Did Town really put three goals without reply past Reading the midweek before last?
Since the Royals visit brought delight to the John Smith’s Stadium, it’s been dismal, dismal and even more dismal.
Three successive defeats for the first time this season, nine goals conceded and just one scored.
After being well beaten at Charlton Athletic and Brentford, hopes were high that Chris Powell’s side could bounce back and recapture some of the skill and spirit shown against Reading by putting Rotherham United to the sword.
But the Millers claimed their first league win in Huddersfield since 1964 and a big three points in their battle for Championship survival.
For Town, who still need wins to be certain of avoiding a scrap at the wrong end of the table, it was just a big disappointment.
It was telling that the 75th-minute dismissal of visiting skipper Lee Frecklington for a second bookable offence had no discernible effect on the contest.
Two up through Kari Arnason (44th minute) and Conor Sammon (60th), Rotherham simply carried on regardless while Powell’s team remained ponderous.
Town might have been missing both their leading scorers, 12-goal Nahki Wells and nine-goal Harry Bunn, through injury, leading to only a second start for Joe Lolley.
But that can’t explain the sluggishness throughout much of the side which limited the creation of chances and undermined a push for victory.
Millers manager Steve Evans took a risk by giving debuts to new loan defenders Daniel Lafferty (Burnley) and Farrend Rawson (Derby County).
For 18-year-old Rawson, it was a first senior appearance.
But Town were unable to put them under any sustained pressure.
While Danny Ward missed out on a John Smith’s return after suffering an injury in training, the game was a triumph for his fellow former Town player Jack Hunt.
The right-back, on loan from Crystal Palace, had the better of Sean Scannell and also created Arnason’s goal with a strong run and awkward cross.
Icelandic international Arnason then teed up Sammon, another borrow from Derby, for the second.
By that time, Lolley had hobbled off, having provided the only plus of the afternoon as far as the Town faithful were concerned.
And Sammon’s goal also took the edge off the introduction from the bench of Ishmael Miller, for Lolley, and Radi Majewski, who replaced Jonathan Hogg in only his second outing since Powell took command.
Lolley, whose only previous Town start was at Watford on the final day of last season, made some neat and incisive runs and won a number of free-kicks, one of which he took himself to test Adam Collin.
The Rotherham keeper also saved from James Vaughan, on-loan Nottingham Forest midfielder Majewski and Jacob Butterfield.
But over the piece, there weren’t nearly enough efforts on goal by the home side.
And Powell’s request for a repeat of the clean sheets kept in the previous two home games certainly wasn’t met, despite the return of experienced Joel Lynch for centre-back Murray Wallace after seven matches out with a groin injury.
Conor Coady was also back in for David Edgar, but Town’s midfield never got going.
The best development of the day was that the bottom three, Wigan Athletic, Millwall and Blackpool, were all beaten, meaning Town remain 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
