Conor Falls scores in home defeat

- Huddersfield Town B defeated 1-4 in Central League Cup
- Conor Falls scored consolation goal
- Young side showed unwavering effort

Huddersfield Town’s B Team suffered a home defeat in the Central League Cup on Tuesday afternoon as they lost 1-4 to Rochdale.

Due to several of our B Team players stepping up and joining the First Team in Marbella we had a very young side playing today, with teenagers Francis Hurl, Temi Okuwa, and Dylan Helliwell making their B Team debuts.

Despite the side being inexperienced, our B Team showed unwavering effort as they continued to try and get themselves back in the game.

Goalkeeper Hurl, one of our debutants today, started the game brightly after he made two early saves to deny the visitors, who started applying pressure immediately.

Having to work hard in defence in the beginning of the game, David Adewoju and Ernaldo Krasniqi made two back-to-back blocks, which was then followed by another great save from Hurl as he reached up and tipped the ball over the bar for a Rochdale corner – this amounted to nothing for the visitors.

Regardless of the result, Hurl made brilliant saves between the sticks throughout the game to prevent the score line from increasing and he did this again in the 16th minute. Our 17-year-old ‘keeper threw his body in front of the ball to deny West Brom loanee Ray Tulloch’s shot from close range.

Rochdale eventually broke the deadlock in the 31st minute as their captain James Ball slotted the rebound into the back of the net after the initial shot was saved brilliantly by Hurl.

The last action of the first half came from our youngsters as Charles Ondo carried the ball from the halfway line after he regained possession and played to Shane Maroodza on the left side of the box, who was then able to square the ball back to Ondo in the centre of the box, but his shot was blocked well by the Rochdale defence.

Although the second half started with another great save from Hurl, but Rochdale doubled their advantage after Ball ran onto a through ball and took it round our ‘keeper to put it into the empty net.

Rochdale made it three in the 54th minute after a strike from the edge of the box was deflected off Krasniqi who tried to make the block and went past Hurl.

Sinclair, who has made 19 League Two appearances for Rochdale this season so far, soon curled the ball from outside the box as he aimed for goal, but this was anticipated well and saved by Hurl.

One of our best chances of the game came in the 78th minute as Ondo volleyed Maroodza’s near post cross towards the Rochdale goal, but Brad Kelly saved this well.

Despite the great chance that came from Town, Rochdale scored their fourth goal less than 10 minutes later as Tulloch took advantage of a mistake in possession from Hurl to slot the ball into the back of the net.

Town scored their only goal of the game in the 88th minute and denied the clean sheet for Rochdale as second half substitute Conor Falls, on his first appearance since a hamstring injury, placed the ball into the bottom corner after great work down the left between Ondo and Maroodza.

Town’s Team (4-2-3-1)
Francis Hurl; Dylan Helliwell, David Adewoju, Luke Daley, Shane Maroodza; Ernaldo Krasniqi, Sonny Whittingham; Michael Stone (c) (Tyree Sanusi, 83’), Temi Okuwa (Conor Falls, 60’), Donay O’Brien-Brady; Charles Ondo

Unused Subs
Sam Taylor, Ajay Weston, Aaron Ojungu

Goal Scorer
Conor Falls (88’)

Bookings
Sonny Whittingham (12’)