Well, I said this game could be defining, and be the Blackburn to our Chelsea in their maiden title-winning season and it definitely feels like that. Tommy Smith calmly slotting a half-volley into the far corner in the dying embers of the match, clutching victory from the jaws of defeat and making ground on the top two, all in all a fantastic evening in Rotherham.
David Wagner made five changes to the team that bested QPR at the weekend, and from the early signs, it hadn't impeded on the teams performance ; Izzy Brown looking dangerous and Town taking the game to the opposition early on. However after an early flurry of Town pressure, Rotherham grew into the game and began to look a threat from set-pieces ; a long hoof causing chaos in the Town box. This early indecisiveness was a sign of things to come and should have served as a warning to the Terriers. However, the lessons were not learned as Ajayi turned in from close range after Joe Lolley made a hash of clearing an effort from a corner. Town were 1-0 down, this wasn't going to plan, the replacements began to look ropey and there were groans of discontent.
Then, with the hallmarks of every good team, Town drew level with a lovely measured finish from Joe Lolley, atoning for his earlier indecisiveness. Huddersfield certainly hadn't been in top gear, but they'd managed to draw level after flattering to deceive for much of the early exchanges. The first half petered out without much more incident, several efforts from Town were either beaten away by O'Donnell or blocked by a despairing defender, but there were no clear-cut chances.
As soon as the sides emerged for the second-half, it was clear that Town had plenty more urgency, as they began to stamp their authority on the game and peg Rotherham back. Whilst there was plenty of gusto from Town, there was relatively little to shout about until the introduction of Wells and Van La Parra, the latter completely changing the complexion of the game. Van La Parra's aggresive running and direct approach nearly led to Town's second, when he found Kachunga who somehow managed to send his header wide from barely five yards out.
The signs were all good and it was surely only a matter of time before we got the second, and then Adeyemi found himself in space 25 yards out after Billing had been dispossessed cheaply, the Rotherham midfielder sent a rasping effort past the Town keeper, and all of a sudden everything was going very very wrong.
Results elsewhere were begging for Town to take advantage, and yet they were trailing 2-1 to the rock-bottom club. After dominating the match, a weak bit of play had led to an average player scoring the goal of his life and knocking the stuffing out of Town. "We all know how this ends, we've seen it before" I thought. Classic Huddersfield, bottling it, been fantastic against the big-boys and then slipping away to the weakest teams. I'd barely began to explore the full extent of my self-wallowing before Kachunga had sent the ball into the back of the Millers net.
A pinpoint delivery from an Arron Mooy corner was not dealt with by the home defence and Kachunga was on hand to stoop and head the ball into the goal, the comeback was on, this wasn't typical Town after all. As the clock ticked on I became more and more confident of the inevitable winning goal, wave after wave of attack was sent at the Rotherham backline. The defence stood strong, the shots arrowed wide- or high, very high in VLP's case- the goalkeeper procrastinated, but still, you sensed it was coming.
The only surprise was who it came from, a brace of lucky ricochets in the corner eventually led to Jack Payne looping a hopeful boll into the box, it evaded everyone but Tommy Smith. The right-back lingering on the edge of the box caught the ball sweet on the half-volley and arrowed it into the far corner, sending the travelling fans into raptures. As soon as that goal went it, it hit me, "This is something special".
Yes, a last-minute winner against 'dead man walking' Rotherham isn't exactly a massive statement to the rest of the league, yes the defending from set-pieces was worrying, but, this could be the defining moment of the season. As I said in my previous post, this was certainly no glamour tie, but it was a real test of our character, desire and belief. Town passed this test with flying colours.
In years gone by, we would have lost this match 3-1, licked our wounds, bemoaned our bad luck and carried on without too much thought to the result, but this team does not lie down, this team does not give up. Whether it's Kachunga chasing O'Donnell to take his goal kicks, Mooy clawing back the ball or Van La Parra straining to beat one last man, every single player in this team gives their all.
Huddersfield Town are something special this season, there's a purpose to this team, and they will take some stopping. The journey's not over yet, it's only just begun and hopefully in May, we can look back on this night and say, "That was our Blackburn."
I'll be back to preview our next match against Manchester City in the next couple of days, until then UTT.
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