O’Brien-Brady scores in defeat in South Yorkshire
- Huddersfield Town B defeated 2-1 in Central League Cup
- Late set-piece winner from home side Rotherham United
- Young Terriers should have scored more in second half
Huddersfield Town’s B Team suffered their first loss in the Central League Cup on Tuesday afternoon, suffering a 2-1 defeat at Rotherham United.
Rotherham fielded a strong-looking team on the afternoon, with several playing boasting First Team experience – exactly the kind of test Jon Worthington would want for his Young Terriers!
Substitute Donay O’Brien-Brady scored to pull Town level after Hakeem Odoffin’s opener, but big striker Georgie Kelly headed home a free-kick late in the game to secure all three points for the Millers.
Town should have scored more in the second 45, with several chances spurned with the game goalless.
The Town side was almost unchanged from the Premier League Cup win at Watford a week ago, with only goalkeeper Nick Bilokapic coming into the side.
Town tried to pass through the lines at all times, although new First Team debutant Charles Ondo offered a more direct option as our central striker. On the flip side, Rotherham looked to get the ball into Irish striker Georgie Kelly as soon as possible, who was impressive in the air.
Our defence had to be alert as early as the second minute when former Luton right wing back Peter Kioso tried to latch onto a through ball, with centre back Loick Ayina getting across well to slide in and clear the danger.
Town soon started to dominate the ball, but Rotherham always carried a threat. Bilokapic made amends for a huge error in the 11th minute when his attempted pass out of the area was cut out by Kelly, with the Australian Under-23 international doing very well to recover and block the ball as the Rotherham man looked to place the ball home.
Town, in all black, had to work hard and wait until just before the half hour mark to start creating chances. The first came through a set-piece after Ondo’s strength forced centre back Humphreys to haul him down just over 25 yards out – first skipper Ben Midgley hit the wall with his free kick, and then Brahima Diarra sent a left footed rebound well over from range.
A few more chances followed. First Ondo found Aaron Rowe at the back post with a deep cross from the right before a defender did well to block his shot, and then Rowe was found by the lively Myles Bright in the area. He went outside a Rotherham man onto his left and sent a low shot flashing across goal, with Ayina almost connecting at the back post.
The Millers hit back with another good chance before the interval. Town’s defenders were waiting for an offside flag that never came as Kelly raced onto a ball behind centre back David Adewoju; the Irishman cut inside the defender before shooting on his left, but Bilokapic was equal to it – getting down low to push the ball away.
The Young Terriers came flying out of the blocks in the second 45, and missed two massive chances inside two minutes.
First Maroodza found Ondo and his fantastic touch set Diarra through on goal, but his touch was too heavy and the goalkeeper managed to divert the ball behind for a corner.
Centre back Adewoju should have burst the net from the resulting set piece as Midgley received the ball short and picked him out at the back post, but he somehow managed to volley wide with the goal gaping.
Another excellent Midgley delivery from a free kick soon presented Spencer with a chance to convert, but he couldn’t get enough of a touch on the ball to knock it home.
Midgley went close himself moments later, diverting Shane Maroodza’s low cross onto the outside of the near post!
The B Teamers who were involved with the First Team at the weekend were subbed off by Worthington just after the hour mark, but the younger side continued to make the running. Cian Philpott immediately won a free kick right on the edge of the box after a positive dribble, but Connor Shanks’ low set piece was straight at the goalkeeper.
Then, with their first real chance of the second half, the Millers took the lead as former Newcastle United player Shane Ferguson’s low cross was converted at the back post by midfielder Hakeem Odoffin.
To their credit, the youngsters kept going and a bit of individual magic from sub Donay O’Brien-Brady drew Town level in the 73rd minute. Picking the ball up to the right of the penalty area, he nutmegged a defender before cutting onto his favoured left and driving a low shot inside the far post from 20 yards out!
Donay went inches away from a second barely two minutes later, receiving a pass from Philpott and shooting just wide of the ‘keeper’s right hand post from just outside the area.
Sub striker Conor Falls had a shot blocked in the area soon after, but it was Rotherham who scored the game’s final goal. After Ayina fouled Kelly on our right touchline, Town loanee Scott High played a high free kick into the area for the Irish striker to head past Bilokapic from close range.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Nicholas Bilokapic; Neo Eccleston, Loick Ayina, David Adewoju, Shane Maroodza; Brodie Spencer (Donay O’Brien-Brady, 62’), Ben Midgley (c); Myles Bright, Brahima Diarra (Connor Shanks, 62’), Aaron Rowe (Cian Philpott, 62’); Charles Ondo (Conor Falls, 62’)
Unused sub
Sam Taylor
Goal
Donay O’Brien-Brady (73’)
Booking
Ben Midgley (78’)