Terriers beaten by runaway league leaders
- Burnley 4-0 Huddersfield Town
- Neil Warnock’s side beaten by league leaders
- Terriers battle hard, but cannot match quality
Neil Warnock’s Huddersfield Town side were beaten by Sky Bet Championship champions-elect Burnley by four clear goals at Turf Moor.
The effort of the Town players could not be faulted, but in the end they were soundly beaten by the team that Warnock declared ‘the best team in the league’ both before and after the game.
Burnley started the day 12 points clear at the top of the Sky Bet Championship and boasting an unbeaten home record, and sadly it took them only seven minutes to open their account against the Terriers.
Morocco international winger Anass Zaroury stepped inside the recalled Rarmani Edmonds-Green on our right wing and dinked in a cross towards the near post for Ashley Barnes to attack and although the forward didn’t get a touch, his presence meant that Nick Bilokapic couldn’t commit himself and the ball bounced inside the far post.
Burnley’s midfield movement continued to give Town problems all half, whilst at the other end it was the endeavour of Danny Ward that was our best route. Our best chance of the opening 45 came two minutes after the opener, with our striker flicking Bilokapic’s long kick into the path of Jack Rudoni; he played a reverse pass into the path of Joe Hungbo, but his right-footed shot from just inside the area was weak and rolled well wide.
Bilokapic soon made a good save to push centre back Beyer’s header from a Gudmundsson corner away, but Burnley did score a second in the 18th minute when a patient passing move ended with Gudmundsson latching onto a defence-splitting pass and touching the ball around Bilokapic for full back Connor Roberts to tap home.
The Icelandic international had a hand in his side’s third just after the half hour mark. He rode David Kasumu’s challenge before firing another pass straight through the heart of our defence for midfielder Josh Brownhill, who took one touch before beating Bilokapic at point-blank range.
The number of defence-splitting passes was a big concern and on-loan Chelsea left back Ian Maatsen should have made it four in the 37th minute after losing marker Hungbo to latch onto another, but he volleyed wide with only our goalkeeper to beat.
Town had a couple of speculative efforts to try and reduce the arrears before the interval, but Rudoni’s shot from a very narrow angle could only find the outside of the side netting before Danny Ward drove a powerful effort just wide from around 25 yards out.
In the end, Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen had the final shot of the half, driving just wide on his left foot after Helik had nicked the ball away from Barnes.
Warnock made two changes during the interval, introducing Scott High and Brahima Diarra for Kasumu and Hungbo, and the Town players certainly didn’t fold in the face of the three-goal deficit. However, it was the Clarets who still made the majority of the running, and it only took three minutes for winger Zaroury to test Bilokapic from range.
Danny Ward was one of Town’s better performers on the day and he carved out a decent effort soon after. Rudoni won the ball from an opponent on halfway, allowing Koroma to lift the ball into Danny’s path; he jinked onto his left foot to unleash a powerful effort that the Burnley custodian had to tip over his crossbar. Rudoni’s resulting corner dropped to High on the edge of the box, but his half volley arrowed over.
Tella and Brownhill both missed the target from promising positions for the hosts thereafter before sub Diarra went on a trademark dribble in the 67th minute, drifting inside centre back Beyer only to hit a miscued shot off target.
Burnley made it four in the 74th minute when a pass played inside Headley found Tella’s run and he unselfishly squared the ball to substitute Michael Obafemi, who left Bilokapic with no chance at close range.
Town’s team (4-3-3)
Nicholas Bilokapic; Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Tom Lees (c), Michał Helik, Jaheim Headley; David Kasumu (Scott High, 46’), Jack Rudoni, Etienne Camara; Joseph Hungbo (Brahima Diarra, 46’), Danny Ward (Martyn Waghorn, 75’), Josh Koroma
Unused substitutes
Tomáš Vaclík; Jonathan Hogg, Jordan Rhodes, Will Boyle
Town bookings
Josh Koroma (31’), Jaheim Headley (47’)
Gate
20,711
Town fans
1,695
