PREVIEW: MILLWALL (A)

20 July 2020

A look ahead to Huddersfield Town’s final game of 2019/20

- Match preview ahead of Huddersfield Town’s match at the Den
- The lowdown on Gary Rowett’s side
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town’s final game of the 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship season comes against Millwall at The Den on Wednesday 22 July 2020; 7.30pm kick-off.

Town’s Elite Development Coach Danny Schofield will take charge of the Terriers for the game in the Capital after Danny Cowley was relieved of his duties as Manager at the weekend.

The Terriers all but secured Sky Bet Championship survival with a 2-1 victory over promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion at the John Smith’s Stadium on Friday evening.

Following that win, Town are back on the road for the season finale and looking to improve on a run that has seen them unbeaten in the last three away from home without conceding a goal.

The two sides shared the points in the reverse fixture in West Yorkshire back in September following a 1-1 draw with Fraizer Campbell on the scoresheet for Town.

THE OPPOSITION

Having lost 4-3 at London rivals Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, the Lions can no longer get into the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off places ahead of the final day.

It means that Wednesday’s game will also be their final match of the season despite their push for a place in the top six since the restart.

Prior to the weekend’s defeat at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, Gary Rowett’s side had won three of their last four, with victories against Charlton Athletic, Hull City and Blackburn Rovers as their push continued for a Play-Off place.

However, that win at Charlton was their only victory from their first five games after the restart.

They go into Wednesday’s final game of the campaign in ninth position in the table but could go as high as seventh with a win, which would be their highest league finish in the second-tier since the 2001/02 season.

They return to The Den for their final home match of the season on Wednesday having won just one of their last eight league matches at their South East London home.

ONES TO WATCH

Shaun Hutchinson

After working his way up to the professional game in Scotland with Motherwell, Hutchinson spent two years with Fulham before making the move across the Capital to the Lions in 2016. The centre-back has since made over 130 appearances in his four seasons at The Den and has captained the Club on several occasions. Since the restart, Hutchinson has primarily featured as part of a back three and has been a threat in the other box too, scoring in Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at QPR.

Millwall Shaun Hutchinson.jpg

Jed Wallace

Wallace had two spells on loan with the Lions from Wolverhampton Wanderers, first in 2015/16 and then in the second half of the following campaign. Having helped the Club to return to the Championship with League 1 promotion via the Play-Offs in 2017, the winger joined the Club on a permanent deal in the same summer. This season, Wallace has been the Lions’ key creative threat, providing a team high 13 assists in the league, as well as getting into double figures for goals in the Sky Bet Championship.

Millwall Jed Wallace.jpg

Matt Smith

Having moved across London to join Fulham from Queens Park Rangers in 2017, Smith made another trip across the capital and this time to the South East of it to join Millwall ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. In his first season at The Den, the forward has been his side’s main source of goals in the Sky Bet Championship scoring 13 times across his 40 league appearances. Smith has scored twice since the restart; in the Lions’ first game back against Derby County before getting back on the scoresheet at the weekend against his former club QPR.

Millwall Matt Smith.jpg

TEAM NEWS – TOWN

Danny Schofield will provide an update on the fitness of the squad during his virtual press conference on Tuesday 21 July 2020.

Defender Tommy Elphick remains Town’s only long-term absentee (knee).

KIT

Town will be back in the fiery coral alternate kit for the final time at The Den – CLICK HERE to get yours!

iFollow HTAFC

The game will be available to watch live, in full, on iFollow HTAFC.

2019/20 Season Card holders who have not taken a refund or e-credit will again have free access to the game.

Supporters can purchase a Match Pass for just £10! CLICK HERE to get yours!

Town's match previews are sponsored by Stafflex!

Match Reports

REPORT: MILLWALL 4-1 TOWN

22 July 2020

Huddersfield Town’s 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship campaign came to a close with a 4-1 defeat to Millwall at The Den.

Karlan Grant had levelled the scores going into half-time after Connor Mahoney’s early opener, but a second half header from Jake Cooper and strikes from Jiří Skalák and Jón Dadi Bödvarsson ensured the hosts claimed all three points in the capital.

The scoreline, along with results elsewhere, officially confirmed the Terriers’ Sky Bet Championship safety.

Having been appointed to take charge of Town’s final outing of the campaign, Danny Schofield’s side had a youthful look to it with six changes from the 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Friday.

Notably, Joel Coleman, Demeaco Duhaney and Aaron Rowe came into the starting XI with the latter making only his second start for the Terriers and his first appearance for the First Team in 16 months.

Andy King, Alex Pritchard and Steve Mounié also came in from the start whilst Town’s EDT Coach named Young Terriers Micah Obiero, Matty Daly and Scott High on the bench.

Barring a freak set of final day results both at The Den and elsewhere, Town looked to have already secured Sky Bet Championship football for another season prior to the game getting under way.

When it did get going, it didn’t adhere to the start Town would have liked. Connor Mahoney picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area, before driving at the Town defence and unleashing a left-footed strike that found the bottom corner to put the hosts into a fourth minute lead.

The Terriers had plenty of the ball either side of the half-hour mark, but there were only half-chances to note in terms of goal-mouth action.

Harry Toffolo’s deep cross from the left found the head of Steve Mounié who knocked it into the path of Alex Pritchard but the midfielder’s header was blocked by a defender before Andy King fired wide after the ball had fell to him.

When Town did finally get a real sight of goal on 36 minutes, they made the most of it to level the game.

Trevoh Chalobah, who was named in the side as a late replacement for Captain Christopher Schindler who was ill, started the attack, working it to Alex Pritchard who slipped in Karlan Grant with Town’s no.16 keeping his composure to find the net for his 19th goal of the season.

With Schindler missing out on completing the set of playing in all 46 of Town’s Sky Bet Championship games this season, it was a proud night for Lewis O’Brien who took over the skippering duties.

Wearing the armband for the first time, the midfielder continued to assert his presence in the midfield and did enough on the stroke of half-time to put off a leaping Matt Smith from putting the hosts back into the lead.

Danny Schofield’s side finished the half strongly but started the second by going behind early on, as they had done in the first.

Jake Cooper got up highest to meet a corner from the right and head the Lions back in-front less than two minutes after the restart.

After a promising attack at the other end, Town nearly hit straight back. Having already got on the scoresheet once, Grant was denied at the near post before Andy King fired the rebound over from around 12 yards out.

Despite that opportunity, it was Millwall who found the net next to extend their lead after the hour mark.

Substitute Jiří Skalák capitalised on a defensive error from Town and placed the ball past Joel Coleman to make it 3-1 on 63 minutes.

Fellow substitute Jón Dadi Bödvarsson looked to also get on the scoresheet with one of his first touches after coming off the bench. The forward tried to catch Coleman off guard but the Town ‘keeper was alert to get down to his left and make the stop.

Having been denied on the occasion, Bödvarsson got on the scoresheet soon after. The Millwall forward found space on the edge of the six-yard box and prodded the ball into the net to make it 4-1 with just over 10 minutes left to play.

One positive for Town on the night was several First Team debuts for the Young Terriers from the bench. Scott High became the second of the evening, replacing Andy King late on, after Micah Obiero had also entered the fray for his professional debut at half-time.

Town’s side now had a youthful look to it, particularly after Jaden Brown was introduced from the bench to make a welcome return from injury, in the closing stages of the game.

The final whistle was sounded soon after with the Terriers’ season coming to a close with defeat at The Den, but Sky Bet Championship football for next season officially confirmed on the final day.

MILLWALL (4-4-2)

Bartosz Białkowski; Jake Cooper, Shaun Hutchinson (c), Murray Wallace, James Brown (Hayden Muller, 61’); Shane Ferguson (Jiří Skalák, 61’), Shaun Williams, Connor Mahoney (Billy Mitchell, 69’), Jayson Molumby; Ben Thompson (Jón Dadi Bödvarsson, 69’), Matt Smith (Tyler Burey, 81’)

Unused subs

Luke Steele; Junior Tiensia, Ryan Leonard, Tom Bradshaw

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-2-3-1)

Joel Coleman; Harry Toffolo, Trevoh Chalobah, Richard Stearman, Demeaco Duhaney; Lewis O’Brien (c), Andy King (Scott High, 77’); Karlan Grant (Jaden Brown, 83’), Alex Pritchard (Matty Daly, 70’), Aaron Rowe (Micah Obiero, 46’); Steve Mounié (Emile Smith Rowe, 70’)

Unused subs

Jonas Lössl; Jonathan Hogg, Chris Willock

REFEREE

Keith Stroud

Standings