Town's soft centre brutally exposed

Having failed to taste victory away from home since October 1, Huddersfield Town were tantalisingly close to sealing only a third success on the road this term but slipped at the final hurdle.

The 3-1 win at Wolves two months previously had seemed an eternity ago after the recent toils of Town's away trips, with the 5-0 evisceration at Norwich City still fresh in the minds of each Town player.

They certainly didn't show that as they raced into a deserved two-goal lead, but a defence who are tied with Fulham as having conceded the most Championship goals in 2014/2015 (41) always offer opponents hope.

It was difficult to attribute blame to any member of the defensive unit for either of the goals, but once the first goal went in, there was a sense of inevitability about the second.

While it was difficult to criticise individually, it was much easier to identify the flaws of Town's collective in a defensive sense and - roared on by a raucous home crowd at the New York Stadium - Rotherham gleefully accepted the invitation to snatch an unlikely and undeserved share of the spoils.

Powell makes the most of his options

An untimely bout of illness for Jonathan Hogg restricted Town boss Chris Powell's resources in the centre of midfield but instead of bemoaning his midfield anchor's absence, he used the selection poser to his advantage.

The manager has had to deal with some fairly harsh critics since the disappointing 1-0 home reverse to Birmingham City last weekend and sprung something of a surprise by his choice of formation.

With James Vaughan fit enough for a start, Powell answered the cries of fans to field two bona fide frontmen at the apex of the side and maximised his attacking personnel by also including Harry Bunn and Sean Scannell in what looked on paper to be a cavalier version of a 4-4-2.

Steve Evans may well have thought similar, but counterpart Powell set about making his side both flexible and difficult to break down as Conor Coady and Jacob Butterfield sat deeper to offset the departure of Hogg from the XI.

Bunn picked up plenty of dangerous spaces both wide and centrally and the move liberated the likes of Scannell and Vaughan, leaving the Millers defence all at sea on various occasions as a stream of yellow Town shirts fled forward on the counter as fans allowed themselves to briefly reminisce over the quicksilver attacks which stunned the likes of Wolves, Blackpool, Nottingham Forest et al.

Vaughan offers Town another dimension in attack

In the nick of time, James Vaughan's goal haul for 2014 is up and running.

The injury-plagued striker made his first start at Rotherham since Powell's first game in charge - a 2-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough - when he was forced to limp off with a calf injury which has curtailed his subsequent contribution so far this season.

His last goal came in the 2-1 home win over Burnley last November from the penalty spot and you'd have to go back a further month to find his last strike in open play, which came at Boro in a 1-1 draw.

Buoyed by the 2,609-strong travelling Town faithful singing his praises throughout, Vaughan ran the Millers defence ragged to keep Town constantly on the front foot and his hold-up play was every bit as notable as his speed in the transitition.

He battled for every ball and his decision-making was astute when he reached the final third, with his movement also proving too much for the home side when contending with the additional threats of Scannell and Bunn.

And that potent blend of qualities was most significantly realised when he tucked home Scannell's dangerous centre 10 minutes before the break to put his side in the ascendancy.

Gobern the latest member of the supporting act to come good

A cameo that was equally as surprising as it was encouraging as Oscar Gobern of all people stepped off the bench to supply an assist and deliver a performance which indicated he may still have a role to play in this side.

He was introduced at the expense of Vaughan as Powell looked to solidify his side and increase the numbers in midfield, but he was pleasantly surprised to be rewarded with a stunning cross from the previously exiled midfield man which allowed Coady to double the lead.

His contribution was ultimately not a decisive one, but it was felt by each and every one of his teammates and the away crowd appreciated the efforts of a man whose last first-team outing in a Town shirt came back in April.

The 23-year-old was a vocal influence and a steadying one at that for the Town midfield, and though his arrival to the contest coincided with Vaughan and a loss of speed up front, he made his presence felt.

Anthony Gerrard did not help his personal cause here with a needless booking late on but acclimatised to first-team football once more well enough against Birmingham and Gobern followed suit at Rotherham.

Conor Coady rediscovers his mojo

One of the defining features of Town's listless recent performances has been the slump in form of Coady, who has suffered more than most despite being one of few constants in this side as injuries and suspensions take their toll.

Having been the heartbeat and a quiet leader of this side during the early days of Powell's reign, loss of form was always going to hit the Terriers hard and an experimentation at the back among the 10 men who lost so heavily at Norwich City hardly offered any favours.

But at the New York Stadium, here was a player intent on making his point. One lax early header may have had Town fans worried, but he soon settled into the rhythm of the game and was instrumental throughout.

He made sensible decisions with his passing and his tackling ranged between clever interceptions and the crashing slide tackles that fans have grown accustomed to seeing in this cultured and yet gnarly individual.

Having been at fault for Birmingham City's matchwinning strike on Saturday, Coady capped a dominant midfield outing here with a well-timed run and finish for his first goal since that win at Wolves. Sadly, it was not enough to yield an elusive first away win since the Molineux masterclass.