Month: August 2024

Town’s encouraging, if not entirely convincing, start to the season came to a shuddering halt at the Bescot Stadium as Walsall of the bottom league overturned a visibly precarious 2 goal deficit with a spirited comeback.

It could be argued that there were mitigating circumstances surrounding yet another ignominious exit from the League cup , and the referee didn’t do any favours for the visitors, but that would be to ignore an error laden, ill disciplined and unprofessional display from a side not entirely composed of fringe players.

Indeed, some of the worst performances came from regular starters including Hogg, who must surely be headed for the bench at best, Evans, who continues to misplace passes at an alarming rate, and Helik, who gave possibly the most inept outing of his Town career as a second half substitute.

Add in a bumbling, chaotic Headley, whose decision making bordered on lunacy at times, the sending off of a plodding Pearson caught by a striker getting behind him for the second time and wishy washy Wiles ghostly presence having no discernible impact, and a first defeat for Duff which should, and hopefully will, result in serious reflection.

All over the pitch, as Town surrendered an entirely undeserved 2-0 lead, the lack of leadership, any semblance of control and constant indiscipline ushered in an embarrassing loss.

To overcome adversity, such as a harsh but probably correct red card, leaders are needed and Town have a worrying deficiency of them. The most obvious candidate, Hogg, has always been too volatile to truly lead people, Helik is too quiet (as is Lees) and none of the new arrivals show any proclivity towards asserting authority. 

The establishment of a leadership group may be tacitly acknowledging that no one person in this squad embodies what should be a vital role and that suspicion was conspicuously exposed on an evening where Town had every opportunity to progress in a competition we barely get out of bed for normally.

A far from compelling and error strewn first half saw Town take the lead after 20, largely uneventful, minutes when Koroma created a yard of space for a sharp and well placed effort past a perhaps unsighted, perhaps just slow, keeper for an unlikely opener.

It was the first meaningful attack after Walsall should have taken the lead when Lowe got the wrong side of Pearson but fired wide past the onrushing Maxwell. It was a lesson which was not learned.

Another decent effort whistled past the far upright as the Saddlers responded to Town’s goal, but the game was fundamentally changed just before half time when a long ball caught out Pearson again and while the defender’s challenge on Earing was slight and the striker wouldn’t have pierced the defence as Maxwell easily claimed the through ball, the referee was given a straightforward decision to send him off.

At half time, Duff replaced Sorensen with Helik and moved to a back 4 which seemed sensible in the circumstances while Ward replaced Marshall to provide a stronger presence for holding up the ball, though not surprisingly, this wasn’t really achieved.

Within minutes, the manager’s plans appeared to be completely undermined by Headley pushing a Walsall player in the area for no apparent reason. The ball was on its way out for a dead but, instead, the hosts were handed a lifeline.

Maxwell easily saved a rather poor penalty attempt and a massive scramble ensued which resulted in a clearance by Hogg and Town could now surely use a massive turning point to their favour.

It turned out that they could, since they were about to score against the run of play again when a very good corner delivery by Evans was met at the near post by Ruffels who glanced in from short range.

All that was needed now was resolute discipline to capitalise on Walsall’s deflation at two setbacks which followed in quick succession.

The abject failure which followed was pathetic and worrying. Time will tell whether this was aberration or regression, but in the moment it reeked of weak submission in the face of an admirable comeback from the hosts. They not only overturned Town’s ill gotten advantage, they did so despite the circumstances which would bury many teams (including their current opponents).

A very poor attempted headed clearance by Evans fell nicely to Lowe who atoned for both his penalty and first half misses with a clean strike in to the bottom corner to halve the deficit.

Town’s disarray worsened. Passing accuracy, already poor throughout, declined as their shape, for what it was worth, disappeared and an equaliser looked inevitable.

It came when the woeful Headley allowed a cross field ball over his head and then failed to prevent Adomah sending in a cross which was cushioned in to the path of Lowe to complete his revival with a sharp finish.

With at least the potential entertainment of penalties looming, the Saddlers completed their comeback when a Gordon shot deflected in off Helik, whose miserable substitute appearance was complete (he hadn’t covered himself in glory on the equaliser either).

Town had a glorious chance late on to progress the game to spot kicks when Ward, with his only meaningful involvement, sent in a near perfect cross for Harratt to glance miles wide when any sort of contact would have brought an undeserved equaliser.

Pessimistic Huddersfield Town supporters, and the weight of evidence rather favours them over those with a rosier view, witnessed a typically shambolic early round cup performance yet again denying the club a possibly exciting draw – whatever the management or ownership, the stubborn refusal to advance has become beyond tiresome.

That multiple substitutions failed to inspire any degree of resistance or even basic organisation against the might of Walsall, even considering the numerical advantage they held, was an indictment of a ridiculously poor evening in the West Midlands.

A few days remain in which to recruit both defensively and offensively before a test of this squad’s character at New York stadium on Saturday lunchtime. It is a test they need to pass.

A low quality encounter, settled by an excellent finish by youngster Callum Marshall, failed to ignite an expectant crowd but prolonged the Terriers winning start to a season which will undoubtedly bring similarly frustrating challenges along the way.

Shrewsbury will rue missed chances in a first half where their game plan largely worked against their strangely subdued hosts and, overall, the Shropshire outfit could easily have left with a point.

That they didn’t was down to an excellent stop by Nicholls who, nevertheless, was beaten by an effort which crashed against the bar. Though ultimately ruled offside, the visitors had also caused an early scare with a move which saw Marquis slipped in behind only for the striker to get tangled up as he tried to finish.

It was clear that the bottom of the table side were not going to be pushovers and so it proved as Town struggled for fluency throughout a first half of misplaced passing and, with the honourable exception of the lively Miller, laboured against their opponents’ disciplined defending.

Evans and Sorensen were particularly guilty of losing possession too often and the latter was unable to match his blistering performance from a week ago. 

Fortunately, compensating for Town’s misfiring right flank, Miller was a constant menace for the Shrews’ defence and delivered two great balls in for Marshall who narrowly failed to connect with one of them and headed straight at the keeper from close range with the other.

Thankfully for the youngster, another chance came his way, again from the right but this time from Spencer’s cross which deflected off the top of a defender’s head in to his path at the far post. The Belfast child brought the ball under instant control and hit a smart finish from a fairly narrow angle past Savin.

What should’ve signalled an onslaught actually resulted in Shrewsbury almost immediately equalising with O’Reilly’s curling attempt on to the bar, quickly followed by a blocked Marquis effort, a corner headed over by the same player and a break which resulted in the visiting centre forward bringing out an excellent save from Nicholls.

In fairness to the hosts, the threats contained in Shrewsbury’s response to going behind were short lived – they only had one further attempt on target in the rest of the game – but it unsettled them and, other than a Hogg miss following a melee, there was little to elevate a scrappy and disjointed first half performance.

Surprisingly, no changes were made at half time to introduce more dynamism to a poorly functioning midfield. Evans’ profligacy in possession and Wiles’ anonymity had not helped to build any momentum after the opening goal, and Hogg was having one of his poorer days, too.

The only notable event of a turgid opening quarter of an hour in the second half was a shoulder injury to Spencer, forcing a substitution and reshuffling of the back three as Pearson went right and Lees left. 

Any semblance of pace also left, but it should be said that Spencer had been quite poor by his standards and the silver lining for any prolonged absence could be greater urgency in the search for an additional, left footed centre back with pace. 

Playing the young Irishman out of position has made the team increasingly susceptible and as the quality of opposition heads north in the coming weeks, a better solution is essential.

Pearson’s rugged approach fitted this occasion, however, and the defensive performance improved in the second half despite occasionally allowing too much time and space. It was difficult not to feel that a more accomplished attacking force could unsettle a back 3 so short of pace.

On the hour, Wiles made an excellent contribution with a ball down the line for Ward which held up beautifully as a result of the deliberate backspin he applied. Ward’s ball in to the box found Marshall’s near post run but Savin was there to block.

Rather later than many in the crowd had hoped, Duff changed three players with Ward, Marshall and Evans being replaced by Healey, Koroma and  Kasumu.

Town looked far more threatening for the remainder of the game with Healey being fed in twice by Koroma for very presentable chances. The first he put wide from a decent position and, rather more disappointingly, the second he hit against the advancing keeper when clean through.

Kasumu’s willingness to run at Shrewsbury would have been useful a lot earlier, and arguably from the start, and despite one brief scare from a free kick which Shipley knocked over the bar, Town finished the game with relative ease.

A third league win and fourth victory in a row is an achievement not to be sniffed at, but it would be foolish not to acknowledge the weaknesses revealed by an unsatisfying performance against less than stellar opposition.

A striker to complement Healey, Koroma and Marshall would be a major statement but it should be recognised that this is rather more easily said than done. A reliable defensive recruit with pace and passing ability shouldn’t be beyond the recruitment team, however.

To win when not at your best is a good trait to have and similarly frustrating afternoons and evenings are very likely in the future, but it is to be hoped that the challenge of taking on the better teams in the division – all of them away in the next couple of months – will elevate standards.

An important week of activity looms before a tricky trip to South Yorkshire.

Winning is infectious, creating vital momentum and confidence, and though this was the least convincing of the three games of the campaign to date, it was nevertheless deserved.

If lessons can be learned from a poor second half performance, which saw a much improved Stevenage cause difficulties to a previously untroubled back line, then the anxiety it engendered will be valuable.

Until the break, a comfortable and entertaining home win looked inevitable, with Town having more trouble from poor and inconsistent officiating than their ponderous opponents, who failed to register a shot on goal and appeared completely out of their depth.

Hitting the woodwork early on when Spencer flicked at a near post corner, Town’s dominance grew throughout the half and a wonderful Helik ball to Wiles should have resulted in the opener for the much improved midfielder, but Stevenage’s keeper got vital fingertips to his lob and the ball was cleared off the line.

Wiles had been guilty of pulling a very presentable early chance wide, too, but after a season of ghosting through games with little impact, he is now becoming a genuinely influential player in a side encouragingly brimming with them.

A breakthrough seemed inevitable and it came from a rampaging run from the impressive Sorensen whose perfect cross was met by Koroma who headed in from short range. The goal lifted something of a weight off his shoulders having performed well at Peterborough without scoring and in his short midweek stint when he missed 2 very presentable chances. 

A Lees header from a very good corner delivery by Miller glanced agonisingly wide as Town strolled through the half with a confidence approaching disdain.

It may have been complacency born of such superiority which contributed to an uneven and often very poor second half display, but credit should be given to Alex Revell who replaced the lumbering and ineffective Simpson and Goode with immediate benefit to the visitors.

Setting out with new purpose, the Hertfordshire side ran at their previously unperturbed opponent, and with Helik and Lees uncharacteristically moving towards the same man, space opened up behind them and substitute Appere squared to provide his teammate List with a golden opportunity to level.

Incredibly, List missed. Brahms sprung to mind….

Undeterred, Appere found space for himself as doubts multiplied among the hosts and Nicholls did well to thwart the attempt.

Moments later, Ward should have doubled the advantage but blazed over after being perfectly picked out by Koroma. Standing in for Healey, withdrawn as a precaution with a groin issue, Ward’s overall performance did little to quell the notion that one more striking option is vital for Town’s prospects for the season.

Fortunately, the miss was soon rendered irrelevant by yet another Sorensen assist. Picked out by the otherwise quite subdued Evans, the Dane took the ball in his stride, took a step forward and fed Wiles who swept the ball home with a refreshing and welcome confidence.

With that, the game was effectively over. Stevenage knew their chance had come and gone and while their general play was much improved over an abysmal first half, the belief had disappeared.

Duff attempted to revitalise his charges with a triple substitution, followed ten minutes from time with two more, but only Marshall of the replacements stood out with a lively 25 minutes. If anything, the changes only served to entrench the Terriers’ disjointed efforts.

As the game fizzled out, the positives of a good first half, another 3 points and a clean sheet compensated for an unconvincing second 45. Unfortunately, a poor referee intervened at the very last by awarding a penalty against Spencer as a potentially dangerous cross came in. Nicholls had flown out to punch clear, but Spencer’s infringement was definitely punishable, even if similar incidents are too often ignored.

The late breach was not undeserved and, along with the failings evident in the poorest half of the season, should allow Duff to drive necessary improvements through a squad which has generally performed well but has a lot more to offer.

Despite a largely comfortable afternoon, bar a ten minute spell, and an ultimately deserved victory, Town need to recruit in the next 2 weeks of the window to shore up a defence lacking pace and which has to play Spencer out of position and add to the options up front.

Hopefully, that is also the conclusion of the watching Kevin Nagle who, at least, was rewarded for the impetus he has created around the stadium which is definitely contributing to a new sense of optimism around the club.

It’s never promising, is it, the first round of the Milk cup or whichever sap has been persuaded to sponsor it this year?

Striking the balance between giving youth an opportunity, getting minutes in to legs and completely disrespecting a competition you aren’t ever going to win is difficult and, for years, Town shamelessly haven’t really bothered grappling with the conundrum, and insist upon charging people to watch an enhanced training session, which they invariably lose.

All evidence is pointing towards Michael Duff abandoning the strategy of never reaching the next round of any of the cups, with a refreshingly intense touchline display, urging  his charges to defeat a team which was vanquished within 45 seconds anyway.

It would be foolish to draw anything other than mild satisfaction that Town hadn’t metaphorically soiled themselves yet again.

A final score line of 3-0 entirely flattered the hapless visitors whose brave/barmy supporters (delete as applicable) sang defiantly to the end in a cause they knew was monumentally unlikely. If ever there was a football equivalent of pulling the wings off flies, this was it.

That the score wasn’t the pummelling the hosts’ emphatic dominance should have delivered was the only concern from a night which featured some very good performances.

Marshall, on debut, recovered from a shaky start to finish a ball in from the lively and excellent Sorensen for Town’s second and worked hard to regain lost possession, drive in to the area and feed Ward who smartly converted the third.

Sorensen had already assisted Headley’s chested opener with a great ball across in the opening minute and tortured Morecambe’s left hand side until he was withdrawn in the second half.

The Shrimps’ right hand side fared little better with Headley constantly running at them and often times turning them inside out. While the dire quality of the opposition has to be fully acknowledged, the outing confirmed that this could be a breakthrough season for a talent which has been evident but far too often wayward.

Another emerging talent, Iorpenda, showed the touches of class which has persuaded Duff not to send him out on loan. We should expect to see more of him as the season progresses, despite the depth of midfield options available.

Those options include Kasumu, who looks to have put his distinctly average form of last season behind him, with an energetic 15 minutes at Peterborough followed by a dynamic display in this game. Again, praise must be caveated given Morecambe’s shortcomings, but he is another who will play a big part for Duff.

Kane caught the eye with his intelligence and use of the ball, with passing ranging from probing to sumptuous, including a perfectly weighted ball to Ward who appeared to be fouled as he took his subsequently off target shot.

The second half was little more than a procession, but the visitors did cross the halfway line with something approaching threat a couple of times only to thoroughly waste one decent shooting opportunity and then squander a dangerously situated free kick by hitting the first defender.

Town could have scored a hatful, with Koroma the main culprit despite playing well when he came on for Ward. His first effort was unfortunate as he shot past the keeper on an angle only to see the ball hit the inside of the far post before bouncing out instead of in. There was no excuse for hitting the keeper, though, when an awful ball across his own goal by a Morecambe defender fell at his feet.

Koroma was also brought down just outside the box as he was clear on goal, leading to a second yellow card for Harrack and a Herbie Kane free kick which elicited an “ooh” from the crowd despite always going over the bar.

With 15 minutes plus stoppages against 10 men, the Town of old stepped up and failed to score against depleted opposition, despite the aforementioned Koroma chances being in this period.

A second win, a second clean sheet and a professional dismissal of an inferior but battling opponent bodes well. 

Significantly more difficult challenges lay ahead, beginning on Saturday.

It’s been a while.

A while since Town opened the season with a win. 

A while since a comfortable, drama free away victory.

A while since the team looked coherent, unified and competent.

Caution abounds, of course, and the first 20 minutes of the opener were far less comfortable than the remainder of the game, but there were so many positive pointers it is difficult not to get slightly carried away.

Peterborough are historically tough to beat at London Road, regularly compete at the top end of League 1 and hold more than a few demons for their visitors, but to say they are a work in progress would be being quite kind to an ultimately weak display. It is also fair to say that they have significant injury problems at the back, which were exposed on a regular basis after the break.

Their initial, and predictable, early enthusiasm rather pushed Town on to the back foot, whose cause was not helped by constantly conceding free kicks for niggly, often unnecessary, infringements, easily spotted by an unfairly maligned referee.

The majority of promising openings in the first half hour fell to the home side though Nicholls, a commanding figure throughout, was barely troubled by the resultant attempts on goal.

The seeds of Posh’s destruction were evident, however, even during their most productive period, as Town constantly undermined their attempts to play out from the back with an effective, if too often illegal, press. 

With a makeshift, youthful, back four, the strategy looked fraught with danger from early on and, commendable as it was to stick to their identity, it increasingly stifled the hosts’ threat on the counter. When they did go more direct, they looked a little more threatening.

But goals change games and Town’s opener, a little against the run of play, signalled a massive power shift.

Evans, the most impressive Terrier across the piece, latched on to an excellent pull back from Wiles and though a deflection added a slice of luck to the opener, he hit it cleanly and purposefully and profited from finding the space in the first place.

Posh never really recovered from the blow while Town grew in stature and landed a second blow just before half time to demoralise their opponent even further. 

A corner found its way to Koroma who wriggled around to create a shooting opportunity only for it to be blocked before falling very nicely for Wiles to drill home emphatically.

Flattering as the scoreline was at half time, the 15 minutes of dominance all over the pitch after the half hour mark was very encouraging, as was the shape and substance of a midfield, in stark contrast to last season’s mess. 

Miller and Sorensen offered width which was a little under utilised, while Evans and the resurgent Wiles provided guile in front of Hogg’s energetic (if too often misplaced) graft. 

With a throttle hold on the contest, Town dominated after the break with an aggressive and hugely effective press forcing Peterborough in to error after error, and other than a brief scare when Spencer conceded possession carelessly which led to a half chance, the home side were entirely subdued.

Town chances didn’t particularly flow from their superiority, but Helik looked a little unfortunate to have a third ruled out for offside, possibly against a colleague and substitute Ward eschewed at least 2 opportunities to shoot when put through late on.

Healey and Koroma worked hard up front without seeing many opportunities, but strengthening forward options, as evidenced by the loan move late last week and continuing interest in Luton’s Joe Taylor suggests, is essential if a realistic promotion challenge is to be maintained.

A lack of pace at the back, very nearly exploited on occasion by a generally becalmed opposition, also needs to be resolved but, for the moment, it is enough to enjoy an ultimately comfortable away win after the deluge of misery the past few seasons have delivered.

Kane’s late cameo in place of Evans was a welcome reminder of the depth of midfield options now available to Duff, who should also have been impressed with Kasumu’s short deputisation of Hogg, who will surely be used more sparingly in this campaign. His experience was worth utilising here as the team finds its competitive legs, but progress will be evident when it isn’t needed at all.

A very promising start.