Patience the key for Huddersfield Town in derby stalemate with Rotherham United

For Millers manager Paul Warne, it represented another two points lost, as they conceded in stoppage time for the second week running.

Rotherham head into the international break with five points from their opening four fixtures while Huddersfield are a point behind after the same number of league games.

The Terriers’ late leveller came when a shot from right-back Pipa took a wicked deflection off Angus MacDonald to land in the back of the net and despite the fortunate nature of the goal, it felt like just reward for head coach Carlos Corberan.

After securing their first win of the campaign against Nottingham Forest eight days earlier, Corberan’s side showed plenty of character and patience right until the final whistle.

Normally when Huddersfield go behind, they do not get back into a game. They picked up just seven points from losing positions last season, only Barnsley had a worse record after conceding first.

“Of course we would like to have more points but I am more happy with the performances we are showing more than the results we are getting,” said Corberan.

“One improvement is the character of the team, to keep playing the same way until we scored the goal. That isn’t easy, you can be dispirited but the team was focused until the end. To see the focus of my team, makes me proud of my players.”

Rotherham have lost just one of their opening four league games, a 1-0 home defeat to Millwall, and sit mid-table after a solid start. Despite the disappointing nature of their last two results, Warne is far from downbeat.

“I am not doing a merry dance because we should be four points better off,” he said.

“The game we played the best in, and this is how humbling football is, was by far the Millwall game which we lost. I am proud of the group and how they train and take information on.

“I am not disappointed with the start and lots of managers will sit here and say it could be so much more. We got what we deserved today, a draw, but I tip my hat off to Huddersfield, they were excellent.

“But it does give my lads going into the international break a bit of a reminder in that if you drop your standards in any way you’re in trouble.

“In the three games we have conceded; we have had a penalty, a slip from Icky (Michael Ihiekwe) and an own goal so I think the lads are doing a lot of things right but there are still a lot of things to improve on.”

The result means the Millers have won just once in their last 20 meetings against their Yorkshire rivals, in a run of fixtures that stretches back to 1993.

Defensive improvement will be key for Rotherham to ensure they remain a Championship club next year. Warne’s side conceded 83 goals the last time they were in the second tier, a rate of almost two goals a game. They look a much more solid outfit so far this term, having conceded just three goals in 360 minutes of action.

“We have started the season off well defensively,” added Warne.

“Every game we have played in we could have won but every game we have played in we could have lost. Defensively, I think we have got it sussed, but every time you think you have got it sussed you definitely have not. Our next game is at home to Norwich, that is another level up so we will have to be better than we were today.”

Naby Sarr, who made his debut, and Harry Toffolo were stand-outs for Huddersfield on a grim and overcast day in South Yorkshire. Former Lincoln City left-back Toffolo was a constant thorn in Rotherham’s side on the left flank while Sarr cut a calm and composed figure in the Terriers defence.

“For us, it is always important for us to play with one left-footed centre back,” said Corberan of Sarr.

“That is why we were in the market to sign him, because of the skill he has to play with the ball. He is a tall player but he is comfortable with the ball. You need players who want to take responsibility.”

Ben Wiles had opened the scoring for Rotherham with a super strike into the bottom corner from 25 yards towards the end of the first half.

Corberan felt the fixture was one of the Terriers’ toughest, due to the Millers’ defensive solidity, but feels his squad are beginning to firmly grasp his ideas despite scoring just twice in five games across all competitions this season.

“I think it is important for us to have one identity because when you go to play these tough games you need to find a way to dominate the games,” he added.

“Rotherham is one of the toughest games we had to play because I have watched them a lot and they didn’t concede a lot of chances in their first three games. In the first half we couldn’t create the chances we wanted to create, we didn’t find the key spaces but it was something the team did really well in the second half.”

Rotherham United: Blackman; Harding, Ihiekwe, MacDonald, Mattock; Sadlier, Wiles, MacDonald (Lindsay 75), Crooks; Ladapo (Vassell 70), Hirst (Smith 52). Unused substitutes: Johansson, Wood, Miller, Barlaser.

Huddersfield Town: Hamer; Toffolo, Sarr, Stearman, Pipa; Eiting, Hogg, Bacuna (Daly 79); Koroma, Campbell, Mbenza (Diakhaby 83). Unused substitutes: Pereira, Duhaney, Crichlow, Brown, Olagunju.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northamptonshire).

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