Terriers record their first win of the season!
- West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Huddersfield Town
- Delano Burgzorg and Jack Rudoni score
- A fantastic victory at the Hawthorns
Town recorded a welcome and deserved first win of the 2023/24 Sky Bet Championship season at West Bromwich Albion.
Summer signing Delano Burgzorg capped his first start in English football with his opening goal for the club, with Jack Rudoni netting deep into added time to secure a win after a home equaliser.
Every player deserved credit for a wholehearted performance in what was a great game, but captain Jonathan Hogg was an outstanding presence in central midfield throughout.
Neil Warnock made four changes for the game, handing first Town starts to new recruits Ben Wiles and Burgzorg to facilitate a change of shape to 3-5-2. That also saw a welcome return for David Kasumu, who was deployed at right wing back after his pre-season ankle injury, with Jaheim Headley making his first league start of the campaign on the opposite flank.
There was plenty of action at both ends throughout, and Town were denied an eighth minute goal by an adjudged foul. Wiles won the ball and worked a corner kick, and Kasumu returned it into the box once the initial effort was half-cleared. His cross found Rudoni at the back post, who volleyed home expertly – only for referee James Linnington to rule it out for a foul by Helik.
Wiles tried his luck himself two minutes later with a daisy-cutter from range that Palmer had to push around the post, and Town were in the ascendancy at this point. Matty Pearson soon headed a Rudoni free kick over the crossbar, just after Helik had planted a header at the goalkeeper from a corner.
West Brom threatened at times too, but Lee Nicholls was back to his best and the back three of Ruffels, Helik and Pearson defended the box very well.
It was no surprise when Town took the lead in the 33rd minute, with Dutchman Burgzorg scoring beautifully. Another corner, won by the battling Danny Ward, was eventually cleared to the edge of the box, where Delano chested it smartly past Conor Townsend before volleying sharply between Palmer and the near post.
The unpredictable Mainz loanee tried his luck again in first half added time after working his own space for a shot on the edge of the box but pulled this effort wide of the near post.
The home side’s best chance of the first half came just before the interval when they worked the ball to striker Brandon Thomas-Asante in our area, but his snapshot was straight at Nicholls.
Town threatened again early in the second 45 when Rudoni got down the right, only to be flagged offside, but that signalled our intent to get forward and not sit on the single goal lead.
Unfortunately, that led to the equaliser when West Brom broke in clinical fashion from our corner. Headley was outnumbered two to one and Thomas-Asante drew him over before slipping the ball right to John Swift, who swept the ball past Nicholls one-on-one.
The game was now wide open, with both sides trying to find a winner. Several crosses were flashed across both goalmouths without finding a finishing touch, and several substitutes came on for both sides. That included a welcome return to league action for Yuta Nakayama when Ruffels went down with cramp, and a change in the front two for the final quarter of an hour when Koroma and Harratt came on.
Harratt was lively, and before having a big hand in the winner he tried to sneak another shot between the goalkeeper and the near post from the narrowest of angles that didn’t work out.
In the end, a big Nicholls save preceded the dramatic late winner. Lee did very well to get down low to his left to save a shot from substitute Josh Maja after Pearson had tried to force him wide - and then Town broke swiftly.
Koroma broke down the left and went on the outside before sliding a reverse pass into the path of Harratt’s forward run. Kian steadied himself before picking out Rudoni in space at the back post, who calmly took the ball on his chest before slamming it low to the goalkeeper’s left. That sparked wild celebratory scenes in front of the travelling Town faithful, who were fantastic throughout.
Town saw out the final two minutes to record a big first win of the season.
Town’s team (3-5-2)
Lee Nicholls; Matty Pearson, Michał Helik, Josh Ruffels (Yuta Nakayama, 82’); David Kasumu, Ben Wiles, Jonathan Hogg (c), Jack Rudoni, Jaheim Headley (Ben Jackson, 85’); Danny Ward (Kian Harratt, 73’), Delano Burgzorg (Josh Koroma, 74’)
Unused substitutes
Chris Maxwell; Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Brahima Diarra, Pat Jones, Kyle Hudlin
Town goals
Delano Burgzorg (33’), Jack Rudoni (90+6’)
Town booking
Josh Ruffels (41’)
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