The prayer room, the improvement and the praise ... the story of Huddersfield Town 0 Rotherham United 0

‘In use’ said a sign on the door, although a sneak peek seemed to suggest it was empty.

Maybe Steve Evans was hidden away in there sending up entreaties to a higher force.

Because it's the prayers of the Rotherham United manager that seem to have been answered after a poor start to the festive period had threatened to ruin an already-ailing campaign

‘We'll make a move around Christmas and the new year,’ the boss had opined regularly during the frustrations of the opening few months of the season,

And, suddenly, his team have. They're looking better, their prospects are looking better, everything is looking better.

Sixteenth spot says there is still work still to do. Three games unbeaten since a lame Boxing Day loss to Wigan Athletic suggest that such work is being done.

“We went to Barnsley and we were poor,” said Evans, referencing the lowest point of all in November. “Our supporters made it absolutely clear what the minimum standards are.

“You go away and review everything. We tried to come up with a plan to move forward and we think we're getting there. Players are getting fitter.

“There were some exceptional performances. Cam Humphreys, again, controlled the middle of the park. Shaun McWilliams must have covered every blade of grass.

“In previous games, we haven't played with that aggression, that assertion, that quality.”

There was plenty of the first two in Saturday's derby against a Huddersfield Town team benefitting from a weather-induced New Year's day rest. Maybe not quite enough of the third requirement, but that's starting to come.

For the second successive match, the Millers kept a clean sheet. And, for the second game on the trot, they were warmly applauded by their travelling fans at the final whistle.

“We go away disappointed that we haven't won the game,” Evans said. “Huddersfield looked a bit crisper than us in the first half. That comes with the freshness of not playing a few days ago.

“We defended really well, then we moved two or three of the lads slightly for the second half and things opened up for us. We missed some big chances. All the boys worked incredibly hard.”

Just as the January 1 win at Lincoln City had built on the home draw with Stockport County, the stalemate with promotion-contending Huddersfield built on the triumph over the Imps.

For 25 minutes, nothing happened, which suited the visitors just fine. For the next 20, they held out for their lives, with Dillon Phillips pushing away a Josh Koroma curler, holding on to Callum Marshall's shot and, with his sharpest stop all, preventing Marshall finding the bottom corner.

On the only occasion the goalkeeper was beaten, there was McWilliams appearing out of nowhere on the line to superbly nod away Michal Helik's header from a corner and cut the disbelieving Town man's celebrations short.

Talking of a higher force, Huddersfield are fourth in the table and unbeaten in the league since October 1.

They were weakened by injuries but still a strong outfit, yet there were times at the start and the end of the second period when it was Rotherham who looked more like the side in an elevated position.

Twice Mallik Wilks was through on goal only to be thwarted by keeper Jacob Chapman while, at the other end, a last-ditch intervention from Joe Rafferty kept Koroma at bay before the contest tilted in Rotherham's favour again.

Town's Ruben Roosken had yet to break sweat on his debut as a substitute when he levelled Humphreys with a late challenge and headed off in the 82nd minute for an early bath. Or a vroeg bad, as they say in his native Holland.

“The red card was right in front of me,” Evans said. “It was a clear sending-off. We've pressed and pressed trying to get the winner. We've broken forward three v two and four v three.

“It's not very often you hear the opposition bench here screaming for time. It's a difficult place to come to. If we can keep the effort, commitment and passion this club is famous for and bring more quality out of the locker, we will win games.

“I think we were better on the ball at Lincoln. But today we're playing a better team than Lincoln, a team that can move the ball quicker and are sharper and more physical.”

Humphreys was smooth and combative in that new role of his, McWilliams' battery remained on full charge, Wilks and Sam Nombe offered pace and possibilities up front.

Elsewhere, Evans continued his roll call of praise.

“I look at my two centre-halves, they were absolutely awesome,” he said. “The two full-backs were very solid and Dillon made a couple of big saves. Huddersfield are 14 matches unbeaten in the league. We should have stopped that today.

“I'm pleased with the last two games. We went to Lincoln with a lot of people ‘down’ on us. I've said to the boys about the holiday period: ‘There have been one or two moments when we let ourselves down.’

“Since we've freshened it up and changed it, we've been better. Even before Huddersfield had a man sent off, we were the better side in the second half.

"We caused them real problems and some of the football was really good to watch. My words to the boys in the dressing room were: ‘I can't ask for any more today but we've left two points behind.’”

Three days after their best away performance of the season, in Lincolnshire, Rotherham produced their best away performance of the season, in West Yorkshire.

Prayers or no prayers, they are improving.

Amen to that.

Huddersfield (3-5-2): Jacob Chapman; Tom Lees (Matty Pearson 64), Michal Helik, Nigel Lonwijk (Ollie Turton 4); Brodie Spencer, Joe Hodge (Antony Evans 64), Ben Wiles, Herbie Kane, Josh Koroma (Ruben Roosken 73); Callum Marshall, Bojan Radulovic. Subs not used: Chris Maxwell, Jonathan Hogg, Freddie Ladapo.

Rotherham (4-1-3-2): Dillon Phillips; Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odoffin, Zak Jules, Reece James; Cameron Humphreys; Alex MacDonald (Cohen Bramall 58), Shaun McWilliams (Andre Green 86), Joe Powell; Mallik Wilks (Jonson Clarke-Harris 78), Sam Nombe. Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Liam Kelly, Jordan Hugill, Ciaran McGuckin.

Referee: Alex Chilowicz

Attendance: 18,353 (897)