Huddersfield Town 0 Rotherham United 0: Roosken red provides the drama as League One derby ends in stalemate
The game will be recalled in future years for the dismissal, on 82 minutes, for latest Terriers signing Ruben Roosken, less than 10 minutes into his Town debut from the bench. Some sort of club record? Maybe.
There was no maliciousness to his challenge on Cam Humphrys, but it was a poor studs-up tackle all the same following poor technique.
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Hide AdReferee Alex Chilowicz, after discussions with the fourth official, brandished the red card.


For all of the boos which accompanied him at the final whistle from home punters, it was the right call.
Town’s unbeaten league sequence extended to 14 matches maybe, but this was not the afternoon they hankered for.
They had the chances to breach Rotherham’s goal and missed a huge one in the context of the game in the second half from ex-Miller Josh Koroma in particular, but didn’t show that killer instinct.
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Hide AdMichael Duff, speaking before the game, said that it doesn’t ‘take a rocket scientist’ to deduce that the Terriers need at least one striker this month.
That was further reinforced by events here, not that it was really needed.
With four points to their name on the road already in the new year and two successive clean sheets, there are kernels of hope at last for the Millers, who were much better in the second half here at a venue which rarely treats them too well.
Things can be a bit dull and drab at in early January and the opening 25 minutes certainly was that way at the John Smith's Stadium, with the scrappy nature of proceedings more beneficial to Rotherham than it was to the hosts.
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Hide AdTown did get on message in the 'second half' of the first period at least and played more tempo and assertion, but the half ended goalless, with the Millers entitled to be happy enough with that.
It was a half when Town's never-ending injury curse just minutes in with Nigel Lonwijk, a former Millers trialist - pulling up with a hamstring problem after breaking into a jog after around a minute. It was luckless for the Dutchman and for the hosts.
It was unnerving for Town - whose matchday squad included three ex-Millers in Koroma, Ben Wiles and sub Freddie Ladapo - and perhaps partly explained that low-key first 20 minutes.
Rotherham, unchanged from their fine win at Lincoln, offered relatively little from an attacking sense, aside from a few flashes from the hard-running Sam Nombe. but Jacob Chapman's goal was under little threat. He made one save, a standard one to hold Reece James's header while Nombe's shot was blocked by Michal Helik after a probing pass from Joe Rafferty.
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Hide AdAfter 25 minutes, Town - who started with Bojan Radulovic at home for the first time since October 19 while Joe Hodge was a welcome returnee with David Kasumu sidelined with a hamstring issue - suddenly got with it and Millers keeper Dillion Phillips was called into meaningful work.
Koroma found the ball in the position he likes on the left and curl inside before seeing his curler parried by the Millers keeper, who then grasped a low shot from Callum Marshall after a good spot from Herbie Kane, who soon fired a meaty volley over.
Phillips then got in the way of a decent half-volley from Wiles with Town starting to knock on the door.
The Millers then endured two significant scares with Wiles finding Marshall, with Phillips making a sharp save low down, before midfielder Shaun McWilliams saved the day, clearing a goalbound header from he unmarked Helik off the line after Wiles' corner.
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Hide AdHalf-time was advantageous for the Millers, but the scoreline was their friend and they started the better on the resumption.
Nombe bundled wide while Chapman denied Wilks, close in with the visitors started to display the threat they lacked before the restart with substitute Cohen Bramall then firing into the side-netting soon after coming on.
Huddersfield were culpable of losing their way, reinforced by two big let-offs.
Joe Powell stabbed wide at the far post after tenacity from McWilliams before excellent play from Powell and Nombe set Wilks away, but his dink over the advancing Chapman lacked power and Helik cleared.
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Hide AdStraightaway, play switched to the other end and Koroma spurned a huge chance to put the hosts ahead.
Radulovic got away and unselfishly found the forward, but after rounding Phillips, he couldn’t beat Rafferty, who made an excellent saving block.
The game was hotting up with Phillips then holding Radulovic’s header,but still there was no breakthrough for either side with the late drama reserved for Roosken’s red.
Huddersfield Town: Chapman; Lees (Pearson 64), Helik, Lonwijk (Turton 4); Spencer, Hodge (Evans 64), Kane, Wiles; Koroma (Roosken 73); Marshall, Radulovic. Substitutes unused: Maxwell, Hogg, Ladapo.
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Hide AdRotherham United: Phillips; Rafferty, Odoffin, Jules, James; Humphrys; MacDonald (Bramall 57), McWilliams (Green 86), Powell; Nombe, Wilks (Clarke-Harris 78). Substitutes unused: Dawson, Hugill, McGuckin.
Referee: A Chilowicz.
Attendance: 18,353 (897 Rotherham fans).
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