Huddersfield Town 2-0 Rotherham United: Duane Holmes, Jordan Rhodes lift Town off bottom

Duane Holmes opened the scoring with his first goal of the season

Duane Holmes and Jordan Rhodes were on target as Huddersfield triumphed against Rotherham to move off the foot of the Championship table.

Holmes fired the Terriers ahead with his first goal of the season, a powerful finish that flew in off the post.

Rhodes doubled Town's advantage with a second-half strike that ensured they registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

The win hauled Huddersfield up to 22nd place, just two points and two places behind the Millers.

Tom Eaves might have opened the scoring early on for the visitors, collecting Oliver Rathbone's through ball only to fire straight at Lee Nicholls.

That was to be the striker's last contribution of the night, going off injured after just 18 minutes and Huddersfield gradually eased into their stride, with Jack Rudoni supplying a string of dangerous crosses.

But it was individual brilliance that put Town ahead on the half-hour as Holmes pounced on a loose ball and worked his way to the edge of the box before unleashing a ferocious drive past Viktor Johansson and in off the far post.

Rudoni almost added a second soon afterwards, overhitting his attempt from Tom Lees' cross and the home side continued to threaten after the break.

They gained their reward 10 minutes after the restart, with Rudoni combining with Kaine Kesler-Hayden to set up Rhodes for his second goal in as many games.

Rotherham battled to gain some kind of foothold in the contest, but Jamie Lindsay and substitute Hakeem Odoffin were unable to convert half-chances as the home side saw out the game.

The Millers' defeat means they have now won just one of their last 11 games.

Huddersfield head coach Mark Fotheringham told BBC Radio Leeds:

"We've got a really solid foundation and that's why the creative players can go and play with freedom in the last third.

"The guys that scored have got individual class - they're match-winners. Any time they went through the gears they looked dangerous.

"Jordan Rhodes has been working so hard and putting big demands on himself in training and the same with Duane Holmes.

"The team spirit's growing, everyone's working extremely hard for each other and we've just got to keep at it."

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"Viktor [Johansson] has not had too many saves to make throughout the night, so it's not been a game where both teams have created a host of chances.

"It came down to execution and we lacked quality in certain areas of the pitch.

"Our use of the ball was really poor, in all honesty. We failed to create until that second-half period where we really had a go.

"The belief wasn't quite there. Some of the players are really low physically, as well as mentally."