Sunderland turned in a gritty performance in awful conditions to beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 at the John Smiths Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Goals from Alex Pritchard against his former club and Amad Diallo with the last kick of the game sealed the points for Tony Mowbray’s side. The lads battled gale force winds and monsoon like rain to grind out the deserved victory which sees us move up to 12th in the table.
Tony Mowbray made two changes to the side that drew with Luton at Kenilworth Road on Saturday. The weekend’s goal scorer Elliot Embleton returned to the midfield at the expense of Dan Neil who dropped to the bench whilst the suspended Jack Clarke was replaced by Patrick Roberts.
Huddersfield got the game underway in wet and windy conditions and though Sunderland quickly won possession and had a spell knocking the ball about it was the home side who fashioned the first chance. Huddersfield had won a free kick and Ben Jackson took it quickly playing it to Rudoni who fired a shot just over the bar from the edge of the box.
The home side then forced Corry Evans into conceding a corner which Sunderland half dealt with until the ball fell for Brodie Spencer whose shot was blocked. Huddersfield were keeping Sunderland pushed back and causing the lads problems down their left side and there were appeals for a penalty against Luke O’Nien. Jackson fired in a cross from the left which struck O’Nien in the midriff prompting big appeals for handball, but the ref instantly waved them away.
After being second best for the opening stages It took Sunderland till the 17th minute to have an effort on goal, but Dennis Cirkin should have opened the scoring. The ball was crossed in from the right by Luke O’Nien and Cirkin fired a shot into the ground which bounced the wrong side of the post.
A few minutes later Sunderland went close again after a good move which started down the right. Patrick Roberts played the ball into the feet of Pritchard who turned and played a clever reverse ball behind the Huddersfield defence into the feet of Amad. Amad then saw his shot blocked but Evans turned the loose ball towards goal forcing the keeper into a save before Dajaku stabbed the rebound wide.
The game became a bit scrappy as the first half wore on as the conditions worsened with the wind and rain driving into the stadium. The ref even had to momentarily stop the game after an advertising board blew onto the pitch before Sunderland restarted the game with a drop ball.
Five minutes before the break Camara was booked for a foul on Amad. Sunderland were breaking in numbers with Amad skipping away from a challenge in the midfield before Carmara cynically hauled him back on the halfway line. On the stroke of half time there was a stoppage when Nakayama went down with an injury which saw him stretchered off before the ref blew for the break.
Huddersfield used the break to replace Nakayama with Brahima Diarra whilst Tony Mowbray made a change with Ellis Simms replacing Leon Dajaku before the lads restarted the game kicking towards the away end.
As in the first half it was the home side who started the second half the stronger with Diarra going close from the centre of the box with a shot after latching onto Rudoni’s cross. A minute later it was Rudoni trying his luck from range after being teed up by David Kasuma, but he fired wide with his left footed shot.
The terriers should have opened the scoring in the 54th minute but Anthony Patterson produced a superb save to deny Jordan Rhodes. Camara played the ball in behind Luke O’Nien and the Sunderland defence but with Rhodes clean through Patterson stayed big and parried away his shot before the loose ball was hacked wide.
Sunderland then went down the other end and opened the scoring with Alex Pritchard rounding off a lovely move. Amad and Roberts played a clever one two before Roberts crossed from the right for Pritchard who slid the ball into the back of the net against his former club. Pritchard then celebrated by cupping his ears having been booed and jeered by the home fans throughout the game.
Danny Baath then picked up a yellow card for a foul on Rudoni on the edge of the box with half an hour remaining. Jordan Rhodes took the free kick and got it over the wall and on target, but Anthony Patterson held the shot comfortably.
Tony Mowbray then made a double change with Neil and Ba replacing Evans and Embleton whilst for the home side Jordan Rhodes was replaced by Danny Ward. With 20 minutes to go Roberts and Simms combined again well down the right with Simms forcing a corner after his cross was deflected behind. However, Sunderland couldn’t make anything of it.
Soon after Huddersfield gifted Sunderland possession and we went close to doubling the lead through Amad. Patrick Roberts played the ball into the feet of Amad just inside the box and he dropped his shoulder to create space before bending a shot just wide of the far post. At the other end Huddersfield had an effort on goal after Biarra evaded a couple of challenges but he clipped a shot wide of the post.
Tony Mowbray then made his fourth change of the evening with Jay Matete replacing Patrick Roberts as Sunderland looked to see out the victory in the final ten minutes. With five minutes left as Sunderland soaked up a bit of pressure Ben Jackson fired a let footed shot wide after being found by Rudoni unmarked in the box. Abdoullah Ba was then booked for a late tackle on Jackson which saw him stretchered off and replaced by William Boyle.
There was five minutes added time signalled by the fourth official and in the first of these Alex Pritchard was replaced by Jewison Bennette. In the second minute of added time Huddersfield went close when Rudoni crossed from the left, but Mahoney put his shot wide.
The home kept pushing forward and did force a corner which saw their keeper go forward for it, but Sunderland defended well and sealed the points at the death. With the home side committing numbers forward Sunderland broke with men over. Simms and Amad played a one-two before Amad slipped the ball under the keeper into the back of the net.
Final Score – Huddersfield Town 0 Sunderland 2
ALS Man of the Match – Alex Pritchard
