Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle share a point each after two first half goals
- Huddersfield Town 1-1 Plymouth Argyle
- Josh Koroma scores first half equaliser
- Town couldn't find winner after the break
Despite falling behind the first half against the run of play, Town will be the least content with a point at full-time having dictated the pace of the game and enjoyed an overwheming amount of possession and territory.
In a game that neither side lacked motivation for, it was Town who started the steadier, with Alex Matos - making his first appearance in blue and white at the John Smith’s Stadium - unleashing the shot of the game after making space with a couple of stopovers. On the right hand channel of the box, his effort went wide for a goal kick.
Having started the more settled, two more moments within a few second got the atmosphere inside the stadium climbing, with a low cross toward Koroma from Thomas cut out, leading to Ben Jackson putting in an inch perfect sliding challenge on Morgan Whittaker down the left wing.
The away side reminded Town of their danger after five minutes, with Alex Matos caught in possession in his own half, giving Whittaker possession alone on the outside of the box. Trying to curl past Nicholls off his left, the goalkeeper got down smartly to palm the ball off to the side, straight to the feet of Michał Helik to clear via Tom Lees.
It was then Town’s turn to rob the ball up the field, with Rudoni stealing it off Kesler-Hayden before turning the full-back inside out, creating room for Koroma behind him on the overlap. Curling toward Thomas at the far post, only for the defence to nod behind for a corner before the Welshman could make contact. Floating in the corner himself, Thomas found Lees at the back post well, but the defender could only get beneath the ball and head it over as he was man marked.
Enjoying almost all of the ball, Jack Rudoni again pressed high, this time hassling Ashley Phillips and winning a throw in at his expense, rallying the crowd nearest his touchline as the Terriers looked to build on their early possession. Using the ball well in wide spaces, it was Koroma who was next to have an effort on goal, regathering his own blocked cross before cutting in to shoot at the near post, just watching the ball flash past the wrong side of the upright.
Catching the Terriers cold at the back with little over 10 minutes played, the away side built quickly up the left on the break, with Bali Mumba’s speculative ball across the six yard box finding Morgan Whittaker at the back post to tap home, with Lee Nicholls’ unable to intervene having been covering the opposite side of his net. A ruthless move against the run of play, that desire to get the better of Town with pace on the counter was clearly the game plan for Plymouth.
Regathering themselves, it wasn’t long before Town had another effort on goal as they looked to equalise. Seeing another low cross from Koroma blocked in the six yard box, the loose ball fell to Alex Matos rushing in on the follow up, but his first time effort flew straight into the same side netting that he had struck earlier. Matos continued his hard work minutes later winning the ball back in the final third, with his ball fired toward Thomas finding his feet, but positioned awkwardly with his back to goal and defenders behind him, there was no chance to get a strike on goal.
In the thick of things, Matos was charging up the right wing at one moment before putting in challenges at the other end the next. Not given a free-kick when he was brought down, there was one awarded against him - but having blocked the first strike, Town then cleared the subsequent corner.
Deservedly, the game was soon levelled by Josh Koroma, who had been showing plenty of endeavour in the final third throughout. The opposite of the goal most would usually associate with him, the attacker cut in from the right onto his left foot, arrowing an effort into the opposite bottom corner past Hazard at full stretch. Having been caught so dramatically against the run of the play by the first, it felt only right that the Terriers had dragged themselves level after being on top for so much of the contest.
Despite pushing, nothing of note happened for the remainder of the half, with a good first time cross from Kasumu defended well before Nicholls made the final save before the break, catching a curled effort from Hardie on the full after he had broken forward. Level at the time of the referees whistle, it would be a game that the second half would decide.
Starting the second half as they meant to go on, Town won the ball back quickly after the away side kicked off and kept hold of it before working themselves forward with pace. Taking the first strike of the half, Sorba Thomas attempted a right footed drive from range, but his effort flew well over. Continuing to press and push, Thomas was soon booked for sharing his displeasure with the referee after having a foul given against him.
With one strike from range from Whittaker flying over, that was all Plymouth had to offer in attack during the early exchanges of the second half as Town continued to put them under pressure and boss possession. Having received the ball on the switch from Thomas, Kasumu was quick off the mark to beat Mumba on the right wing, with the defender bringing him down for a free-kick as a result. Having half-cleared the resulting free-kick from Thomas, the ball feel to Koroma in the second phase, with his well hit half volley stinging the palms of Hazard between the sticks.
Turning up the pace, Sorba Thomas was the next to have a go, again watching his effort rise just too high above the bar from range with Plymouth goalkeeper Hazard then booked before the resulting goal kick for persisting time wasting. Making a triple change shortly before the 70 minute mark, Town made one adjustment of their own as Alex Matos made way for Tom Iorpenda, who was making his home and Sky Bet Championship debut for the Club after coming on against Manchester City at the Etihad in the Emirates FA Cup previously.
Worked nicely down the left by Sorba Thomas and Jack Rudoni, his cutback found Koroma alone on the edge of the box, who shaped to shoot. Slipped as he was making his strike, his connection was much weaker than intended, with the ball easily gathered by the goalkeeper as a result.
Bringing on Brahima Diarra for Josh Koroma with little over 10 minutes of normal time remaining, Town set themselves to continue attacking until full-time. Cutting in from the left, it was Jackson who was next to test Hazard, earning a corner after hitting a great right footed effort across goal. With fouls increasing from the away side, Town had chances from dead balls, with the best falling for Jack Rudoni, who couldn’t get a header on target from a good floated ball into the box from Thomas.
Going forward until the last, it wasn’t to be for Town on the day, and they were forced to settle for a point at the end of four minutes of added time.
TOWN’S TEAM (3-5-2)
Lee Nicholls; Tom Lees, Michał Helik, Brodie Spencer; David Kasumu, Jack Rudoni, Jonathan Hogg, Alex Matos (Tom Iorpenda 68'), Ben Jackson; Sorba Thomas, Josh Koroma (Brahima Diarra 78')
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
Giosue Bellagambi; Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Brahima Diarra, Tom Edwards, Ben Wiles, Josh Austerfield, Loick Ayina, Michael Stone
TOWN GOALS
Josh Koroma 38'
TOWN BOOKINGS
Sorba Thomas 50'
GATE
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