Great game against a good visiting side.
- Huddersfield Town B 2-3 Morecambe
- Kyle Hudlin and Yuta Nakayama on the scoresheet
- A very useful game for several players in the First Team squad
Several players from Town’s First Team squad got valuable minutes under their belts early in the international break during a very competitive game with Morecambe on Tuesday afternoon.
Morecambe manager Derek Adams led a side with genuine senior experience against Jon Worthington’s B Team, which Yuta Nakayama, Ben Jackson, Kyle Hudlin and Kian Harratt alongside the younger professionals.
Hudlin and Nakayama both scored in a game that went one way and another, with Town coming from behind to take the lead before being pegged back by the visitors.
Morecambe had the better of the opening 45 minutes and went into the interval ahead thanks to an early fifth minute goal, although goalkeeper Jacob Chapman was unlucky to see a rebound converted after a good initial save.
Town’s best first half chance fell to Hudlin, who had an almighty battle with experienced centre back Farrend Rawson throughout. He tried to bend one around the goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty area, but the custodian read his intentions well and moved early to cover the shot.
With Assistant Manager Ronnie Jepson watching on from the touchline in the glorious sunshine, the Young Terriers improved in the second half by upping the tempo – and a quickfire brace put them ahead.
The first goal came from the penalty spot thanks to a good run from 19-year-old Neo Eccleston. Usually a right back, Neo was deployed in a midfield three on the afternoon and it was his determined burst and drive into the box that drew a foul from a defender. Up stepped Hudlin, who sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to draw Town level.
Another young midfielder, Cian Philpott, then found Nakayama’s run into the box with a 59th minute through pass. Yuta, who played at left wing back, turned inside Rawson onto his right foot and cleverly reversed his shot past the diving goalkeeper to give Town the lead.
The game remained a real end-to-end affair, with Chapman making some good saves at one end and his opposite number doing brilliantly to push away a Ben Jackson free kick at the other.
Centre back Mustapha Olagunju should have put the game to bed with 12 minutes left but managed to turn Jackson’s free kick over the bar from extremely close range.
Instead, it was Morecambe, and in particular former FC Halifax Town and Plymouth Argyle striker Jordan Slew, who converted twice late on to give the visitors the win.
Despite that, the game provided important 90 minutes to the players ahead of the restart of the Sky Bet Championship season at home to Rotherham United on Saturday 16 September.
Town’s team (3-5-2)
Jacob Chapman; Mustapha Olagunju, David Adewoju, Luke Daley (Myles Bright, 60’); Ben Jackson (c), Neo Eccleston, Tom Iorpenda, Cian Philpott, Yuta Nakayama; Kyle Hudlin, Kian Harratt
Unused substitutes
Francis Hurl; Dylan Helliwell, Omari Mrisho
Town goals
Kyle Hudlin (pen 54’), Yuta Nakayama (59’)
