Hull City take all three points thanks to Jacob Greaves brace; Jack Rudoni had equalised for Huddersfield Town
- Huddersfield Town 1-2 Hull City
- Two goals for Jacob Greaves
- Jack Rudoni had equalised late on
Despite an equaliser in added time for Jack Rudoni after an excellent second half display from Town, a header with seconds remained took what would've been a hard earned point back away from the Terriers.
A first half that took some time to settle, the early exchanges were scrappy, with both sides looking to take risks in possession to get the ball forward. Being the first to get one of those passes through, Hull tested Nicholls through Philogene, who cut inside and hit a strong effort with his left, but the Town goalkeeper did well to turn it behind for a corner.
Failing to clear the corner first time, with their first header going vertically up in the air and falling back down in the box, it was a mistake that the Terriers were made to pay for. Hooking an unorthodox effort toward goal, Hull captain Greaves caught Nicholls wrong footed, with the goalkeeper unable to keep the effort out despite getting a hand to the ball.
As has been the way under Worthington, the response from Town was to attack. Going straight up the other end of the field, Sorba Thomas had at best half a chance to test the goalkeeper, but his first time volley was struck just underneath the ball, looping the ball over the crossbar. Racing forward under similar circumstances a few minutes later, Koroma’s inviting low ball was just ahead of Thomas, who would have had a daily simple finish from the middle of the goal otherwise.
Aggressive in their press, forcing mistakes and turnovers from Hull in their own half was Town’s go-to avenue for chance creation. One such occasion have Josh Koroma the first of a couple of chances in the first half, with the attacker looking to curl into the top corner from range, but the effort was over after he caught too much of the ball. The second effort came in a phase following a Town corner, with Alex Matos’ deflect strike from range bouncing into the path of Koroma with his back to goal. Spinning to hit first time, he again got underneath the ball, striking over.
Dropping deeper to cope with the Town press and happy to play on the break with the lead, much of the remainder of the half saw the Terriers trying and failing to get the better of a defence with plenty of men behind the ball. Needing something of quality to breakthrough, Ben Wiles came incredibly close to providing that with a wonderfully struck effort of his left boot, which looked destined for the top corner until Allsop intervened with a great dive to his right.
Despite seven minutes of added time being added before time being called on the half - due to a number of injuries for Hull City that required on field attention - neither side registered another effort of note, with Town heading into the break behind for the first time under Worthington’s Caretaker charge.
With the away side making a chance up top in the break with Ohio replacing Sharp, the Terriers continued unchanged. Upping their intensity - which had already been high - Town pressed Hull incredibly aggressively and looked to trap them in their own half, leading to a couple of early chances. Having seen Koroma and Thomas combine well previously, Alex Matos then joined in down the left, beating a player before striking from an angle. Bouncing through a defender’s legs, the goalkeeper did well to readjust before saving, as he could’ve easily been wrong footed.
Producing the pass of the game, Sorba Thomas unlocked the stubborn away defence with an inch perfect curled through ball to Rudoni who latched onto it brilliantly down the right. Squaring it across the box first time, Josh Koroma was behind the play and unable to strike from close range, with Hull afforded a much simpler clearance than should’ve been the case.
Not waiting to go to his bench, Jon Worthington made three changes 10 minutes into the second half, with Delano Burgzorg, Brahima Diarra and David Kasumu replacing Josh Koroma, Ben Wiles and Alex Matos, who’s race was run. Almost making immediate impacts, a self-made chance for Diarra after he won the ball back in the box and skipped around the goalkeeper from an angle was ended as he dribbled back into the defence, before Burgzorg carried the ball to the edge of the box and struck with his left, dragging his effort just wide of the right hand upright.
Predominantly one way traffic in Town’s favour, the Terriers created a host of chances, but were unable to make any of them count. With strikes and crosses aplenty blocked and turned behind for corners, Delano Burgzorg and Sorba Thomas almost combined to level, only for the post to intervene! Excellent work from Burgzorg saw him carry the ball across the box and draw out the defence before playing Thomas in down the left, who stuck first tome across the goal. Coming back into play off the inside of the upright, it was millimetres away from an equaliser.
Throwing caution to the wind, Worthington’s next change saw captain Jonathan Hogg replaced by Danny Ward, and the Terriers continued to push forward. Pinning the away side inside their own half, Thomas and Burgzorg took turns to run at the full-backs and look to cross and create, but the first and second balls weren’t landing for Town despite the effort being made.
With at leased four minutes of added time on top of the 90 played, the game still had time to take several more turns. Having raced clear from a Town corner, Hull looked to have the game sealed through Philogene, but his effort one-on-one with Nicholls rebounded back off the upright in much the same way Thomas’ had earlier, going across the goal line before rolling out of play.
Two minutes into the time added, Jack Rudoni levelled for the Terriers, sparking brilliant scenes at the John Smith’s Stadium, with Town more than good value for what looked to be a point. Conceding a free-kick straight from the kick-off that followed, Hull retook the lead through Greaves again, who headed in from close range, undoing the hard work that Town had done to level. Bringing a close to Jon Worthington’s Caretaker spell that felt undeserved, there were again many positive to take from Town, who will now look forward to working with new Head Coach André Breitenreiter.
TOWN'S TEAM
Lee Nicholls; Matty Pearson, Radinio Balker, Tom Lees, Brodie Spencer; Jonathan Hogg (c) (Danny Ward 76'), Alex Matos (David Kasumu 56'); Jack Rudoni, Ben Wiles (Brahima Diarra 56'), Sorba Thomas; Josh Koroma (Delano Burgzorg 56')
UNUSED SUBS
Chris Maxwell; Bojan Radulovic, Pat Jones, Ben Jackson, Yuta Nakayama
TOWN GOALS
Jack Rudoni 90+2'
TOWN CARDS
Jack Rudoni 14', Brodie Spencer 30', Sorba Thomas 45+2'
GATE
19,947 (2,259)
We return home on Saturday 2 March for André Breitenreiter's first fixture as Head Coach at the John Smith's Stadium in the West Yorkshire Derby against Leeds United! CLICK HERE to secure your seat today.
