Rotherham ended Huddersfield’s perfect start to the League One campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory, clinched in added time despite a tense and chaotic finale.
The match at the New York Stadium started brightly for Rotherham, as Sam Nombe nearly gave the hosts an early lead, muscling past Nigel Lonwijk only to be denied by Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls. Nicholls was called into action again shortly after, making a crucial save to stop Jonson Clarke-Harris’ effort following a clever flicked header from Mallik Wilks.
Huddersfield also had their chances, most notably when Tom Lees headed over the bar after connecting with a hooked ball from Callum Marshall, but the teams went into halftime deadlocked.
The game took a dramatic turn with just 18 minutes left on the clock. Huddersfield’s Danny Ward was shown a straight red card for leading with an elbow on Rotherham’s Jamie McCart, leaving the visitors down to 10 men. Remarkably, Huddersfield responded quickly, taking the lead just two minutes later when Josh Koroma set up substitute Joe Hodge, who slid the ball into the net.
Rotherham, however, refused to be rattled. They were awarded a penalty in the 77th minute after Lasse Sorensen brought down Wilks. Clarke-Harris stepped up and confidently converted the spot-kick to level the score.
The drama didn’t end there. Huddersfield’s coach Andy Quy was sent off by referee Sebastian Stockbridge, reportedly for involvement in time-wasting, and as the match edged into added time, Rotherham struck the decisive blow. Wilks, a threat all game, cut in from the right and fired a low shot past Nicholls to secure the win for the Millers.
The tension continued even after the final whistle, as Huddersfield head coach Michael Duff was also shown a red card by Stockbridge, capping off a frustrating day for the visitors. For Rotherham, the victory marked a resilient performance and a crucial three points in their League One campaign.
Writer’s View
This game wasn’t much of a spectacle until it exploded late on. Rotherham have started the season badly, but their results haven’t matched their performances. They’ve deserved more, and finally, they’ve got their rewards.
It’s interesting; there always seem to be incidents in a Steve Evans game, even when he’s not involved. Michael Duff won’t be happy with his dismissal, but it’s understandable when tempers begin to flare. A late goal can feel like a gut punch, and the former Barnsley manager just reacted.
Did he have reason to be angry? The red card and penalty look relatively fair, so we’re not entriely sure what he was complaining about.
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