Player ratings and match stats from Luton Town 0 Rotherham United 0

Millers (3-1-4-2)

Cameron Dawson: 7

Didn't have a great deal to do. What he did have to do, he did well, except for some wayward kicking.

Joe Rafferty: 9 The excellence of the youngster at the side of him is 60 per cent down to Hamish Douglas himself and 40 per cent down to the influence of the experienced Rafferty. The captain is leading his 20-year-old partner through matches while also being right at the top of his own game. A defender who likes nothing more than defending.

Hamish Douglas: 9

Echoes of David Artell: a young player coming through, being physical, giving everything, keeping things simple and making a huge contribution. No frills, no fuss. Superb.

Reece James: 9

In the best form of his Rotherham career. Has toughened up defensively while maintaining the polish in possession that has always been part of his game. And he's doing it all while playing through the pain of a rib injury.

Dan Gore: 9

Hitting new heights with every game. Surely there can't be a better midfielder in League One. Got on the ball and drove at Luton. Had the trickery to beat men in tight spaces and the pace to stay away from them, and he barely wasted a pass. Plus, there were more examples of that wonderful narky belligerence. Always spoiling for a fight in the right kind of way. Sometimes in the wrong way, which felt just as good.

Denzel Hall: 8

I write ‘class’ virtually every time I rate him. Class again. Just does everything right in defence and in attack.

Shaun McWilliams: 8

What an engine, what an effort. Never stopped running, never stopped being available, never stopped annoying Luton.

Kian Spence: 9

An object lesson in how to be brilliant without the ball. Chased, harried, mopped up, got a foot in, won all the 'seconds'. And he did from the first minute to the last.

Joe Powell: 7

Decent on the ball and worked hard when he didn't have it.

Jordan Hugill: 6

Did as much at the back as he did up front before picking up an injury. Came closer than any player on either side to scoring.

Martin Sherif: 5

Sometimes, when he uses that hulking frame and speed to good effect, he does things and creates danger that he has no right to. At others, his inexperience makes him easy to play against. Remember, despite his size, he's a baby with a lot to learn.

The subs

Josh Benson (for Hugill 45+3): 5

A disappointing contribution from a talented player. His touch was never quite there.

Josh Ayres (for Sherif H-T): 5

Battled hard with no real reward on his first league outing. Laid off the ball neatly once or twice. A sub who was subbed himself when the Millers wanted all the defensive resilience they could muster near the end.

Dru Yearwood (for McWilliams 85): NA

Slotted in without any issue.

Liam Kelly (for Ayres 90): NA

Ditto Yearwood.

Not used: Ted Cann, Harrison Duncan, Jack Holmes.

Luton (4-2-3-1): Josh Keeley 6; Isaiah Jones 7, Teden Mengi 7, Mads Anderson 7, Kai Naismith 6; Lamine Fanne 7 (Jacob Brown 78), Liam Walsh 7; Jake Richards 6 (Gideon Kodua H-T, 6), Nahki Wells 5 (Zack Nelson 62, 6), Cohen Bramall 7 (Millenic Alli 78); Jerry Yates 5. Subs not used: James Shea, Hakeem Odoffin, Nigel Lonwijk.

Referee: Craig Hicks (Surrey)

Attendance: 11,091

Opposition view

“It was a tough afternoon for the players. I played against teams that come and just sit in and defend, and you have to be brave, you have to take risks.

“We want the fans to be with us and we really felt that they were today.

“We expected Rotherham to set up defensively, but probably not as relentlessly as that. We have to respect them. That’s their playing style, that's the way they see it.

“They started with two big number nines, so their game-plan was always to try to put the ball in the box. We dealt with those moments really well.”

– Luton boss Jack Wilshere

The stats

Possession: Luton 69 per cent, Millers 31

Goal attempts: Luton 12, Millers 2

On target: Luton 3, Millers 1

Touches in opposition box: Luton 19, Millers 8

Corners: Luton 3, Millers 4

Fouls committed: Luton 8, Millers 9

Final word

Ugly-beautiful. There will be wins that don't stir the passion in the way this draw did.