Deja Vu once more
A convincing, sometimes thrilling, demolition of limited opposition launched Huddersfield Town’s latest attempt to escape the dreary confines of English football’s third tier.
Five debutants and a new permanent manager, if such an epithet can be ascribed to a position held by so many over such a few short years, evidenced significant change over the summer, with a couple of other new recruits to add in the coming weeks in Brierley and Archie Collins.
The quintet of new names delivered — either spectacularly in the case of Sanches Fernandes, with assured authority by the very promising new keeper, or with good to excellent contributions from the other three.
While it was clear throughout that AFC Wimbledon, an admirable club of limited means, will struggle again this season, it was essential that the hosts delivered a performance to provide some belief after their faltering display against Preston brought no little dismay at familiar failings.
Within five minutes the restored Joe Taylor won possession with good pressing and a clever interception before slipping a ball past Wimbledon’s back line for Sanches Fernandes to prosper from a well-struck shot, beating a poor goalkeeping effort.
The comfort of an early lead provided the platform for Town to dominate their visibly wilting opponents, whose foreboding extended to the comical when Bishop, a keeper who couldn’t have had a worse first few minutes of a season, crashed a clearance, under no pressure, into the back of one of his own colleagues midway up the pitch to concede a corner.
A lovely piece of skill in the box by the impressive Bronkhorst saw the debutant hit the post with a good effort, but it wasn’t long before the home side’s dominance brought more tangible reward when the ethereal Sanches Fernandes struck a beautiful, curling left-footed strike into the far corner. Within 20 minutes, the young Dutch debutant had laid down an exciting marker for his Huddersfield Town career with a verve and freedom so desperately absent from the team for too long.
But for an untimely slip after being set up by the hard-working Taylor again, he could have crowned an already impressive opening 30 minutes with a hat-trick, and, despite the stumble, nearly provided an assist before the ball was cleared — a clearance which led to the game’s next twist when a robust Bali Mumba challenge was deemed dangerous by the referee and saw Town down to 10 men.
Replays suggest the dismissal was perhaps a little harsh, but the optics for the midfielder were not at all good, and on the immediate evidence available to the referee the recklessness warranted Mumba’s exclusion.
Naturally, the imbalance encouraged the visitors, who must have feared being overwhelmed, and they created a single moment of peril which required an excellent intervention from Balker to prevent the Terriers’ lead being halved before the break. After his best display in a Town shirt – a regrettably low bar which, in fairness, he comfortably cleared – it was a little unfortunate for Taylor that he was, rightly, sacrificed for Kasumu at half time.
Fletcher was the obvious forward to provide the necessary hold-up play, and his hour on the pitch was quietly impressive as his experience and awareness often kept the team moving and progressing.
Few Town supporters would particularly welcome a midfield with a Kasumu, Ledson and Harness triumvirate and its multiple failures, but it was a completely rational move by Drury which, arguably, should’ve been made before half time, though it is a stretch to describe Wimbledon as dangerous in the closing 15 minutes of the first half, they were visibly lifted by the lifeline presented.
The visitors brought on Stockley for the second half, unsubtly signposting the approach they would adopt, challenging the aerial prowess of Town’s defence. It was a challenge which was, largely, met, though a better big striker than Stockley may have taken better advantage of one or two crosses which came his way. One flashing header he put wide was well won.
Wimbledon thought they had finally broken Town’s resistance from a corner, but Brown was not only offside, he impeded Young’s view and made an attempt to touch it in. It was as far from controversial as it could be.
With the opposition subdued – they had yet to have an effort on target – Town were not short of ambition, and a move of genuine quality brought a third goal to finally settle proceedings.
The excellent Balker, whose form and fitness could be hugely impactful on Town’s season, linked with Bronkhorst down the right before deftly rounding a hapless Womble, streaking into the box and squaring for substitute Radulovic to scoop into the top of the net. It was exhilarating from the Surinamese defender and put the seal on an impressive opening-day performance from a club desperately in need of uplift.
The visitors finally achieved a shot on target shortly after seeing their revival hopes entirely disappear, but it only served to cap Young’s excellent, assured debut as he saved well down to his right and off the post.
The many positives of a good day at the Accu Stadium need to be tempered by the quality of the opposition, and by the fact that, red card aside, it was uncannily reminiscent of putting a hopeless Leyton Orient to the sword 12 months ago.
Even so, the genuinely excellent debuts – particularly of Sanches Fernandes and Bronkhorst – the form of Balker and Whatmough, goalkeeping assurance and a hopefully high ceiling for this squad should not be dismissed.
Stiffer challenges lie immediately ahead in a division which looks tougher than last season, but you can only start well, which Town undoubtedly did.
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