwall remained dangerous.
And from the corner Matt Smith equalised after Grabara went from hero to villain and spilled the corner under pressure leaving the big ex-Oldham Athletic striker with a simple tap-in.
Adama Diakhaby came on for Kachunga in the second half as Town became sloppy for a spell after the restart before they had two claims for penalties turned down.
Grant went down in the box under pressure from Shaun Williams, while Diakhaby went down easily when pushed by Jake Cooper but neither was given a penalty.
Juninho Bacuna replaced Lewis O’Brien after 67 minutes and immediately gave Bialkowski a save to make.
Shane Ferguson was given his marching orders for a second yellow card in the 80th minute after he cynically brought down Diakhaby for the second time as he raced onto Campbell’s through ball.
And there was an unsavoury scuffle as Ferguson initially refused to leave the field before Diakhaby sent the free kick from the edge of the area wide of the back post.
Murray Wallace and Ben Thompson were brought on for Matt Smith and Mahoney as Millwall reorganised to try and hold out for a point.
Jaden Brown shot wide on his wrong foot and Diakhaby’s cross bounced in front of Tommy Elphick as Town laid siege to Millwall’s goal in the dying minutes but couldn’t penetrate the Lions’ packed defence.
GOALS – Huddersfield Town 1, Milwall 1
Huddersfield Town 1, Millwall 0: 24. Frazier Campbell tapped in a goal from 10 yards after Karlan Grant’s cut back after Jaden Brown had won the ball and released the Town forward on the left flank. It was his first goal for his home town club.
Huddersfield Town 1, Millwall 1: 41. Millwall equalised after putting Town under pressure. Kamil Grabara spilt a Millwall corner under pressure from Matt Smith allowing the striker a tap in.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 1, Milwall 1
Huddersfield Town: Grabara, Simpson, Elphick, Schindler, Brown, Hogg, Chalobah, Kachunga (Diakhaby 57), O’Brien (Bacuna 67), Grant, Campbell
Huddersfield Town subs not used: Schofield, Stankovic, Hadergjonaj, Mbenza, Mounie
Booked: Campbell (scuffle with Shane Ferguson 81)
Goal: Campbell 24
Millwall: Bialkowski, Romeo, Pearce, Cooper, Ferguson, Mahoney (Thompson 86), Leonard, Williams, Wallace, Smith (Wallace 83), O’Brien (Bradshaw 63)
Millwall subs not used: Steele, Hutchinson, Molumby, Burey
Booking: Ferguson 72 (foul on Adama Diakhaby)
Red Card: Ferguson 80 (second yellow card for bringing down Adama Diakhaby on the edge of the box).
Goal: Smith 41
Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Attendance: 20,781 (791 Millwall fans)