Huddersfield Town vs Luton Town FC (11th Apr 2022)

Report | Huddersfield Town 2-0 Luton Town

The Hatters slipped to a first defeat in five matches at play-off rivals Huddersfield, with Jon Russell and sub Naby Sarr's second half goals enough to give the Terriers all three points.

The Hatters' top scorer Elijah Adebayo saw a penalty clip the outside of a post with 20 minutes to go as Nathan Jones' side strove to get back into the game at one down, but it was the west Yorkshire side who held on to move back up to third place, with Town remaining fifth.

Manager Nathan Jones made three changes to his team that appeared at Peterborough last Tuesday, captain Sonny Bradley returning to the starting line-up for the first time since January after recovering from injury.

Henri Lansbury started after coming off the bench at Posh, and Harry Cornick joined Elijah Adebayo up-front, with Cameron Jerome absent after sustaining an injury last week. Luke Berry was back on the bench, featuring in the matchday squad for the first time since the away win against Hull City in March.

Huddersfield had the first sight of goal inside the opening five minutes, but Lewis O'Brien's 20-yarder was always rising, and the Hatters soon settled into the game.

The men in orange enjoyed plenty of possession without threatening the hosts' goal, and it was Huddersfield who fired the next warning shot, this time from 25 yards out, but Jon Russell's attempt had the same end result with the ball ending up in the rows of empty seats acting as segregation between the home fans and the 1,000-plus travelling Hatters.

James Shea denied Danel Sinani with a smart save at his near post midway through the half, then two minutes later had to react quickly to gather a Sorba Thomas drive that took two deflections as it passed through the Town penalty area.

In between those saves Onyedinma had headed cross from O'Brien milimetres wide of his own post, with Terriers centre-half Tom Lees breathing down his neck as the home side looked to convert their pressure into a goal advantage.

The Hatters lost Mpanzu to injury after an innocuous looking challenge with O'Brien, with Robert Snodgrass coming on in his place, and it was the Scot who created the Town's first opening in the 36th minute, Cornick calling Lee Nicholls into action from outside the box, but the Huddersfield keeper saved well low to his right.

That would be the last meaningful action of the first half, with the scoreline remaining goalless at the break, but the Hatters came flying out of the traps in the second.

Bree's first cross was headed clear and Cornick couldn't connect with an attempted volley, but he teed up the former Aston Villa man for second delivery, this time whipped in and just an inch too high for Allan Campbell racing into the six-yard box.

Sinani had Huddersfield's first chance of the second half, a 20-yard piledriver that delected over for a corner, before Lansbury was forced off in the 58th minute with a neck injury sustained in a heavy challenge just after half-time.

Dan Potts came on in his place and the hosts' breakthrough came seconds later, Russell receiving a short throw-in from Pipa inside the Town penalty area and simply lofting a volley unchallenged and over Shea into the top corner.

Town thought they had found a way back in with 20 minutes to go, when Bree was tripped in the area by Sinani, but Adebayo dragged his penalty the wrong side of the post, clipping the woodwork as the ball made its way into the advertising hoardings.

Naismith and Onyedinma were booked in a scuffle that followed, along with Thomas for the hosts, and Adebayo was the architect of the Hatters' next chance, setting up Snodgrass for a shot that was way too high to trouble Nicholls with just over ten minutes to play.

Jones replaced Cornick with Danny Hylton on 81 minutes, and Amari'i Bell soon sent a left footer curling just wide, but it was Huddersfield sub Sarr who sealed the hosts' victory with a far post header from a deep Thomas corner.

Again the Hatters tried to rally, Bell once again driving forward and trying his luck, but this time his effort was too high and the game was up for Town.

Goals:

Huddersfield - Russell (59'), Sarr (89')

Nathan Jones' Huddersfield reaction

Manager Nathan Jones said his side were the victims of their own downfall after defeat against Huddersfield Town.

The home side took the lead through Jon Russell before Elijah Adebayo missed a penalty and the Terriers compounded Jones’ disappointment by adding a second late in the game.

Reacting honestly to the 90 minutes, the gaffer said: “It hinged on us not defending two situations because they didn’t have to work hard.

“We were excellent I thought in terms of defensive shape, we were bold, we were brave and we moved the ball. Second half I thought we were really good, we stepped on the front foot but he’s looped the ball in the box and it’s gone in so there was an element of luck and then late on, Naby Sarr comes on who is 6”7 and no one picks him up.

“Two naive bits of defending and that has cost us and been further compounded by a penalty miss when we were really in the ascendency. It changed the direction of the game and that is what Championship football is.”

Two of the three substitutions Jones made were enforced by injury as both Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Henri Lansbury were forced off, to which he added:

“We have been having to do it every game at the minute. We’re picking up injuries and having to make changes in the first half, missing midfield players and putting makeshift people in there, it’s catastrophic at the minute but we have to roll with the punches.

“We have Luke Berry coming back, Jordan Clark who has energy and quality and they are not quite ready to go yet. We’re losing people and we’ve had centre-halves who have been out but we have to contend with it.”

On a final note, Jones said: “We’ve been the victim of our own downfall tonight. One if we score the penalty, it’s a different game and two, you have to defend basic situations because they didn’t have to work for them. Then it is a different game.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTQxRLfwUmY – Nathan Jones interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EChIruaNfY – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r0hu0d5odo – Sonny Bradley interview

Poor defending and a missed penalty sees Luton beaten by play-off rivals Huddersfield

Championship: Huddersfield Town 2 Luton Town 0

A disappointing second half performance from Luton saw hosts Huddersfield take a huge step towards cementing a play-off place as they scored twice to record victory against the Hatters this evening.

Going into the break, manager Nathan Jones would have been happy enough with what he had seen, Town on level terms and the Terriers not doing a great deal to suggest they would break their opponents down.

But Jon Russell took advantage of some poor marking to lob home on the hour mark and after Elijah Adebyao had missed a penalty, Saby Narr escaped the visitors' attentions to head home a second in the final minute as Huddersfield climbed to third and are now firm favourites for a top six berth.

For Luton, it was the end of their four match unbeaten run and having draw their last two, are now three without a win, sitting fifth, with a two point cushion over seventh placed Blackburn Rovers going into the final five games of the campaign.

Jones made three changes from the side who drew 1-1 at Peterborough on Tuesday night, captain Sonny Bradley in for his first start since the 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United on January 22.

Henri Lansbury and Harry Cornick also came back in, with Peter Kioso and Danny Hylton dropping to the bench, joined by Luke Berry, with Cameron Jerome out injured.

The hosts appeared keen to dominate possession in the early stages and fashioned a great chance when the Hatters gave possession away, Sorba Thomas speeding down the left and finding Lewis O'Brien, who scooped over from the edge of the box.

Luton began to grow into proceedings though, growing into the game themselves, Lansbury crowded out before he could get his effort away in the area, Amari Bell's run and cross gathered by Terriers keeper Lee Nicholls.

With 20 minutes gone, Jon Russell was invited to shoot from range, which he did, sending an effort rising well over, before James Shea was called upon moments later, saving from Danel Sinani at his near post once Mpanzu had his pocket picked.

A dangerous cross was headed narrowly past his own post by Onyedinma, as although Shea punched the corner clear, he was incredibly lucky to see Thomas's volley from the set-piece deflect up off Bradley and into his grateful gloves, having already dived to his right in anticipation.

For the second game running, Jones was then forced into a change on 33 minutes, Mpanzu injuring himself while conceding a free kick and then having to painfully hobble off with no stretcher called for by the officials.

He was replaced by Robert Snodgrass in what was his longest run out for the club since arriving in February, booed on by the home fans, due to his Leeds connection, as while that was going on, Cornick's snapshot was shovelled out by Nicholls.

Russell couldn't quite stretch enough to reach an inviting free kick at the back post, although Kal Naismith's was thankful his sly pull-back went un-noticed.

After the break, Bree's whipped cross just couldn't get a touch from either Allan Campbell or Onyedinma, before Town were forced into another change when Lansbury, who had already received treatment for a neck injury, went down for a second time after a headed clearance on the hour mark.

He was replaced by Dan Potts, with Naismith moving into midfield, but from the throw that Lansbury had conceded, the visitors, still unsure of quite who was doing what at the back, fell behind.

Russell was allowed to run off Snodgrass and with Potts not quick enough to stop him, produced a clever lob over Shea which dropped into the corner of the net.

The match then exploded into life on 70 minutes when Naismith chipped a ball over the defence for Bree who was clipped by Sinani as he tried to reach it, referee Geoff Eltringham thinking about it and then awarding the spot-kick.

Leading scorer Elijah Adebayo stepped up looking to level the scores, only to see his effort graze the outside of the post, the aftermath seeing Naismith shove O'Brien to the ground, with the defender somehow avoiding red, Onyedinma and Thomas also seeing yellow for the ensuing shenanigans.

Still in the lead, Huddersfield dropped deep, happy to let Luton have possession at times, with Adebayo almost redeeming himself, doing well to tee up Snodgrass who skied disappointingly over.

The Terriers might have been out of sight when Thomas escaped the visitors' defence with 10 to go, only to see his attempt from a narrow angle fly out for a throw.

Bell tried to bring Luton level by himself, bursting forward when a corner wasn't properly cleared, his curling attempt not missing by much.

It was game over with a minute to go though when Sarr, only just on, wasn't picked up from a corner, able to place his downward header beyond Shea and into the net to secure victory.

Late on Luton were almost caught again, Thomas going for a third when a pass was the better option, Shea saving, as at least Town didn't see their goal difference take a further hit ahead of what promises to be massive Good Friday fixture at home to Nottingham Forest.

Terriers: Lee Nicholls, Pipa, Harry Toffolo, Jonathan Hogg (C), Lewis O'Brien, Sorba Thomas (Jordan Rhodes 90), Danel Sinani (Duane Holmes 77), Danny Ward (Naby Sarr 82), Levi Colwill, Tom Lees, Jon Russell.

Subs not used: Jamal Blackman, Josh Koroma, Ollie Turton, Carel Eiting.

Hatters: James Shea, Fred Onyedinma, Amari'i Bell, James Bree, Sonny Bradley (C), Kal Naismith, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Robert Snodgrass 35), Allan Campbell, Henri Lansbury (Dan Potts 58), Harry Cornick (Danny Hylton 80), Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Peter Kioso, Luke Berry, Danny Hylton, Admiral Muskwe.

Bookings: Naismith 71, Onyedinma 71, Thomas 71.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham.

Attendance: 18,379.

Hatters boss left frustrated by 'naive' defending as Luton are beaten by play-off rivals

Town manager reacts to Monday night defeat at Huddersfield

Luton boss Nathan Jones was left frustrated that two pieces of ‘naive’ defending saw his side beaten 2-0 at fellow play-off rivals Huddersfield Town this evening.

After a goalless first half, the hosts took the lead on the hour mark when Jon Russell was allowed to receive a throw and lob keeper James Shea to open the scoring.

James Bree was then clipped inside the area on 70 minutes for a penalty that top scorer Elijah Adebayo put against the outside of the post, before Terriers sub Naby Sarr was left unmarked to head home a corner with a minute to go.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “It hinges on us not defending two situations because they didn’t have to work hard (to score).

"We were excellent I thought in terms of defensive shape, in terms of everything we did.

"We were bold, we were brave, we moved the ball, second half I thought we were really good, stepped on to the front foot, but they took a throw-in, he walked off the back of someone and then looped the ball in the box which has gone in.

"He didn’t try that, so an element of luck and then late on, Naby Sarr comes on, he’s six foot seven and no-one picks him up and you think, ‘come on.’

"So two naive bits of defending and that’s cost us and then been further compounded by a penalty miss when we were really, really in the ascendancy.

"That has changed the direction of the game, but that’s what Championship football is.”