Huddersfield Town vs Luton Town FC (1st Jan 2023)

Report | Huddersfield Town 1-2 Luton Town

The Hatters came from behind to record a third successive win and move back into the Championship play-off places as they made a perfect start to the New Year at Huddersfield.

Goals from defenders Amari'i Bell and Reece Burke, on his return from injury, ensured a hat-trick of victories from six superb festive days at the John Smith's Stadium, sending the travelling Hatters home in great spirit.

Manager Rob Edwards handed a first league start of the season to Louie Watson, the midfielder being one of two changes from Thursday's 3-0 away win against Queens Park Rangers at the expense of Jordan Clark, who missed out with a slight knock.

The other change came up front, with Elijah Adebayo fit again and in the starting line-up alongside Carlton Morris.

There was also a welcome return to the matchday squad for defender Burke, who has been ruled out with injury since the end of September. The centre-back was back on the bench, along with Casey Pettit as defensive options for the boss.

With the crowd behind them and buoyed by two successive wins, Huddersfield started on the front foot and Ethan Horvath pulled off a great save to deby Tom Lees from close range, although the assistant referee's flag was raised for offside from the initial free-kick.

Town's first opening came on ten minutes, when James Bree and Alfie Doughty combined down the right to set Morris up to flick a ball around the corner for Adebayo to race onto, but last term's Championship goalkeeper of the season, Lee Nicholls, saved well with his feet as the striker looked to slip the ball past him into the bottom corner.

The Hatters were starting to control the game with Watson getting plenty of touches in the holding midfield role, Morris benefitting twice from the Republic of Ireland U21 international's passes out to the left, the first time putting in a dangerous cross that the Terriers only half cleared, and the second curling a shot that was only stopped by Michal Helik's midriff.

The hosts had the lead on 25 minutes when Jack Rudoni's left-footed shot landed straight at the feet of Duane Holmes, who controlled and hit one on the turn low into the corner of Horvath's net.

Morris led the attempts to find a way back in, zipping a cross in low towards the near post that Campbell tried to divert in, only for Will Boyle to block his path. The top scorer then fired over from 20 yards after more good build-up play involving Bree, Adebayo and Doughty on the the right.

Town were back on level terms three minutes before the break, and yet again it was a result of progressive play down the right, with Morris playing another ball round the corner for Doughty to race clear of Josh Ruffels. The wing-back's low cross flicked up off Campbell, whose touch took it out of Adebayo's path, but Bell was there to smash a right-footed half-volley at goal.

Helik made a valiant attempt to hack clear, but the Hawk-Eye goal-line technology deemed the ball over the line by the time he made contact and the Jamaican international's second goal for the club would stand.

The Hatters started the second half on the front foot, with Adebayo unable to keep his header down on the end of a right-wing cross by Doughty, who then curled a 20-yard free-kick on target, only for Nicholls to hold onto it with Town's strikers on the prowl for the rebound.

A real scrappy few minutes ensued, with Lockyer eventually going into referee Matthew Donohue's book for a late lunge on Holmes, just before Burke came on in place of Doughty with a little over an hour played.

Cauley Woodrow replaced Watson soon after, and the ex-Barnsley man had Town's next effort after Campbell, Adebayo and Mpanzu had led a counter-attack from the edge of the Hatters' box, but Nicholls was right behind his shot from just inside the area.

Huddersfield rarely threatened the Town goal, with Horvath getting down low to keep out a shot from outside the box by Kaine Kesler-Hayden with ten minutes to go, their first real opening of the second half.

Edwards threw Cameron Jerome into the fray with seven minutes left, and the veteran striker's first involvement saw him link play, again down the right, to set Bree free to cross low for Burke to control and hit on the turn past Nicholls and into the bottom corner of the net.

The win lifted the Hatters up to fifth in the table as they now look enter a fortnight's break from league action, with Wigan up next in the FA Cup third round.

Goals:

HT - Holmes 25,

LT - Bell 42, Burke 84

Att: 18,333 (638 Hatters)

Reaction | Rob Edwards on Huddersfield victory!

Manager Rob Edwards was full of credit for his players and staff after the Hatters won for the third successive match this afternoon.

Reece Burke made his return from injury and scored the winner on New Years Day at the John Smith’s Stadium, popping up in a forward position and scoring in style with six minutes remaining.

It was no less than Luton had deserved as they moved into fifth place in the Sky Bet Championship ahead of a break from league action next week.

“Full credit to the players and all the staff as well, Edwards said after the match. “They have worked extremely hard to make sure the players are in as good a condition as possible to go and deliver and get nine points.

“A massive credit to the players, massive credit to the staff and massive credit to the supporters who have made a long journey on New Years Day. I’m really pleased we’re sending them home happy.

“We found a way to win. I was really pleased after a slow start I thought we gradually grew into and it was great timing to get the equaliser when we did. We felt at 1-1 in the second half there wasn’t much in the game, Louie was getting a bit tighter, so I thought let’s make an attacking change and go for it. Cauley coming on gave us another little spark as well, so we went for it and then it was a centre-back that got the goal!”

On Burke, who has been out of action since late September, the boss said: “It’s brilliant for him. He’s been frustrated because he’s got close to being back and then just had a little setback. He’s worked really, really hard and we needed him today.

“We thought we might because of the number of games in the amount of days. Alfie started to tighten up so we knew the change we were going to make and huge credit to him. To come into that game and defend is one thing but to actually break forward, it was a brilliant goal.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaZEHtP-w9A – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq8ha-g1DEU – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP8M5WsgPfs – Full time scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klkn4TG1J0U – Reece Burke interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U-udmcjcNw – reverse angle

Burke is back with a bang as Luton enjoy late win at Huddersfield

Championship: Huddersfield Town 1 Luton Town 2

Town substitute Reece Burke returned from three months out with a bang as his late goal gave Luton the best start to 2023 as they made it a very Happy Christmas indeed with a 2-1 victory at Huddersfield Town this afternoon.

The 26-year-old had been named on the bench at the venue of Luton's play-off semi-final devastation last season, as they conceded late on to suffer a 2-1 defeat on aggregate.

However this time, it was all smiles in the away end, as Burke, who came on midway through the second half, found the net after a sweeping move on the right with just six minutes to go, the visitors making it three straight wins over the festive period.

Edwards had made two changes from Thursday night’s 3-0 victory at QPR, Louie Watson handed his full Championship debut in place of the injured Jordan Clark, while Elijah Adebayo returned for Harry Cornick, as Town went again for their third fixture in six days.

After the Terriers had most of the ball early on, Luton's first real opportunity was one they should have taken the lead from.

Carlton Morris's flick found the run of Adebayo who went clean through on Lee Nicholls, but still without a goal since mid-October, was unable to beat the keeper at the near post.

That led to Town's best spell in the game, some easy on the eye passing enabling Morris to fashion a shooting opportunity that hit Michal Helik in the unmentionables, referee Matthew Donohue, who had already make some questionable decisions, strangely opting to stop play.

With 26 minutes gone, Luton paid the price for some poor defending, Amari'i Bell too slow to get over to a deep cross that didn't go out, as the Terriers were able to keep the ball in.

Then, when Watson missed his tackle, Jack Rudoni's shot cannoned into the path of Duane Holmes and he picked out the bottom corner to break the deadlock, Town trailing for the first time since Edwards took over.

Morris tried to bring the scores level from 20 yards but got well underneath his attempt, while an excellent move saw James Bree unleash a low drive that drew a sliding block from Tom Lees.

With two minutes to go until the break, Luton were back on level terms, with a goal their clever football deserved, an excellent move on the right seeing Morris flick the ball into the path of Doughty.

He raced away and delivered a low cross that Campbell inadvertently diverted for the lurking Bell who, on his right foot, hammered goalwards, Michal Helik appearing to have blocked on the line, only for the referee's watch to signal it had indeed gone over.

Luton were able to see out a few set-pieces from previous nemesis Sorba Thomas, on as a substitute for the injured Jonathan Hogg, as they started second half with Adebayo nodding Doughty's deep cross wide.

The wingback then had a go himself from a dangerous free kick position, only able to fire at Nicholls whose handling was spot on.

With the game starting to break up and a number of challenges coming in from either side, official Donohue continuing with his baffling calls, both Doughty and Tom Lockyer saw yellow for the visitors.

A brilliant headed clearance by Adebayo prevented Huddersfield from retaking the lead as Burke was introduced for the first time since September for Doughty.

Cauley Woodrow swiftly replaced the impressive Watson on 65 minutes, seeing an early opportunity to put Town ahead deflect into the grateful arms of Nicholls.

Town stopper Ethan Horvath, who had been underworked all afternoon then had to make good ground to his left to save Kaine Kesler-Hayden's low drive, as the visitors brought on Cameron Jerome for Adebayo.

He was was involved in what was the winner too, as along with Campbell and Burke, found Bree on the right hand side.

The wingback delivered a tantalising low cross that deflected perfectly for Burke, who showed all the hallmarks of a top striker, to take a touch and then, as Holmes had done in the first half, picked out the bottom corner with aplomb.

Late on, the Terriers almost snatched a point as Josh Ruffels escaped the attentions of the Luton defence, only to scuff his shot straight at Horvath.

Victory meant the Hatters climbed back up to fifth in the table, with Edwards ticking off a number of other boxes as well, securing three wins in a row for the first time this season, while also triumphing for the first time since falling behind, something the Hatters had often struggled to do in the past, as he continues his marvellous start to life in Bedfordshire.

Terriers: Lee Nicholls, Jonathan Hogg (Sorba Thomas 37), Jordan Rhodes (Danny Ward 64), Will Boyle, Josh Ruffels, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, David Kasumu (Etienne Camara 64), Duane Holmes (Brahima Diarra 73), Jack Rudoni, Tom Lees, Michal Helik.

Subs not used: Nicholas Bilokapic, Tyreece Simpson, Loick Ayina.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, Alfie Doughty (Reece Burke 62), James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts (C), Amari'i Bell, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Allan Campbell, Louie Watson (Cauley Woodrow 65), Elijah Adebayo (Cameron Jerome 83), Carlton Morris.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry, Harry Cornick, Casy Pettit.

Referee: Matthew Donohue.

Booked: Doughty 57, Lockyer 61, Burke 84.

Attendance: 18,333.

Hatters chief heaps praise on Town's players and staff following perfect Christmas period

Luton earn late triumph at Huddersfield

Luton boss Rob Edwards heaped praise on the Hatters players after they made it a wonderful Christmas with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Huddersfield Town this afternoon.

The visitors had trailed to Duane Holmes’ first half goal, pulling level just before the break when Amari’i Bell’s right-footer was adjudged to have crossed the line.

Edwards then made a number of positive changes in the second period, as he brought on Reece Burke, Cauley Woodrow and Cameron Jerome, with Burke finding space in the area to score the winner with six minutes left.

It meant that Luton completed an exhausting festive period with nine points from nine, following triumphs over Norwich City and QPR, as they climbed up to fifth in the Championship as well.

However, Edwards, who has now won three of his opening four games since replacing Nathan Jones, said: “Full credit to the players and all of the staff as well.

“They’ve worked extremely hard to make sure the players are in as good a condition as possible to go and deliver and get nine points.

“So massive credit to the players, massive credit to the staff, and massive credit to the supporters who have made a long journey on New Year’s Day, I’m really pleased we’ve sent them home happy.

“We found a way to win.

"I was really pleased after a slow start, I thought we gradually grew into it.

"It was great timing to get the equaliser when we did, and then we felt at 1-1 in the second half, there’s not much in the game.

“Louie (Watson) was getting a bit tight and I just thought, lets make an attacking change and lets go for it.

"Cauley coming on gave us another little spark as well, so we went for it, but then it was a centre back that got the goal!”

On Burke, who had been out since late September with a hamstring injury, Edwards added: “It’s brilliant for him.

“He’s been frustrated as he got close to being back and then just had a little bit of a setback, but he’s worked really, really hard, and we needed him today.

“We thought we might because of the number of games and the amount of days.

“Alfie (Doughty) started to just tighten up, so we knew the change we were going to make, so huge credit to him.

“To come into that game and just defend is one thing, but to break forward too, it was a brilliant goal.”