Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United further highlight need for new striker in window - final word on League One derby stalemate

HUDDERSFIELD Town may have welcomed American-born owner Kevin Nagle with open arms in the summer of 2023, but there was no special relationship with his compatriot Alex Chilowicz on Saturday.

The New Jersey-born referee, who switched from Major League Soccer to the English Football League five months after Nagle took over in West Yorkshire, got a decidedly frosty reception at the final whistle. The ice hit Huddersfield well before the wintry blast in late evening.

It emanated from Chilowicz’s dismissal of substitute Ruben Roosken less than ten minutes into his Terriers debut for a high challenge on Cameron Humphreys.

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Roosken’s tackle was not malicious, but was studs-up and displayed poor technique and unfortunately occurred right in front of Steve Evans and his coaching staff. The reaction of Rotherham United’s bench was never going to be placid and even-tempered. Ultimately, the decision was the right one.

In truth, the gripes with Chilowicz at the final whistle, from a home perspective, derived from witnessing a second frustrating home draw in a row.

Afterwards, Michael Duff said that he felt his side did enough to win as they did against Burton six days earlier.

The fact that Town mustered 23 goal attempts with nine on target would back up that argument, although his counterpart Evans had his own case for suggesting the Millers could have nicked it, given a couple of juicy second-half opportunities.

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In the end, it finished goalless and in hindsight, that was perhaps not the biggest surprise.

Rotherham United loanee Mallik Wilks evades Huddersfield Town midfielder and ex-Miller Ben Wiles in Saturday's League One derby. Picture: Jim Brailsford.Rotherham United loanee Mallik Wilks evades Huddersfield Town midfielder and ex-Miller Ben Wiles in Saturday's League One derby. Picture: Jim Brailsford.
Rotherham United loanee Mallik Wilks evades Huddersfield Town midfielder and ex-Miller Ben Wiles in Saturday's League One derby. Picture: Jim Brailsford.

In early new year, both Town and Rotherham do not possess a striker in their ranks who are close to double figures yet and there was more evidence as to why here with their finishing being more Michael van Gerwen than Luke Littler.

Town loanee Callum Marshall had his moments in fairness and forced Dillon Phillips into one particularly important save low down in the first half. The young loanee looks to be the club’s best finisher. He is also still learning his craft.

The recalled Bojan Radulovic, on his first home start since October 19, actually played nicely in terms of his link-up play. But the bottom line is that the number nine on his back is there for a reason.

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For Rotherham, the only moments when Mallik Wilks looks deadly is when he cuts inside from the right and is allowed to unleash his sledgehammer of a left foot, as he did to win the reverse fixture.

It hasn’t happened often enough this season, while Jonson Clarke-Harris hasn’t looked a 90-minute man for the bulk of 2024-25.

The issues for both sides were summed up succinctly in the second half.

Arguably, the game’s best chance fell to Josh Koroma, tidily played in by the unselfish Radulovic. After rounding the advancing Phillips, the ex-Millers loanee procrastinated when he should have shot. It gave enough time for Joe Rafferty to make an important last-ditch block.

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At the other end, Wilks showed why you cannot hang your hat on him in a goalscoring sense.

First, he was thwarted by Jacob Chapman close in. Then, he was sent clear and his unconvincing dink over the Aussie was cleared comfortably by Michal Helik.

In the first half, the big Pole had gone as close to scoring as anyone with his free header cleared off the line by Shaun McWilliams.

Two successive away clean sheets at least suggests that Rotherham, while not quite on their way again yet, are heading towards a better place.

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They have accrued four away points already in 2025. It took them until September 28 to reach that point last year.

It points to the fact that Rotherham were entitled to be happier at Saturday’s events.

Unbeaten in 14 league matches now, the glass should remain half-full for Town, who have made good progress since mid-autumn, moreso given the injury disruption they are contending with, almost on a weekly basis. Here, they lost defender Nigel Lonwijk to a hamstring problem just a minute in. Their chief issue, as everyone well knows, lies at the other end of the pitch.

Huddersfield Town: Chapman; Lees (Pearson 64), Helik, Lonwijk (Turton 4); Spencer, Hodge (Evans 64), Kane, Wiles; Koroma (Roosken 73); Marshall, Radulovic. Unused substitutes: Maxwell, Hogg, Ladapo.

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Rotherham United: Phillips; Rafferty, Odoffin, Jules, James; Humphrys; MacDonald (Bramall 57), McWilliams (Green 86), Powell; Nombe, Wilks (Clarke-Harris 78). Unused substitutes: Dawson, Hugill, McGuckin.

Referee: A Chilowicz.

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