Big match verdict - Rotherham United 2 Huddersfield Town 3: Terriers overcome wobble '¨to shatter Millers

Tommy Smith’s dramatic stoppage-time winner settled a hugely entertaining derby contest and moved the Terriers to within four points of the automatic promotion places.

His strike ensured love was in the air for the 2,583 visiting fans as an often testing night ended on the ultimate high for Huddersfield after twice falling behind to the Championship’s bottom club.

Defeat was harsh on the Millers, who played their full part in a contest of such attacking intent that it fully justified those who had risked the wrath of their other halves by forsaking Valentine’s night to be at the New York Stadium.

Not only did the Millers defend with a determination that belied their wretched record of just four wins and 17 points, but they caused plenty of problems for a side that is brimming with confidence right now.

This was never more the case than in an opening quarter that saw Town’s defending of set-pieces verge on woeful, almost as if the players were taking literally the ‘small dogs’ tag Wagner has bestowed on his promotion-chasing side in a Championship heavy on clubs with big budgets.

Certainly, diminutive is what Huddersfield’s backline was made to look by the swarm of red shirts straining to capitalise on Jon Taylor’s pinpoint delivery.

Time and time again, a ball would be floated into the six-yard box that caused untold panic among those sporting the luminous away shirts that are as striking as Huddersfield’s promotion push has been unexpected.

Rotherham took just 11 minutes to capitalise, Richard Wood meeting a Taylor corner with a powerful header that the visitors blocked only for Semi Ajayi to bundle the rebound over the line.

By rights, the Millers should already have been ahead when Ajayi touched in. Wretched marking at another set-piece, this time a free-kick from Taylor, was again the Achilles heel for Town, who had been relieved to see an unmarked Wood touch the ball over at full stretch with Danny Ward caught in no-man’s land.

Wood then went close again midway through the first half, the defender rising above Michael Hefele to meet another excellent Taylor corner only for his header to clear the crossbar by a foot. By then, Huddersfield were level. Isaiah Brown, back at the New York for the first time since curtailing his loan stay last month, ran at the home defence only to be blocked after a couple of clever jinks and the ball broke to Joe Lolley. Twenty yards from goal, Lolley needed no second invitation and his first-time shot curled beautifully beyond Richard O’Donnell’s outstretched right hand and into the bottom corner.

It was the lift Huddersfield needed, as for the rest of the game they exerted more and more pressure on the hosts.

Philip Billing fired just wide with a ferocious shot before Elias Kachunga had a thunderous effort blocked as United struggled to contain Huddersfield.

It was a similar story in the second half, with most of the play – and chances – taking place deep in Rotherham territory.

Town really should have gone ahead on the hour but Elias Kachunga spurned a gilt-edged opportunity by heading wide from four yards following neat link-play between Tommy Smith and Rajiv van La Parra.

Nahki Wells then came agonisingly close to getting on the end of a Billing header at the back post before Huddersfield were hit with the ultimate sucker punch.In a rare foray forward from the hosts, Tom Adeyemi collected possession 25 yards from goal and fired beyond Ward with an exocet of a shot. Town could have crumbled but, to their credit, Wagner’s men regrouped and were level 14 minutes from time. Kachunga got the vital touch from a Mooy corner and that set up a frantic finale that saw both sides go close to snatching a winner.

First, Joe Newell failed to make the necessary connection on a shot that looped wide before Ward saved brilliantly from Will Vaulks. Town raced up the other end and Jack Payne’s fearsome shot was blocked before Mooy fired narrowly over.

Then two minutes into stoppage time, the ball broke to Smith 15 yards from goal. His first-time shot was heading for the back of the net from the moment it left the full-back’s boot and Town had a fifth straight league win.

Rotherham United: O’Donnell; Kelly, Ajayi, Wood, Purrington; Taylor (Mattock 87), Vaulks, Adeyemi, Newell; Ward (Blackstock 73), Yates (Smallwood 67). Unused substitutes: Bilboe, Forde, Bray, Ekstrand.

Huddersfield Town: Ward; Smith, Hefele, Schindler, Holmes-Dennis; Mooy, Billing; Lolley (Van la Parra 62), Brown (Payne 80), Kachunga; Quaner (Wells 62). Unused substitutes: Coleman, Whitehead, Hudson, Cranie, Payne.

Referee: S Attwell (Warwickshire).