Injury Time Goal Does For Millers

After twice going in front an injury time goal saw Rotherham United lose out to West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town this evening at the New York Stadium.

The first chance of the game fell to the hosts after Joe Newell won a free-kick off Michael Hefele, Jon Taylor’s cross couldn’t be turned in by either Richard Wood or Tom Adeyemi in the box. Five minutes later some nice work between Jerry Yates and Danny Ward saw the ball fall to Adeyemi who saw his shot deflected. Taylor took the resulting corner which was headed on by Wood and after a Huddersfield defender cleared it off the line it fell to Semi Ajayi who rammed it home from close range to score his first for the Millers. On the quarter of an hour mark the Millers thought they’d gone two-up after Yates had put the ball in but a linesman’s flag told them otherwise. But four minutes later the Terriers made it one-all after former Millers loanee Izzy Brown was allowed to run down the pitch unheeded he got the ball to Joe Lolley on the edge of the area and his shot hit the back of the net. Only some good fingertip work from the Terrier’s ‘keeper Danny Ward stopped an effort from Rotherham’s Danny Ward going in. Some more good work from Taylor saw him find Joe Newell whose volley looked like it was going in before a Town player stuck out a leg to deflect it for a corner. Brown and Phillip Billing both had shots which came to nothing before Aaron Mooy had a shot from distance that Millers’ ‘keeper Richard O’Donnell got to at the second time of asking. With five minutes of the half left it was all the visitors and only some good defending from Adeyemi Ajayi and Ben Purrington stopped them causing problems.

Huddersfield came out strong for the second half and Joe Lolley tried his luck but Richard O’Donnell gathered before the Millers went down the other end and a superb cross in from Danny Ward found the head of Jon Taylor but he couldn’t steer it in. Ajayi had to be alert minutes later to head a cross from Tareiq Holmes-Dennis behind before the Millers again came close when a lovely free-kick from Joe Newell was headed straight into the arms of one Danny Ward from the other. Some good play between Ward and Newell saw Ben Purrington get on the end of a cross which brought a good save from the Town ‘keeper before Tom Adeyemi found Stephen Kelly with a good ball which in turn found Taylor but again the visitors ‘keeper collected. On the hour mark Colin Quaner did well down the wing and put a good cross into the box but Ajayi was equal to it and put it behind. Town made two substitutions fetching on Nahki Wells and Rajiv van la Parra for Lolley and Quaner. Two minutes later the visitors should have gone ahead when a superb cross from Tommy Smith found Elias Kachunga who really should have buried his header but put the ball wide. Jerry Yates was replaced by Richie Smallwood for the hosts. As Huddersfield were starting to get on top the Millers flew down the other end with Newell who fed Adeyemi and with seven and a half Rotherham fans urging the Cardiff loanee to shoot he did just that from thirty yards out and his unstoppable shot flew into the bottom corner of the net. But the Millers joy was short lived when just after Danny Ward limped off and Dexter Blackstock replaced him Huddersfield were level. Van la Parra earned the visitors a corner which he took finding Kachunga who headed into the net to make it two-all. The first yellow of the game went to Izzy Brown for a nasty foul on Smallwood and from the resulting free-kick Ajayi headed on before Newell saw his shot blocked. With ten minutes to go only another good save from Ward stopped a head from Will Vaulks going in. Town made their last substitution taking off Izzy Brown and putting on Jack Payne. Aaron Mooy should have done better from twenty-five yards with no-one around him but put his shot over the crossbar into the travelling two and a half thousand Terriers fans. Joe Mattock came on for the Millers to replace Jon Taylor who ran his heart out again this evening. It looked like the Millers were going to get a second point of the week but it was heartbreak on the ninety-third minute when the Millers defence looked a bit at sea and Tommy Smith latched onto a loose ball and drilled it into the bottom corner of the goal to give the visitors a three-two win.

It really was a bitter blow and one that Rotherham didn’t deserve this evening. But why can’t we hold on?