False dawn klaxon?
Somehow, Lee Grant has survived yet another run of poor results with an expensive, misfiring squad still searching for form and consistency in a league of muddled mediocrity, but now handed a set of extremely favourable fixtures.
First up was a visit to the New York Stadium to face a Rotherham United side in even worse shape, emerging from a disastrous Steve Evans era – a perfect example of never reheating a soufflé.
Two fed-up fanbases gathered in a half-empty stadium. The visitors were reduced to offering pay on the day just months after taking over 4,000 to South Yorkshire, and both sets of supporters hoped forlornly for an upturn in fortunes. Expectations, though, were dulled in a dreadful opening 20 minutes devoid of quality.
Charitably, Town might have been “earning the right” to play at a ground they last won at nearly nine years ago, and they had to survive a scare when Nicholls, for some reason, allowed a corner to sail over him to the back post, only for the referee – overly fussy throughout – to intervene.
That proved to be the Millers’ only real threat until the dying embers of a game they comprehensively lost, undone by one of those familiar, tantalising bursts of cohesion from the Terriers that brought three well-worked goals.
We have been here before. The inherent quality in Town’s squad occasionally bubbles to the surface, sometimes bringing reward but mainly against the division’s poorer sides.
The first spark saw Radulovic head straight at the keeper from a decent Gooch cross, but better was to follow.
In the 26th minute, Castledine played an excellent ball forward, controlled instantly by Radulovic’s chest to take him into the area, before he picked out Gooch, who clipped home the opener.
Town scented blood and, four minutes later, Castledine again drove play across the pitch before finding Gooch. His forward ball, probably meant for May, instead found the Spanish-Serb, who executed a beautiful lob over Dawson.
The hosts were sunk before the break. Once more, Castledine’s determination kept possession high up the pitch, Gooch collected on the right, and his cross was met by the unmarked Castledine to head home yet another goal of his loan spell.
That gave Gooch a goal and two assists as Town’s first-half dominance brought reward -and much-needed relief – for the beleaguered Grant. His overdue pairing of Radulovic and May had worked perfectly, even if May’s main contribution was largely in the press.
The least said about a turgid second half the better. Rotherham’s often comically incompetent attempts to claw their way back provided only accidental entertainment.
Town were content to sit deep and soak up what their blundering opponents could muster, which was very little, and poorly executed.
There was little to enthuse the travelling support, though Radulovic nearly grabbed a fourth when he latched on to a long ball. Dawson blocked, but the rebound fell to substitute Charles, who might have done better than shoot too close to the keeper.
Annoyingly, a long-overdue clean sheet was lost at the death when Nombe took advantage of hesitant defending by the otherwise much-improved Low and Balker to fire past Nicholls. It was their first shot on target.
Still, it was a well-deserved win, and with three of the next four games favourable, this run may yet become Grant’s pivot as 2026 looms.
His failure to build on previous flashes of hope, and the more ominous inability to beat sides in the top ten, do not augur well. But the chance remains for him to rescue a stalling Huddersfield Town career that seems to survive mainly for want of an available alternative.
Merry Christmas all.
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