On-the-whistle report ... Huddersfield Town 0 Rotherham United 0

SURVIVAL-CHASING Rotherham United hit the woodwork twice and were denied a penalty as they kicked off their 'Week of Death' schedule by missing out on the Championship win they deserved at Huddersfield Town.

The Millers played well and in normal circumstances an away point would be a good result but they need victories as their push for second-tier safety reaches a critical stage and paid the price for spurning two other glorious chances.

Matt Crooks hit the post in the first half, Lewis Wing rattled the bar after the break and Richard Wood looked to be fouled in the box in the second half only for no spot-kick to be awarded.

Paul Warne' side move on to three games next week as part of their four-in-nine-days programme still third from bottom in the table, although they reduced the gap between them and the club above them, Coventry City, to six points and have matches in hand.

Neither side got on top in the opening stages and it took until the 17th minute for the game's first effort on target to arrive.

Lewis Wing cut inside and tried his luck for the visitors from 18 yards but his attempt lacked power and Ryan Schofield had no trouble in making the save.

Six minutes later, the Millers had a golden chance to take the lead when Ben Wiles latched on to Wing's superb long pass, drove into the penalty area and set up Matt Crooks with a perfect pull-back.

Crooks had all the net to aim at yet struck the post from close in with a low shot.

At the other end, Viktor Johansson pulled off a sharp stop, keeping out Richard Keogh's piledriver with his chest as the contest reached the half-hour mark.

On a cloudy day in West Yorkshire, the floodlights were on early at the John Smith's Stadium but there was little quality on the pitch lighting up a hard-fought game.

The home team enjoyed a spell of pressure towards the end of the first half. Rotherham coped comfortably, responded with their own spell of danger and went in at the break knowing they should have been in front.

The Millers were in desperate need of three points and manager Warne - who described the hectic run of fixtures as the 'Week of Death' - had gone with the 3-5-1-1 formation that has brought them most of their success this season, pairing Crooks and Michael Smith up front.

Matt Olosunde was fit again after hamstring trouble and came in at wing-back as one of two changes to the side that had lost so disappointingly at home to Wycombe Wanderers on Easter Monday.

Skipper Richard Wood returned to the heart of the defence following a one-match ban as Dan Barlaser and Freddie Ladapo lost their places and were named on the bench.

Rotherham started the second half brightly, Wing testing Schofield from distance shortly after Crooks' overhead kick had been ruled out by an offside flag.

With just over an hour on the clock, Warne's men hit the woodwork for the second time, Wing choosing to shoot from a free-kick when everyone was expecting a cross.

Schofield was miles away as the ball headed for goal from around 30 yards out only for the bar to intervene.

Wood tumbled in the area after a push on 70 minutes but referee Lee Mason turned down big Millers appeals for a penalty.

The second half was all Rotherham and Wing was thwarted again with ten minutes to go when Ryan Schofield's had to be at full stretch to turn away another excellent effort.

Johansson blocked a Yaya Sanogo shot in the turn in rare Terriers foray into the visitors' area but the Millers were straight back on the attack and Wiles somehow missed the target in the 88th minute after Smith had broken down the right and delivered the ball low across goal.

He had to score and didn't. A goal then would have turned proceedings into a magnificent Millers day.

Huddersfield (4-2-3-1): Ryan Schofield; Pipa (Sorba Thomas 53), Richard Keogh, Naby Sarr, Rarmani Edmonds-Green; Jonathan Hogg; Lewis O'Brien; Duane Holmes (Isaac Mbenza 81), Juninho Bacuna (Scott High 81), Fraizer Campbell (Danny Ward 73); Yaya Sanogo. Subs not used: Joel Pereira, Richard Stearman, Rolando Aarons,, Jaden Brown, Aaron Rowe.

Rotherham (3-5-1-1): Viktor Johansson; Michael Ihiekwe, Richard Wood, Angus MacDonald; Matt Olosunde (Ryan Giles 73), Jamie Lindsay (Dan Barlaser 81), Lewis Wing, Ben Wiles, Wes Harding; Matt Crooks; Michael Smith. Subs not used: Jamal Blackman, Shaun MacDonald, Chiedozie Ogbene, Florian Jozefzoon, Kieran Sadlier, Freddie Ladapo, George Hirst.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).