Month: September 2024

While the supporters of Huddersfield Town have every right to complain and worry when defeats pile up, particularly given their experiences of the past few years, the criticism of the team and manager before the international break seemed a little lacking in context.

For all the trauma inflicted by serial mismanagement and a desperately poor relegation season, losing a couple of largely unlamented cup encounters with shadow squads and being on the wrong side of refereeing decisions at an admittedly deserved defeat against Rotherham provoked slightly hysterical reactions.

3 not entirely convincing league wins preceded the New York stadium defeat, a strong start to the league campaign wasn’t accompanied by a great deal of optimism and the over reaction to the subsequent defeats needed a response before negativity set in.

The performances of Town’s middle three in and amongst the losing streak were such that many felt that changes to the Hogg, Wiles and Evans triumvirate were not only necessary but inevitable. The lack of chemistry and cohesion had been evident for some time, but Michael Duff ignored the clamour for change from the armchair experts and retained faith in them all.

Standing in the way of Town’s quest for a much needed confidence boost were a Bolton Wanderers side suffering from a play off hangover of Oliver Reed proportions. Despite a shaky start and a goal drought, The Trotters were amongst the favourites for a promotion challenge at the start of the season and picking up points in Horwich is never easy, despite a good, relatively recent, record there for The Terriers.

A rather forgettable, generally even, first half of few chances was petering out when Miller found the hard working Marshall down the left. The youngster found his striking partner Koroma with a first time cross and the Sierra Leone international glanced the ball in past Bolton’s helpless keeper.

Up to that point, both sides were guilty of carelessness in possession and both squandered opportunities to capitalise when space opened up with neither keeper sufficiently disturbed or troubled.

Town caused their hosts some alarm down the right when Sorensen was released in to space but the passes to him were just inaccurate enough to blunt the threat, while some loose play freed Charles for a run on goal magnificently halted by Helik, who redeemed himself for his own initial mistake.

Koroma looked to have a good shout for a penalty as he tangled with a defender in the box following good work by Sorensen, only for the decision to be given against him. By this point, Town were beginning to exert some control over an untidy contest as the hosts became increasingly pedestrian and predictable against a backdrop of simmering discontent in the home stands.

The goal just before half time was a bitter blow to Bolton. In times of adversity, fortunes can be cruel and setbacks are deeply felt. The real damage was to come in the second half, but the visiting supporters could easily recognise a horrible pivotal moment when things are going badly.

While Bolton made a tactical change at half time with the more direct Adeboyejo replacing the ineffective Charles, an injury to Miller saw him replaced by Headley.

Dealing effectively with a brief opening flurry from the hosts, which included a booking for Hogg who pulled back another opponent he had let past him, Town established a superiority they weren’t to relinquish.

Substitute Headley floated a cross to the back post which was met by Evans, powering over his marker, only to be denied by a superb point blank save by Baxter. From the subsequent corner, Helik hooked a half chance over the bar.

Just before the hour, Town’s second goal finally arrived when, after a smart interchange in midfield, Wiles fed Koroma in behind the home defence. The contact which brought him down was clear, and very similar to the first half incident. This time the referee had a better view and pointed to the spot almost immediately.

Koroma calmly despatched the first penalty of the season and Town gained a two goal cushion and a stranglehold on the game they maintained with some comfort.

Ten minutes after the penalty, the destination of the 3 points was sealed as amidst a flurry of activity following a corner which Bolton seemed determined not to clear, Lees kept his head with a deft ball to Wiles who finished nicely to dispel any doubt about the result.

 By the time Wanderers gifted Town a 4th goal in a comically inept manner, the ground had emptied of righteously aggrieved home fans and the stalwarts who remained were rewarded with the embarrassing spectacle of their team trying to pass around a penalty area press but only succeeding in presenting Evans with the easiest of chances to put a gloss on an emphatic victory.

A fourth league win from 5 games creates a significant shift in perspective with the meaningless cup defeats drifting out of the conversation and Town now have two winnable home games to cement their automatic promotion credentials in front of them. 

Although Bolton proved to be poor opponents on the day, it is far from fanciful to suggest they can turn things around and Town have now ticked off 3 tricky away games and gathered 6 points, without really hitting any heights in performance.

Despite the win, the midfield combination still looks capable of improvement. Hogg was bypassed more times than was comfortable, and while Evans and Wiles had much improved performances, their partnership still lacks a certain dynamism and may come under pressure as options increase in the next few weeks.

Though it may seem churlish following such a heartening win to point out areas of weakness, and Sorensen’s fragile defending can be added, it is hugely encouraging that this squad can and will improve from a position of strength as injuries clear.

The positives, of course, also came well to the fore as Town ruthlessly exploited an opponent in disarray and after many miserable experiences on the road it was an afternoon to savour.

Town’s unbeaten start to the league one campaign was halted by a physical and relentless Rotherham United who deserved the 3 points despite the controversial circumstances surrounding their win.

Though the visitors will rightly bemoan two key decisions which undoubtedly and greatly assisted the Millers, Town’s downfall was still largely self inflicted in a very poor second half.

It was always going to be the stiffest test of the season to date. Rotherham’s lowly position was very misleading and simply didn’t reflect their potential to be well in the mix at the end of the season. They have a powerful and aggressive squad who will trouble most, particularly at home.

A fairly even and quite entertaining first half was shaded by the home team who had the better of the chances only to be thwarted by an excellent Nicholls performance. His point blank block of a Clarke-Harris effort a highlight of a commanding goalkeeping display, while his first save denying Nombe also saved the blushes of debutant Lonwijk, who had lost a foot race with the attacker and beaten too easily.

The new defender was also booked shortly afterwards, but put the nervous first 10 minutes behind him and looks an excellent addition. He was off the pitch, for tactical reasons, when Rotherham’s winner emanated on his side and it may have been different had he still been on.

Tom Lees should have given Town the lead but headed over from close range after Marshall, who worked hard for scraps in a home dominated clash, had sent in a dangerous over head 

A quickly taken free kick found Wiles who drove forward and played a good ball over to Miller who let the ball run through his legs to Sorensen only for the Dane to shoot rather than play in his team mate in return. 

Those two highlights of the visitors’ first half rather exposes the fact that they rarely found enough time and space to impose any control over the game, and Rotherham had the upper hand physically for most of the first 45.

However, there was little to choose between the teams after an energetic contest low on quality and high on endeavour. 

That changed in the second half as the hosts imposed themselves aggressively and progressively to the point that an opener seemed inevitable. To Town’s credit, they defended well against the onslaught but Duff clearly felt change was necessary after 20 minutes of relentless home side dominance.

Evans, who has yet to justify his reputation as one of the division’s best midfielders, was replaced by new boy Hodge while the almost entirely isolated Marshall, who had never the less provided Town’s brightest moment of the half with a raking ball over to Koroma which eventually led to a sharp effort by Wiles, was pulled to make way for Ward.

In Duff’s defence, action had to be taken before Town succumbed to the waves of pressure and it was hardly his fault that moments after his introduction, Ward firstly and comically missed an attempt to head a high ball before going in aggressively against an opponent which brought an immediate reaction from the linesman which undoubtedly informed the referee’s decision to send him off.

Replays suggest it should have been a yellow for an accidental contact and it may be worth launching an appeal, but in real time, the Rotherham man’s reaction more than suggested a deliberate elbow to the face and while a better referee would have taken time to come to a decision and discussed it with the linesman, it looked, instinctively, like the right call.

As they had done at Walsall in midweek, Town responded by scoring. Koroma, who had an excellent game and was clearly exhausted when substituted late on, did very well to chase down a loose ball, outpace his opponent and put the ball across for debutant Hodge to steer in to the net.

It was, without doubt, entirely against the run of play, but gave Town something to cling to in tough circumstances.

A refereeing decision immediately after the breakthrough completely debilitated the Terriers as the home side were awarded one of the softest penalties likely to be granted.

Sorensen, who had struggled defensively throughout the half and had conceded too many dangerous free kicks already, allowed Wilks to turn him but recovered to prevent the forward crossing near the byline. The award of a penalty was a huge error and, again, a better referee would have taken far more time over a crucial decision than allowing instinct to take over.

Stockbridge may have been influenced by Sorensen’s previous and legitimately adjudicated fouls, but looking on from the perspective of a team which hasn’t been awarded a home penalty for 4 years, incredulity at such a soft decision is magnified.

Clarke-Harris smashed home the spot kick and the kick in the balls for the visitors was palpable and defeat far more likely.

Having defended very well against a strong home side, to be undermined by a quite ridiculous decision was wearying for a full complement, and more so for a depleted team.

With no striker option on the bench left – Healey was injured in the warm up, frustratingly and infuriatingly – Duff had to bring the ball exhausted Koroma off and pushed Wiles in to a nominal forward role and went to a back four by withdrawing Lonwijk, who had impressed after his initial errors.

The changes were not only ineffective, they likely contributed to Wilks very well taken winner as Rotherham picked apart Town’s left hand side after a series of short corners finally resulted in space for the Millers.

Town’s Miller didn’t cover himself in glory in the lead up to the goal, Hogg was easily bypassed and Sorensen should have closed Wilks down more quickly. Nicholls had little chance against a fierce, well placed strike and Town tasted league defeat for the first time.

A clearly rattled Duff aggressively shook the hands of the officials at the end of the game, said something in the referee’s direction and was promptly sent off. The referee had fumbled for his red card from his back pocket when dismissing Ward, but the second red card issued to Town’s goalkeeping coach for time wasting allowed him a practised flourish for the manager.

Duff has two weeks to resolve several issues arising from this display. Wiles and Evans aren’t functioning as they should, his wing backs are defensively vulnerable and his striker options are now ridiculously limited. 

It won’t be the last time Town face a physical challenge in this league, particularly away from home, and we need better answers on yesterday’s evidence.