Terriers defeated in West Yorkshire derby
- Leeds United 4-1 Huddersfield Town
- Four first half goals for the hosts
- Michal Helik scores in the second half
Town were soundly defeated in the first West Yorkshire derby by Leeds United at Elland Road courtesy of four first-half goals from the hosts.
Michal Helik’s fourth of the season was no consolation for the Terriers or the 3,000 fans in the away end, with braces from wide forwards Crysencio Summerville and Dan James putting the game to bed.
Darren Moore changed the shape to a back four for the game, replacing the injured Jack Rudoni with Brahima Diarra and bringing in Tom Edwards and Tom Lees in defence.
The Terriers looked to play on the counter as the game began, engaging United’s players when they entered our defensive half.
The game was fairly even in the opening minutes, with James’ touch letting him down at the back post when well positioned to try his luck in the 5th minute before our first chance came. That was largely down to some impressive individual play from Delano Burgzorg, who received a pass from Hogg and advanced to the edge of the box before sending defender Pascal Struijk sprawling with quick feet, only to drag a left-footed shot just wide from 20 yards.
Leeds had the ball in the net a few minutes later when former Swansea man Joel Piroe knocked home a free kick that was played into the area, but the effort was rightly ruled out for offside.
At this point, the hosts started to take control – and the first goal followed in the 20th minute. It started with Town on the attack, but Edwards’ long throw was cleared to Georginio Rutter and he cleverly lobbed the ball into space for Crysencio Summerville to run onto. The winger drove infield before passing to James, who managed to squeeze a shot past Yuta Nakayama and inside the near post from just outside the area.
Town went fairly close to an immediate reply when a ball over the top from Sorba Thomas found Burgzorg. Shackleton tried to chest the ball down and Delano seized upon it, but centre back Joe Rodon got back to make an important last-ditch tackle inside his own area to stop the Dutchman volleying home.
Instead, it was Leeds who doubled their advantage in the 31st minute through Summerville. He cut inside Thomas and onto his left foot before sending a low shot goalwards; Helik couldn’t sort his feet to block and, with his frame obscuring Nicholls’ view, it rolled past everyone and into the net.
Leeds made it three just three minutes later, again on the counter-attack. Diarra’s pass for Harratt in the United area was cut out and the ball was quickly transferred to Summerville, who drifted infield and slipped a pass behind Nakayama for the pacey James to run on to before dispatching a finish past Nicholls inside the area.
Nicholls did pull off a fantastic save to deny Summerville after indecision from Wiles and Edwards was seized upon by Rutter, but the same player did get his second in first half added time. Rutter raced past Edwards on our right before cutting the ball back for the former Feyenoord man, who chopped back onto his left inside the area before finding the far corner.
Moore switched his side back to a defensive three for the second half, with Matty Pearson coming on to play at centre back and Ben Jackson on to play wing back.
The second half started in a quieter fashion, with the first genuine shot coming after the hour mark as Piroe hit a low drive wide of Nicholls’ left hand post from around 20 yards.
At the other end, Burgzorg’s pace got him the wrong side of former Town loanee Liam Cooper momentarily, but the referee wasn’t interested when he went down under the defender’s challenge as he tried to cut inside him in the penalty area.
Town did get a goal back through Helik’s fourth of the season with 20 minutes left. Town worked a corner short after good work from Bergzorg, giving Thomas the chance to fire goalwards from around 20 yards; his shot cannoned off the chest of goalkeeper Meslier and the Polish international reacted quickest, following in to place the ball home.
In the end, that didn’t matter in a heavy West Yorkshire derby defeat.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Lee Nicholls; Tom Edwards (Matty Pearson, 46’), Michal Helik, Tom Lees, Yuta Nakayama; Jonathan Hogg (c), Brahima Diarra (Ben Jackson, 46’); Sorba Thomas, Ben Wiles, Delano Burgzorg; Kian Harratt
Unused substitutes
Chris Maxwell; Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Jaheim Headley, Kyle Hudlin, Josh Austerfield, Luke Daley, Tom Iorpenda
Town bookings
Jonathan Hogg (25’), Sorba Thomas (37’), Brahima Diarra (40’), Tom Lees (50’)
Gate
36,813
