Andre Breitenreiter on criticism from Huddersfield Town fans, referee Josh Smith and Sorba Thomas red in Championship derby at Rotherham United

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN head coach Andre Breitenreiter says that he was fully aware of the audible frustrations from the club’s travelling contingent at the decision not to bring on forwards Danny Ward or Josh Koroma in the 0-0 Championship draw with rock-bottom Rotherham United –but says that he felt the time was not right.

Town were reduced to ten men on 58 minutes when Sorba Thomas picked up his second yellow card and was dismissed after felling Oliver Rathbone.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors still looked the team most likely to break the deadlock against a Millers side who had won just three games this term and came into the derby on the back of an awful nine-match losing sequence.

Fans chanted for Ward and Koroma to come on late in the second half, but Breitenreiter elected not to.

Huddersfield Town boss André Breitenreiter at Rotherham United. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

He said: “These are the decisions which the head coach always has to take.

"I thought we were near to the goal and sometimes when you play with 10 players, you change and make a big error.

"I can live with this kind of question as if we lose this game because of a substitution, you ask me why did I make the change? It’s on me. I know about Danny from the supporters and that he played for Rotherham.

"I would be happy if he could play today, but it was not the right moment. Delano (Burgzorg), with his pace did well the whole time. but I knew about the important players on the bench and said sorry to Alex Matos as he trained well, Danny Ward and Josh Koroma. They are still important for me as a coach.”

On the performance of referee Josh Smith, who angered Town fans, he added: “I felt many decisions were wrong today, but sometimes you have to live with it.

"And the reason for the substitution of David (Kasumu) was to stop him getting a second yellow. It was a very hard decision to give him a yellow card in the first half. There were a lot of bad decisions.

"Sorba told me in the dressing room he played the ball and Hoggy (Jonathan Hogg) agreed, it was a quick decision in transitions and he ran 80 metres to get the ball. He said he played the ball.”