Huddersfield Town earned their first win of the calendar year after a terrific 4-1 win over Swansea City at the John Smith's Stadium.
Fraizer Campbell gave the Terriers a first-half lead before Conor Hourihane levelled the score for the Swans just before the break.
After half-time, Town took control of the game with three goals in six minutes courtesy of a Lewis O’Brien strike and a Duane Holmes brace, as they wrapped up all three Sky Bet Championship points in HD1.
Carlos Corberán made two changes to the side that started the game at Middlesbrough in midweek.
Off the back of an impressive second-half cameo from the bench at the Riverside Stadium, Aaron Rowe came in for his seventh First Team start alongside fellow midweek substitute Álex Vallejo who was the second of the two alterations from Tuesday’s encounter in the north east.
Inside the opening 10 minutes, Town had the ball in the net at a blustery John Smith’s Stadium but the brief delight was met by the assistant referee’s raised flag.
Lewis O’Brien had stepped past the byline before re-entering play behind the defensive line and squaring for Fraizer Campbell who did the rest in finding the net, only for it to be ruled out.
It was part of a positive start from the Terriers who were rewarded with the lead on 22 minutes. Pipa collected Aaron’s Rowe’s cross that had missed everyone in the box, recycling it into the path of Campbell who found the net via the post to break the deadlock.
Town couldn’t have been much closer to doubling the lead just after. Juninho Bacuna worked some space on the defender before unleashing a strike that came back off the post.
The Terriers’ no.7 was denied again moments later, this time by Swans ‘keeper Freddie Woodman who moved to his left to stop the midfielder’s goal-bound free-kick.
At the other end, the visitors were pushing for an equaliser. After André Ayew and Matt Grimes had fired wide from range, Naby Sarr was in the right place at the right time to head clear Jake Bidwell’s header on the line.
As the game entered stoppage time at the end of the first half, Swansea did get the equaliser. Conor Hourihane’s free-kick from the edge of the box found the net to ensure the sides would go into the break level.
Town hit back straight after the break however and were back in front less than four minutes later.
Lewis O’Brien drilled home his first career goal at the John Smith’s Stadium to restore the lead for the Terriers on 49 minutes.
Retaking the lead gave Town real momentum and it was a boost that would produce a quickfire Duane Holmes double as the Terriers powered into a 4-1 lead.
Having scored his first Terriers goal since his January return after he was well found by Aaron Rowe, Holmes doubled his tally moments later picking out the top corner from range superbly, with Town’s third goal in a six-minute spell.
Bacuna went close to extending the lead late on, but the midfielder sliced wide with what turned out to be the Terriers’ final opportunity of the encounter as Town closed out a first win of the calendar year.
Next up for Town is a trip to Pride Park to face Derby County in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday 23 February 2021; 7pm kick-off.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (3-5-2)
Ryan Schofield; Naby Sarr, Richard Keogh (Richard Stearman, 84’), Álex Vallejo; Aaron Rowe (Jaden Brown, 84’), Jonathan Hogg (c) (Alex Pritchard, 84’), Lewis O'Brien, Juninho Bacuna (Scott High, 78’), Pipa; Duane Holmes, Fraizer Campbell (Kieran Phillips, 72’)
Unused subs
Joel Pereira; Demeaco Duhaney, Sorba Thomas, Romoney Crichlow
SWANSEA CITY (3-5-2)
Freddie Woodman; Marc Guéhi, Ryan Bennett (Ben Cabango, 46’), Kyle Naughton (Morgan Whittaker, 58’); Jake Bidwell (Ryan Manning, 58’), Matt Grimes (c), Conor Hourihane, Jay Fulton (Yan Dhanda, 58’), Connor Roberts; Jamal Lowe (Jordan Morris, 46’), André Ayew
Unused subs
Ben Hamer; Korey Smith, Paul Arriola, Joel Latibeaudiere
REFEREE
John Brooks
