Report: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Leeds United
Huddersfield Town story posted by Sean Makin on 01/02/2015
There will be no open top bus parade or DVD release of our supposed "cup final" this year and cue a Twitter meltdown with dog referencing jokes thrown in that are about as funny as Harry Hill on the new version of ITV's Stars in Their Eyes.
But then again Leeds fans probably love that show as they savour anything that reminds them of the good old days.
And on Twitter, dear me the bad spelling tut tut but you do get the feeling that Leeds fans yearn to be loved.
All joking aside the injury to Huddersfield defender Tommy Smith overshadowed the match and its great to hear that he since come round in the hospital. We wish you all the best Tom and a speedy recovery.
This derby match wasn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Leeds looked a poor side and whilst Town bossed the possession for the majority of the match, they did nothing with it when it mattered.
The simple fact is Leeds won because they went for it as Neil Redfearn threw on two strikers towards the end whilst his counterpart Chris Powell chose to stick with what he had on the field.
In defence of Powell, the early injury to Nahki Wells didn't help matters.
Leeds substitute Billy Sharp stole in right at the death to give the Whites a big three points in their push to avoid the drop.
Sam Byram had put the visitors in front inside the first ten minutes but Harry Bunn equalised just before the half hour.
Town had their chances but as Mel Booth says in the Huddersfield Examiner, they paid a heavy price for not taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
Other than the two goals from Leeds goalkeeper Joe Murphy, who was making his first appearance since November because of illness to Alex Smithies, rarely had much work to do.
That was the only change to the Town side that beat Wigan Athletic a week prior whilst the Whites gave a debut to Sol Bamba, who had a superb game, for the suspended Guiseppe Bellusci.
The Terriers started slow as the game begun despite Jacob Butterfield nearly catching Marco Silvestri out with a long-range shot just seconds in.
Just as in the fixture last season Leeds took an early lead. James Vaughan gave the ball away on halfway and Town backed off allowing Luke Murphy to set up Byram who lifted the ball over the onrushing Murphy to score his first goal since March 2013.
Matters got worse for Huddersfield as Wells limped off after just nine minutes and was replaced by Bunn.
The home side were struggling to get going but after a number of corners they got back into the match on 26 minutes.
Butterfield's inswinging corner caught Silvestri cold and Bunn was allowed a free header which happily accepted.
After the equaliser Town grew in confidence and Silvestri pulled off a smart save to deny Vaughan's header.
Sean Scannell came agonisingly close to putting Town in the lead just before the break. Vaughan beat Liam Cooper to set up Scannell and the winger did well to hold of Charlie Taylor to get a shot in that flew inches wide.
The first 45 ended with Rudy Austin and Joel Lynch picking up bookings after a skirmish between the two.
Austin was at it again early in the second half and was lucky to stay on the field after another challenge on Lynch.
Butterfield was also lucky too after another foul. He had been booked in the first half for bringing down Byram.
Lynch should have done better with a header from Butterfield's corner whilst Leeds had a shout for a penalty turned down by referee Chris Foy after Byram went crashing to the floor under pressure from Mark Hudson and sub Mirco Antenucci went down after a challenge from Joe Murphy.
Luke Murphy hit a long range effort that flew just over the bar whilst at the other end Butterfield jinxed his way into the Leeds penalty area but his low cross across the face of goal evaded everyone.
Steve Morison was in the right place to block Bunn's goal bound header from another Buttefield corner.
Town had Leeds on the ropes but were failing to deliver the knock out punch and Redfearn sensed a sucker punch by sending on Sharp with four minutes remaining.
Leeds had chances in quick succession as the game drew to a close. Antenucci somehow fired over from close range after being found unmarked in the Town box by Morison.
Morison himself was unlucky with a neat volley that flashed wide.
It was the sub Sharp that made the difference as he stole in to take the three points back to Elland Road.
A long ball forward was kept in and Antenucci was allowed time to get in a cross which fell to Sharp who made no mistake with a header from close range.
The match was delayed as Smith received treatment and had to be stretchered off as he collided with Joe Murphy in the scramble of Sharp's late strike.
Scannell fired a volley over as Town pushed forward for an equaliser.
The defeat saw Huddersfield dropped to 17th in the Championship.
Teams:
Huddersfield Town: Murphy, Smith (Lolley 90+9), Hudson, Lynch (Wallace 88), Scannell, Butterfield, Edgar, Coady, Robinson, Wells (Bunn 10), Vaughan.
Subs not used: Allinson, Dixon, Gobern, Majewski.
Leeds: Silvestri, Wootton, Bamba, Cooper, Taylor, Cook (Sharp 87), Murphy, Byram, Austin, Mowatt (Antenucci 59), Morison.
Subs not used: Taylor, Berardi, Bianchi, Montenegro, Sloth.
Referee: Chris Foy
Attendance: 20,029.
But then again Leeds fans probably love that show as they savour anything that reminds them of the good old days.
And on Twitter, dear me the bad spelling tut tut but you do get the feeling that Leeds fans yearn to be loved.
All joking aside the injury to Huddersfield defender Tommy Smith overshadowed the match and its great to hear that he since come round in the hospital. We wish you all the best Tom and a speedy recovery.
This derby match wasn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Leeds looked a poor side and whilst Town bossed the possession for the majority of the match, they did nothing with it when it mattered.
The simple fact is Leeds won because they went for it as Neil Redfearn threw on two strikers towards the end whilst his counterpart Chris Powell chose to stick with what he had on the field.
In defence of Powell, the early injury to Nahki Wells didn't help matters.
Leeds substitute Billy Sharp stole in right at the death to give the Whites a big three points in their push to avoid the drop.
Sam Byram had put the visitors in front inside the first ten minutes but Harry Bunn equalised just before the half hour.
Town had their chances but as Mel Booth says in the Huddersfield Examiner, they paid a heavy price for not taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
Other than the two goals from Leeds goalkeeper Joe Murphy, who was making his first appearance since November because of illness to Alex Smithies, rarely had much work to do.
That was the only change to the Town side that beat Wigan Athletic a week prior whilst the Whites gave a debut to Sol Bamba, who had a superb game, for the suspended Guiseppe Bellusci.
The Terriers started slow as the game begun despite Jacob Butterfield nearly catching Marco Silvestri out with a long-range shot just seconds in.
Just as in the fixture last season Leeds took an early lead. James Vaughan gave the ball away on halfway and Town backed off allowing Luke Murphy to set up Byram who lifted the ball over the onrushing Murphy to score his first goal since March 2013.
Matters got worse for Huddersfield as Wells limped off after just nine minutes and was replaced by Bunn.
The home side were struggling to get going but after a number of corners they got back into the match on 26 minutes.
Butterfield's inswinging corner caught Silvestri cold and Bunn was allowed a free header which happily accepted.
After the equaliser Town grew in confidence and Silvestri pulled off a smart save to deny Vaughan's header.
Sean Scannell came agonisingly close to putting Town in the lead just before the break. Vaughan beat Liam Cooper to set up Scannell and the winger did well to hold of Charlie Taylor to get a shot in that flew inches wide.
The first 45 ended with Rudy Austin and Joel Lynch picking up bookings after a skirmish between the two.
Austin was at it again early in the second half and was lucky to stay on the field after another challenge on Lynch.
Butterfield was also lucky too after another foul. He had been booked in the first half for bringing down Byram.
Lynch should have done better with a header from Butterfield's corner whilst Leeds had a shout for a penalty turned down by referee Chris Foy after Byram went crashing to the floor under pressure from Mark Hudson and sub Mirco Antenucci went down after a challenge from Joe Murphy.
Luke Murphy hit a long range effort that flew just over the bar whilst at the other end Butterfield jinxed his way into the Leeds penalty area but his low cross across the face of goal evaded everyone.
Steve Morison was in the right place to block Bunn's goal bound header from another Buttefield corner.
Town had Leeds on the ropes but were failing to deliver the knock out punch and Redfearn sensed a sucker punch by sending on Sharp with four minutes remaining.
Leeds had chances in quick succession as the game drew to a close. Antenucci somehow fired over from close range after being found unmarked in the Town box by Morison.
Morison himself was unlucky with a neat volley that flashed wide.
It was the sub Sharp that made the difference as he stole in to take the three points back to Elland Road.
A long ball forward was kept in and Antenucci was allowed time to get in a cross which fell to Sharp who made no mistake with a header from close range.
The match was delayed as Smith received treatment and had to be stretchered off as he collided with Joe Murphy in the scramble of Sharp's late strike.
Scannell fired a volley over as Town pushed forward for an equaliser.
The defeat saw Huddersfield dropped to 17th in the Championship.
Teams:
Huddersfield Town: Murphy, Smith (Lolley 90+9), Hudson, Lynch (Wallace 88), Scannell, Butterfield, Edgar, Coady, Robinson, Wells (Bunn 10), Vaughan.
Subs not used: Allinson, Dixon, Gobern, Majewski.
Leeds: Silvestri, Wootton, Bamba, Cooper, Taylor, Cook (Sharp 87), Murphy, Byram, Austin, Mowatt (Antenucci 59), Morison.
Subs not used: Taylor, Berardi, Bianchi, Montenegro, Sloth.
Referee: Chris Foy
Attendance: 20,029.
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