Huddersfield Town 0, Rotherham United 0
Huddersfield Town earned an important morale boosting clean sheet against Rotherham United just days after shipping 7 goals at Norwich City.
Both sides drew a blank at the John Smith’s Stadium as Town, who will be happier with the point, maintained the 8 point gap between them and the Millers who remained in the bottom three.
Rotherham had the better chances to win with a goal ruled out for offside while they hit the woodwork twice with chances from Matt Crooks and Lewis Wing, and a penalty claim turned down for a foul against Richard Wood.
Wing might also have scored for the Millers after he twice had long range shots saved by Ryan Schofield and Ben Wiles contrived to miss a late chance to win it for the visitors.
Embed from Getty ImagesJoel Pereira, Richard Stearman, Demeaco Duhaney, and Danny Ward were replaced by Ryan Schofield, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Yaya Sanogo, and Fraizer Campbell as Town looked to put the 7-0 mauling at Carrow Road behind them.
It was all about the reaction to that humbling and the Terriers started by matching the Rotherham formation while keeping the Millers under control.
Both sides had a case for not wanting to lose, with Rotherham in the dropzone but with at least 3 games in hand over teams around them, and victory would have moved the Millers within 4 points of Coventry City who they play at home next week.
Clear chances were few in the first half as Town slowly shook off the shackles from the Norwich game and despite half chances for both sides there was only one real chance in the first half.
Lewis Wing had the first shot on goal, a speculative effort from outside the area which Schofield saved.
There was plenty of effort from Town but Rotherham should have scored after a Ben Wiles cutback was lashed goalwards by Matt Crooks but took a rebounded off the post after taking a deflection off a Town player.
Yaya Sanogo had a shot blocked as the intensity increased, Town won a few corners and Richard Keogh’s fierce shot was saved by Viktor Johansson who leaped on the loose ball from the resulting corner.
Sanogo volleyed wide after getting on the end of a cross by Juninho Bacuna.
Michael Smith, Jamie Lindsay, and Michael Ihiekwe went close with chances at the end of the first half as the Millers applied some pressure.
Rotherham United denied by offside flag, woodwork, and Ryan Schofield
The Millers had the ball in the net less than two minutes after the restart but Crooks’ goal was ruled out for offside after he had tucked away a rebound from Michael Smith after Ihiekwe had passed the ball to him.
Schofield had to save from Lewis Wing after that while Wes Harding had an effort blocked as the Terriers hung on.
Carlos Corberan made a quick change after 52 minutes, replacing Pipa with Sorba Thomas and Thomas was quickly in action, crossing the ball towards Sanogo only to see it cleared.
The nerves were returning for the Terriers who started to concede corners and fouls, Wing went for goal from one set piece and rattled the top of the crossbar from 30 yards.
Richard Wood went down under challenge from Naby Sarr but his claims for a penalty were waved away by Lee Mason with 20 minutes to go.
Ryan Giles was brought on by Rotherham for Matthew Olosunde while Town brought on Danny Ward for Fraizer Campbell.
Duane Holmes forced a save from Johansson in the 75th minute with a low shot.
Wing had another fierce shot from outside the area saved by Schofield.
Isaac Mbenza and Scott High came on for Duane Holmes and Bacuna as the Terriers sought to freshen up the side.
And Sanogo had a chance to score an unlikely late winner when he volleyed a corner into the arms of Johansson two minutes later and Millers Ben Wiles somehow shot wide of the near post after a ball across the Town box somehow evaded everyone.
Although the game will not last long in the memory for Town fans after the horrendous week that they have had, it will serve to let them turn the page.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 0, Rotherham United 0
Huddersfield Town: Schofield, Edmonds-Green, Keogh, Sarr, Holmes (Mbenza 82), Bacuna (High 82), Hogg, O’Brien, Pipa (Thomas 52), Campbell (Ward 74), Sanogo
Huddersfield Town subs not used: Pereira, Stearman, Aarons, Brown, Rowe
Rotherham United: Johansson, Iheikwe, Wood, MacDonald, Harding, Olosunde (Giles 73), Lindsay (Barlaser 81), Wing, Wiles, Smith, Crooks
Rotherham United subs not used: Blackman, MacDonald, Hirst, Ladapo, Ogbene, Sadlier, Jozefzoon
Referee: Lee Mason