This was another very disappointing result against a side near the bottom of the table. Huddersfield were able to deal with almost everything we threw at them while we failed to defend against a corner for their first goal.
BEFORE
After Saturday's disappointment we really need to bounce back with a win this evening. After dominating the attacking play against Swansea and Plymouth and coming away with just a point and no goals something drastic needs to be done and there'll likely be a few changes in the starting line-up. Will Roberts be dropped and Ba start? Will Mayenda and Aouchiche start too? Ekwah has been out of sorts for a while and I suspect he won't be starting. I'd like to see Pritchard on as much as possible as he usually produces something positive and surely Rigg merits playing some part. Our defending left a lot to be desired on Saturday and maybe we'll see Seelt starting as well. Huddersfield haven't won for at least five games and are currently one spot above the bottom three, but they're also one spot below Plymouth and we struggled against them. I'm hoping to watch the game in the company of other members of the London Branch and I think we'll get a win in a hard-fought encounter so my match prediction is 2-1.
I got the team-news when I arrived at the rendezvous around 7.15 and there were indeed several changes with Seelt, Aouchiche and Mayenda all starting, which pleased me. Huggins, Ekwah and Rusyn were the players making way for them.
THE MATCH
We looked uncertain at the back in the opening minutes and then Patterson had to make a crucial block when Huddersfield broke quickly. After five minutes we settled down more and started to probe forwards, soon winning the first corner of the game. We took it short and it came to nothing in the end. I heard Tony Mowbray had been unwell but he was back on the touchline with his Sunderland scarf on. Burgzorg was looking a handful and he broke through our defence to fire in a shot that hit the side-netting. Huddersfield were awarded a free-kick near the right angle of our box in the eighteenth minute and this lead to their first corner, which resulted in a goal-kick. All in all Huddersfield had looked more threatening but then we won a corner after it had looked like we might have had a penalty. Anyway, it didn’t result in a goal attempt. Next thing Aouchiche had our first effort on target, though Maxwell in goal dealt with it comfortably enough.
The corners were coming regularly at both ends and in the twenty-eighth minute Huddersfield took the lead from one with Helik heading home form very close range. Again we’d failed to defend a set-piece. We were soon awarded a free-kick in a prime spot just outside their box. Clarke hit it well but Maxwell dived to push it out for a corner. Our fans were making a racket as we ventured forward but Huddersfield were defending in depth and were proving hard to penetrate. Five minutes before the break we were awarded a free kick when Aouchiche was fouled and when it was knocked back over from the left of their box, O’Nien was there to smash it home form a yard or so out. Next thing Ballard did well to get the ball away for a corner and this time Patterson plucked the resultant kick from the air. In the closing minutes of the half it continued to go end to end and it remained 1-1 as the whistle went. It had been a very mixed performance so far but that equaliser was crucial and I was sure there would be at least one more goal.
We started the second-half brightly and soon won a corner from which Seelt shot not too far over. Shortly afterwards Clarke had a shot that hit the side-netting so things were looking good. We continued to do nearly all the pressing and I could feel a goal coming. Just on the hour-mark Jobe had a one-on-one with Maxwell but the latter did well to deflect his shot. He did well again to push a Hume shot out for a corner. We were approaching time for a few changes so I hoped to see Pritch come on, as always. Suddenly we were behind again when Huddersfield broke and Burgzorg shot into the bottom left corner with the possible help of a deflection. There was still time for a draw at least and our fans continued to make a racket.
With seventeen minutes on the clock we made a quadruple switch with Ba, Pritchard, Hemir and Dack coming on for Mayenda, Aouchiche, Roberts and Jobe. We were awarded another free-kick in a great spot just to the left of their box and there was a save from Pritch’s kick, a scramble and a penalty shout before it was cleared. With ten minutes to go a 2-2 draw looked like the best we could hope for. We had Huddersfield penned back but they were proving hard to crack. We then made our last switch, bringing on Burstow for Seelt, though I can’t say my spirits were lifted. Five minutes of added-time were announced but I didn’t feel we were going to score. We did go close when a jinky run from Clarke lead to a Neil shot that was blocked with suspicions of a handball. It ended 1-2.
