Rotherham United 2-1 Huddersfield Town: Matt Taylor gets first win as Millers boss

Georgie KellyImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Rotherham had beaten Huddersfield just once in their previous 21 meetings before Georgie Kelly's winner

Georgie Kelly's strike gave Matt Taylor his first win as Rotherham United manager, as struggling Huddersfield were beaten at the New York Stadium.

A quiet first half burst into life when Dan Barlaser slid a pass in for Conor Washington, who curled a superb effort into the far top corner to put the Millers ahead.

Town were soon level when ex-Rotherham striker Danny Ward was given space to side-foot home from Sorba Thomas' corner.

The Terriers' Jordan Rhodes had a goal ruled out for offside before substitute Kelly lashed in the winner less than three minutes after coming off the bench.

Rotherham's first home win over Huddersfield in 30 years - a run of 11 matches - lifts them to 14th, while Town remain 23rd, just a point off the bottom, after their fifth away defeat of the season.

The Millers again had Barlaser to thank as his fifth assist of the season teed up Washington's opener after the recalled David Kasumu had been caught in possession on the edge of the Terriers' box.

A hard-earned lead lasted just four minutes as the home defence failed to track Ward's run from a well-rehearsed corner routine, and Huddersfield created other dangerous moments in an even first half, with Thomas twice failing to find Rhodes with the striker set to pounce.

Rhodes did bundle a rebound into the net, only to be flagged offside after Rotherham goalkeeper Viktor Johansson had superbly clawed out Ben Jackson's 25-yard piledriver, and the Swede soon made another superb save low down to deny Duane Holmes.

But as the visitors' threat grew, it was Rotherham who this time provided the sucker-punch when Richard Wood nodded Barlaser's inviting cross to give Kelly his moment.

Town had a penalty shout turned down when Cohen Bramall tangled with Jack Rudoni, but Rotherham saw out the final half-hour in relative comfort to give Taylor a first win in his third match since taking charge.

Rotherham United manager Matt Taylor:

"It's the most consistent performance we have had since I came in. I thought we kept them at arm's length in the second half. The players will get all the praise and rightly so.

"We looked a good team for certain parts of the game. I am really pleased that we impacted the game at certain times.

"I am still learning about Georgie. He seems to be a cult hero in these parts due to last season. But in terms of the impact with his physicality, he is second to none."

Huddersfield head coach Mark Fotheringham:

"It was bitterly disappointing to lose two goals like that. On another day we put that game to bed early on.

"We are a team at the bottom of the league, but still creating loads of chances. The final ball and killer instinct has got to be there.

"The performance levels from a team, who are low in the table, to come here and create as many chances as that, I cannot be too hard on them, because they played with big confidence and quality.

"We know we can defend the two goals much better than what we did and I have to take responsibility for it."

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