Huddersfield Town recorded their first point of the Premier League season today with a goalless draw against Cardiff City.
The Terriers dominated the match for large parts, but went down to 10 men when Jonathan Hogg was sent off for a headbutt on midfielder Harry Arter.
Town produced a backs-to-the-wall display for the final 15 minutes after the dismissal and held on for a point against Nwil Warnock's Bluebirds.
Head coach David Wagner made five changes for the visit of the newly-promoted side, with last week's absentees Jonathan Hogg, Aaron Mooy and Mathias 'Zanka' Jorgensen all returning to the starting XI.
Adama Diakhaby was handed a first competitive start by the boss, while Rajiv van La Parra made his first appearance of the season on the opposite flank.
Ben Hamer retained his place in goal over Jonas Lossl despite struggling against champions Manchester City last time out, but within three minutes it looked as though a change would need to be made between the Town sticks.
Hamer clashed with the on-rushing Nathaniel Mendez-Laing after diving bravely at the winger's feet in the box, with both men needing treatment after the collision.
The former Leicester City keeper was able to continue, but Mendez-Laing's afternoon ended after being stretchered from the field.
The forward was given a warm send off by both fans as the match restarted, but he was joined by Hamer shortly afterwards, with the stopper clearly not comfortable after the incident.
Shortly before Lossl's introduction however, Town had their first opportunity of the match.
Zanka's firmly-struck ball towards Florent Hadergjonaj was left by the Swiss defender, allowing Billing to steal in behind the Cardiff defence.
The Denmark Under 21 international rolled the ball across the area, with the deflection taking it into the path of Kongolo.
Town's record signing unleashed a first-time effort with his favoured left foot, which smashed into the side netting.
One side of the John Smith's Stadium erupted, but quickly realised the ex-AS Monaco defender had fired to the wrong side of the upright.
Town dominated the remainder of the first half, racking up 72 per cent of possession in the first 45 minutes.
But the hosts could not create any other clear-cut opportunities, with the only other effort of the half coming through Kongolo once again – the Dutch international shanking the strike out for a Cardiff throw in.
Cardiff came out the more industrious side in the second half, with Josh Murphy coming close with a flicked header in the opening exchanges.
But the move seemed to spark Town into life, with van La Parra alomost stealing in immediately after, but forward Mounie was flagged offside by the official.
The Benin international almost redeemed himself moments later when he met a Kongolo cross, but Cardiff keeper Neil Etheridge, who was favoured to Huddersfield-born stopper Alex Smithies, kept out the powerful effort.
The resulting corner also dropped to Town's most expensive striker, but he could not beat the wall of Bluebirds bodies between himself and the goal.
Town looked to be in the ascendancy through most of the afternoon in West Yorkshire, but the game was flipped on its head after Hogg saw red for an off-the-ball incident with Harry Arter.
Replays suggest Hogg lowered his head into the face of Arter, with the officials left with no choice but to give the vice captain his marching orders.
Cardiff looked to press their numerical advantage and should have gone ahead through former Leeds United captain Sol Bamba, but the centre back could not direct his header from a corner to either side of Lossl.
The keeper did have to make a stop later in the second period however, spreading himself well to deny the unmarked ex-Terrier Danny Ward from an acute angle.
Kongolo had challenged Murphy to close the initial Cardiff attack down, but the ball was worked to the substitute who should have put the Bluebirds in front with 15 minutes left to play.
Cardiff captain Sean Morrison, another former Town employee, should have put Warnock's side ahead minutes later, but his six-yard header from an in-swinging corner somehow ended up wide of the near post.
Bobby De Cordova Reid was the final man to go close for the Bluebirds, with his scuffed right-footed effort deflecting inches wide of the post, leaving Lossl stranded.
Town rallied in added time, but could not find a winner despite fizzing two low crosses across the Cardiff six-yard line.
Town now face a Carabao Cup second-round match against Stoke on Tuesday night and Wagner will hope his side can produce a more clinical performance against freshly-relegated Potters.
