Huddersfield Town vs Luton Town FC (10th Jul 2020)

MATCH REPORT | HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0-2 LUTON TOWN

Tremendous Town performance moves them to within two points of safety...

Goals from Sonny Bradley and Elliot Lee gave the Hatters a vital three points away at Huddersfield Town in the Sky Bet Championship this evening.

Town were great value for an important win as they scored two second half goals to move to within two points of safety and keep the pressure on with three matches remaining.

The victory extends the Hatters’ fantastic away record since the Championship restart earlier in June, earning seven points from a possible nine.

Nathan Jones made two changes to the starting line-up following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Barnsley as both Andrew Shinnie and Harry Cornick were brought in to face the Terriers.

The opening half was cagey and despite a number of promising openings for both sides, neither could muster up a golden chance to take the lead.

The Hatters found some joy down the right-hand-side on occasion, with James Bree and Cornick interlinking well but his cut-back intended for Lee was intercepted in the penalty area.

Whilst the Town couldn’t manage a shot on goal, Huddersfield did through Lewis O’Brien but Simon Sluga was able to gather with relative ease.

The second half began with a lot more intensity and four minutes later, Bradley gave the Hatters a vital lead with a powerful header from Bree’s corner.

Town were pushing for a second and almost got exactly that in the 64th minute when James Collins cut in from the left, beat two men but ultimately curled his effort narrowly wide of the post.

Huddersfield then came close through Emile Smith Rowe moments later, who dragged his right footed shot wide of the goal.

Thankfully, it was the Hatters who managed to find a decisive second and what a goal it was too. Collins broke down the right and his bullet of a strike cannoned off the post into the path of Lee, who managed to get in front of two defenders and smash the ball into the top corner for his second goal of the season.

Defensively the Hatters were resilient and limited the home side to very little, even with seven minutes added on at the end of the game.

After moving off the foot of the Championship table, Town will now switch their attention to Tuesday night’s home match against Queens Park Rangers full of confidence they can continue their bid for survival.

HUDDERSFIELD: Lossl; Chalobah, Stankovic, Schindler (C), Toffolo; Hogg (King 65), O’brien (Bacuna 65); Smith Rowe, Willock (Pritchard 75), Grant; Campbell (Mounier 55)

Subs not used: Coleman, Kachunga, Stearman, Pritchard, Brown, Duhaney.

Yellows: Campbell, Bacuna

TOWN: Sluga, Bree, Carter-Vickers, Bradley (C), Potts; Mpanzu, Berry, Shinnie (Cranie 90+5), Lee (LuaLua 80); Cornick (McManaman 68), Collins (Hylton 80).

Subs not used: Shea, Tunnicliffe, Moncur, Butterfield, Kioso.

Goals: Bradley (49), Lee (71)

Yellows: Shinnie

Referee: Geoff Eltringham

NJ | "IT'S A BIG WIN FOR US AND IT KEEPS US IN THE HUNT"

Watch the Gaffer's interview after Town's superb 2-0 win against Huddersfield

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was full of praise for his team after they earned an important three points away at Huddersfield Town this evening.

Goals from Sonny Bradley and a superb strike from Elliot Lee were enough for the Town, who are now within two points of safety and off the bottom of the table.

“It was a wonderful, wonderful performance," said Jones. "To be honest with you, apart from the Reading result which is totally out of character, that's how we've been in recent weeks.

"I thought we were magnificent tonight, tactically we were brilliant. They came out of the blocks and they really tried to press us, we weathered that and we played through it. We were the more dangerous side, I’ve got to be honest.

"First half we had some opportunities where a little bit more composure could have caused them problems, but we scored early in the second with the set play and I don’t think they troubled us, the goalkeeper didn’t have had a shot to save.

“I thought defensively we were excellent and structurally we were good. They gave me a huge, huge shift.

“There are some people in there that haven’t played. Elliot Lee has hardly played. Andrew Shinnie has hardly played and to give me that shift, I was so proud of them.

“We’ve had to use the squad. We said it was going to be so important. I know this group, I know what they give me. There is a few in the group that I don’t know, but I’m getting to know. It’s such a good group, and it’s such a pleasurable group to work with.

"Ever since I came to Luton I have enjoyed my job and since I’ve returned now, nothing has changed. It’s a big win for us that and it keeps us in the hunt.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujZIXiH8EBw – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6QUzh-US_I – match highlights

Luton's hopes of staying up are alive and kicking after sinking Terriers

Championship: Huddersfield Town 0 Luton Town 2

Goals from Sonny Bradley and Elliot Lee saw Luton pick up an absolutely magnificent and crucial victory live on Sky at fellow relegation strugglers Huddersfield Town this evening, doing the double over the Terriers in the process.

The Hatters went into the game knowing nothing less than a victory was required if they were to have a realistic chance of avoiding relegation back to League One this term, and they did just that, courtesy of two excellent second half strikes.

After only picking up a point from two home matches, boss Nathan Jones had spoken of a need to win three out of the final four fixtures to ensure Championship survival and they chalked up the first one in style, with a polished away display, restricting their hosts, who were playing Premier League football this time last term, to very little.

The result saw Luton gain a real advantage on their rivals, who are all playing over the weekend, as they climbed off the bottom of the table, moving above Barnsley, and within two points of safety.

Jones made two changes to the side who drew 1-1 with Barnsley on Tuesday night, Andrew Shinnie rewarded for his impressive second half display with a first start since mid-January.

Harry Cornick also came back in, with Danny Hylton and Martin Cranie dropping to the bench, where they were joined for the first time since the Championship resumed by Kazenga LuaLua.

It looked like the Hatters were setting up to try and contain for the opening 45 minutes, with the intention of raiding the bench during the second period and pushing for the victory they needed as they set up in a solid and compact shape.

The tactics worked to a tee as well, although Huddersfield did have the odd moment early on, Bradley dispossessed by Frazier Campbell, as Cameron Carter-Vickers covered round to block Emile Smith Rowe's drive, defender Jon Gorenc Stankovic heading the resulting corner straight at Simon Sluga.

Luton continued to blunt any attacks the hosts tried to create, cutting the supply-line to dangerous front man Karlan Grant, although offered little themselves at the other end, home stopper Jonas Lossl, who went into the game on the back of three consecutive clean sheets, barely involved.

Sluga's handling was secure when Lewis O'Brien tried his luck from range on 35 minutes, in what was a nervy first period, the importance of the result clearly and understandably inhibiting both sets of players.

However, that all changed just two minutes after the interval as Luton broke the deadlock with their first effort on target, following a Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu shot that deflected behind for a corner.

James Bree swung in a delicious delivery from the left and there was Bradley to power home a cracking header beyond Lossl for his third goal of the season, all of them coming in front of the cameras, and potentially his most important, as the hosts defence was finally pierced.

The Terriers looked to find an instant reply, Grant putting a decent free kick opportunity well over the bar, as with the game opening up, Luke Berry curled one narrowly off target from range too.

Luton almost had a pressure-relieving second goal midway through the half as Collins was sent clear on the right and did excellently to wriggle away from two challenges, before unleashing a right-footed blast that flew inches wide.

He was almost made to pay for that miss, Smith Rowe dummying a couple of Hatters defenders, but like Collins, after doing all the hard work, just couldn't find the bottom corner.

Hatters were then in dreamland on 71 minutes when a pass forward was pounced on by Collins, who had held his run to perfection to beat the offside trap according to the linesman.

Town's leading marksman advanced on goal, seeing his drive smack against the post, only for Elliot Lee following up to win the loose ball and then fairly leather into the top corner for a quite brilliant second and his first league goal since May last year.

Terriers sub Steve Mounie put a header wide, as Luton shuffled their pack, LuaLua getting his first action since the season resumed with 10 to play, Hylton on as well, Collins and Lee making way.

Home sub Alex Pritchard fired harmlessly over as the hosts attempts now took on an air of desperation, the game seeing seven minutes of stoppage time added.

There were little moments to raise the heart-rates of Town's supporters watching up and down the country though, Sluga parrying a cross away, with Berry completing the clearance.

Late on, Bacuna leapt and headed wastefully wide as Luton made it seven points from nine on the road, giving themselves every renewed optimism that they can stay in the second tier this season.

Terriers: Jonas Lossl, Harry Toffolo, Jonathan Hogg (Andy King 66), Trevor Chalobah, Chris Willock (Alex Pritchard 75), Karlan Grant, Frazier Campbell (Steve Mounie 55), Christopher Schindler ©, Jon Gorenc Stankovic, Emile Smith Rowe, Lewis O'Brien (Juninho Bacuna 66).

Subs not used: Joel Coleman, Elias Kachunga, Richard Steadman, Jaden Brown, Demeaco Duhaney.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley (C), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Andrew Shinnie (Martin Cranie 90), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Luke Berry, Elliot Lee (Kazenga LuaLua 80), Harry Cornick (Callum McManaman 67), James Collins (Danny Hylton 80).

Subs not used: James Shea, George Moncur, Jacob Butterfield, Peter Kioso, Ryan Tunnicliffe.

Booked: Campbell 38, Bacuna 85, Shinnie 90.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham.

Jones: Huddersfield win is a massive result in battle to stay up

Luton chief hails side for 2-0 triumph at John Smith's Stadium

Hatters boss Nathan Jones knew full well the importance of tonight’s 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town, labelling the success as ‘massive.’

Luton went into the game knowing they had to win if they were going to give themselves a chance of staying up and did just that after a magnificent performance, particularly in the second period, with Sonny Bradley and Elliot Lee on target.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “It’s a massive, massive result, a wonderful result for us, but I thought the performance was outstanding, I really did.

“We came out of the blocks and really tried to press high, but we controlled it.

“Apart from a few square balls, I thought we were brave, played through the press, controlled the first half after the first 15 minutes.

“We knew they wouldn't come out at us, but I thought it was a real controlled performance.

“Then to score a well-worked goal, a set-play, to go and score the second gave us a real cushion.

“The result was everything. To win I'd have taken any performance, but to do it in that manner, I’m thoroughly delighted.”

Town set up to make sure they stayed in the game during the first half, as although they didn’t test opposite number Jonas Lossl, they kept a strikeforce containing Frazier Campbell and Karlan Grant quiet.

After the break though, Jones’ men upped their attacking threats, with six attempts, scoring twice, as they moved off the bottom, climbing above Barnsley who play tomorrow.

On his tactics, which saw a second clean sheet in three games on the road since the Championship restarted, the boss added: “It’s about if you’re defensively strong then you don't need three goals to win a game, you only need one to win a game, if you're a real good side.

“We've always got opportunities, we’ve always got players who can score goals, we've never had a problem.

“When I was here previously we were one of the highest scores in Europe, let alone England or anything, we had a wonderful attacking pedigree.

“This is a different level, but the same players I had in League Two are here now and they’re giving me absolutely everything.

“The defensive platform for was massive, we had that, and when you score two goals away from home, it’s very, very pleasing.”