26-12-2022, 21:09
Preston North End 1 Cunningham Huddersfield Town 2 Rhodes, Kesler-Hayden
PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham; Potts (Diaby, 90+2), Whiteman, Ledson (McCann, 77), Woodburn, Fernández; Johnson (Browne, 77), Woodburn (Riis, 77); Evans. Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Cross-Adair.
Huddersfield Town line-up: Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Boyle; Kesler-Hayden, Hogg, Holmes (Jackson, 90+6), Ruffels; Rudoni, Kasumu (Diarra, 71); Rhodes (Simpson, 89). Subs not used: Bilokapic, Mahoney, Camara, Jackson, Spencer.
Attendance: 16,982 (1,097 away fans)
Referee: Mr G Eltringham.
Third home defeat on the trot and the worst of the lot, outplayed by the side bottom of the league who truthfully deserved the win, booed off at the end by the few that remained.
The boost of winning at Ewood is now a distant memory although mitigating factors six first teamers missing but as with the defeat against QPR, we have a very limited squad and January will need to be good to salvage the season. Zero chance of play offs and with more performenances like this, a relegation fight.
Painfully slow football in the first half saw us having to defend in depth against Town who always looked the more ;likely to score although saying that they never looked remotely like achieving that joy. The closest they got was in the last minute of the half when some spectularly average defending let in Kesler-Hayden at the back post, should have scored but in keeping with Ton's attacking threat missed the ball completely, the ball end up with Holmes who then fired over the ball.
The first 20 minutes were only memorable for a bit of hanbags after Kasumu's tackle on Ledson.
![[Image: 8066-A394-9-A14-4-A4-D-88-FC-13-D74116-C553.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/j4HzVh9/8066-A394-9-A14-4-A4-D-88-FC-13-D74116-C553.jpg)
When football did eventually break out Woodburn was unlucky with a volley jut over the bar. We took the lead from a corner, looked as though Evans headed home but they have given it to Cunningham
Second half we rarely got out of reverse gear, as Town dominated again never looked like scoring, we had a brief period of play were we looked dangerous but for some reason having a shot at goal does not to be in the teams agenda, should have scored when Woodburn was one on one with the keeper but he flicked the ball over the keeper and wide of the post
Then it was hapless defending time, Diarra who was a pest when he came, chased a ball into the box with Cunningham, the full back lost the ball and fouled the Town player who, fair play didn't go down, he fed he scores when he wants who duly did the ball seemed to go through Woodman.
Rhodes then hit a post and the alarm bells could be heard ringing in the centre of Preston, as it dawned on those that salvaging a point against the bottom club was probably not going to happen, and so it proved Ridoni along with Holmes, Town's best on the day, put in a cross from the left, for some obscure reason Woodman left it and Kesler-Hayden had the simple task unmarked at the back post to score the winner.
Whiteman should have done better with a shot from the edge of the box but Town easily held on for the win.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I'm disappointed, obviously. When you lose a game of football in the manner we did, two soft goals.
"We didn't play that well. First half, we found ourselves 1-0 up, and had a couple of half-chances. I told them at half-time not to give (Huddersfield) an inch because they will take a mile.
"They are fighting for their lives down at the bottom and still have some good footballers and play the right way. We gave them two opportunities and they scored two goals and we couldn't come back from it.
"They were two goals that if you saw them on a Sunday morning pitch - from our aspect, not theirs - it's calamity and you can't allow that to happen.
"One ball up the pitch and then an error of judgement and he pulls it back for a free shot just outside the six-yard box, and the second is a ball fired across the box that has to be dealt with and is not."
Huddersfield boss Mark Fotheringham told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It was a really gritty performance and I was delighted for the lads. They showed really strong character to come back and overall it was a very satisfying performance.
"We showed a real positive energy, they never let their heads go down and that shows they are fighting. We have sent a ripple through the league with that result. We have to build on it now.
"Duane (Holmes) was the best player on the park today and last week he wasn't in the squad.
"We utilised the squad and have got a lot of games coming up. We are trying to bring a freshness and in the coming weeks there's lots of games to play and I'm sure we will utilise the squad and Sorba (Thomas) will be involved."
PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham; Potts (Diaby, 90+2), Whiteman, Ledson (McCann, 77), Woodburn, Fernández; Johnson (Browne, 77), Woodburn (Riis, 77); Evans. Subs not used: Cornell, Bauer, Cross-Adair.
Huddersfield Town line-up: Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Boyle; Kesler-Hayden, Hogg, Holmes (Jackson, 90+6), Ruffels; Rudoni, Kasumu (Diarra, 71); Rhodes (Simpson, 89). Subs not used: Bilokapic, Mahoney, Camara, Jackson, Spencer.
Attendance: 16,982 (1,097 away fans)
Referee: Mr G Eltringham.
Third home defeat on the trot and the worst of the lot, outplayed by the side bottom of the league who truthfully deserved the win, booed off at the end by the few that remained.
The boost of winning at Ewood is now a distant memory although mitigating factors six first teamers missing but as with the defeat against QPR, we have a very limited squad and January will need to be good to salvage the season. Zero chance of play offs and with more performenances like this, a relegation fight.
Painfully slow football in the first half saw us having to defend in depth against Town who always looked the more ;likely to score although saying that they never looked remotely like achieving that joy. The closest they got was in the last minute of the half when some spectularly average defending let in Kesler-Hayden at the back post, should have scored but in keeping with Ton's attacking threat missed the ball completely, the ball end up with Holmes who then fired over the ball.
The first 20 minutes were only memorable for a bit of hanbags after Kasumu's tackle on Ledson.
When football did eventually break out Woodburn was unlucky with a volley jut over the bar. We took the lead from a corner, looked as though Evans headed home but they have given it to Cunningham
Second half we rarely got out of reverse gear, as Town dominated again never looked like scoring, we had a brief period of play were we looked dangerous but for some reason having a shot at goal does not to be in the teams agenda, should have scored when Woodburn was one on one with the keeper but he flicked the ball over the keeper and wide of the post
Then it was hapless defending time, Diarra who was a pest when he came, chased a ball into the box with Cunningham, the full back lost the ball and fouled the Town player who, fair play didn't go down, he fed he scores when he wants who duly did the ball seemed to go through Woodman.
Rhodes then hit a post and the alarm bells could be heard ringing in the centre of Preston, as it dawned on those that salvaging a point against the bottom club was probably not going to happen, and so it proved Ridoni along with Holmes, Town's best on the day, put in a cross from the left, for some obscure reason Woodman left it and Kesler-Hayden had the simple task unmarked at the back post to score the winner.
Whiteman should have done better with a shot from the edge of the box but Town easily held on for the win.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I'm disappointed, obviously. When you lose a game of football in the manner we did, two soft goals.
"We didn't play that well. First half, we found ourselves 1-0 up, and had a couple of half-chances. I told them at half-time not to give (Huddersfield) an inch because they will take a mile.
"They are fighting for their lives down at the bottom and still have some good footballers and play the right way. We gave them two opportunities and they scored two goals and we couldn't come back from it.
"They were two goals that if you saw them on a Sunday morning pitch - from our aspect, not theirs - it's calamity and you can't allow that to happen.
"One ball up the pitch and then an error of judgement and he pulls it back for a free shot just outside the six-yard box, and the second is a ball fired across the box that has to be dealt with and is not."
Huddersfield boss Mark Fotheringham told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It was a really gritty performance and I was delighted for the lads. They showed really strong character to come back and overall it was a very satisfying performance.
"We showed a real positive energy, they never let their heads go down and that shows they are fighting. We have sent a ripple through the league with that result. We have to build on it now.
"Duane (Holmes) was the best player on the park today and last week he wasn't in the squad.
"We utilised the squad and have got a lot of games coming up. We are trying to bring a freshness and in the coming weeks there's lots of games to play and I'm sure we will utilise the squad and Sorba (Thomas) will be involved."
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