Four second half goals for Swansea City undo Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium
- Huddersfield Town 0-4 Swansea City
- Game had been scoreless at half-time
- Four goals in second half from Swansea City
Despite having the better chances before and after the break as the game sat even at 0-0, four late goals for the away side handed Town an unwelcome home defeat.
With the atmosphere at fever pitch for kick-off, Brodie Spencer saved the Terriers from suffering the worst possible start inside a minute, doing excellently to make a sliding challenge on the overlapping Ronald down the right hand wing with the away side finding some early space after getting the game started.
Gladly not a sign of things to come, Town quickly left that moment behind as they went on the offensive. Setting the tone through Delano Burgzorg, his determined press almost caught Rushworth with the ball at his feet in his own six yard box, but the goalkeeper scrambled clear at the final moment. Then putting together a fantastic move started by Jack Rudoni, winger Koroma was set free down the left and rather than cross to Thomas on the opposite flank unmarked, he cut inside to shoot, dragging his effort wide.
Continuing to build pressure, Town were seeing several moves make it at pace to the penalty area before breaking down, just unable to find that final pass or room to shoot. Clearly amped up for the contest, Jack Rudoni roared into the stands following one cross blocked for a home corner, getting the John Smith’s Stadium crowd even more into the spirit of things on field.
Working hard on both sides of the ball, Josh Koroma was getting some early praise from the supporters in the ground, following play back a number of times to recover possession and draw fouls, taking the pressure of the Terriers and giving them more opportunity to attack.
Despite the promising activity in open play, it was from a corner that Town came closest. Whipped in by Thomas and flicked on at the near post by Rudoni, the ball skidded across the face of goal with Michał Helik inches away from poking it home into an open goal, but just failing to make contact. Continuing to defend their own box well as they were pushed and pressured, Swansea were happy to concede throw-ins and corners when unable to clear.
With almost half an hour played, Swansea almost found themselves ahead thanks to their first chance sine the opening minute. Working the ball to Fulton, his effort was going across going into the bottom corner if not for the hand of Lee Nicholls, who sprang excellently down to his left to deny.
Enjoying some possession in the Town half, that almost undid the visitors, with David Kasumu’s ball out to Sorba Thomas giving the Welsh international two to beat down the right wing, which he did with ease. Cutting the ball back into the box from the byline he almost found Delano Burgzorg, but a combination of good defending and the forward not reading the pass well enough saw the move stopped at the final stage. Not shy of trying things, the same two players almost combined again moments later after good movement from Thomas in his own half, but the ball was again too easy to defend as he tried to whip one in behind the defensive line for the striker to latch onto.
Despite not having many chances, the away side had real openings on the occasions they did get forward. Their third attack of note within the game saw a cross from the left from Tymon lofted into the middle of the box, with Cullen meeting it uncontested in the six yard box. With only Nicholls to beat, he turned his header wide, with the John Smith’s Stadium breathing a sigh of relief as he did so.
With half-time coming and going without incident or substitution, it was again the visitors who had the first effort after the restart with Cullen’s left-footed snapshot from the edge of the area flying wide.
10 minutes after the restart, the Terriers ought to have opened the scoring. Beating the goalkeeper to a poor pass back, Delano Burgzorg picked himself off the ground to regather the ball before beating the goalkeeper and a defender inside the box. With a pass on to Koroma in space alongside him, the forward opted to shoot toward the open goal but found the bodies of the defence blocking his way, with the ball then cleared by the away side.
Making a triple change to provide fresh legs in attack, Danny Ward, Rhys Healey and Jeheim Headley were introduced from the bench little past the hour mark. Getting straight into the game, Danny Ward’s flick on from a corner created a scramble in the area, but Swansea were able to clear before Town could connect. Jaheim Headley and Rhys Healey soon created problems of their own too, working the ball nicely between themselves before laying off for Kasumu to shoot, watching the effort blocked wide for a corner.
On a goalscoring run of two in two, Josh Koroma should’ve extended his record from close range, but blazed his effort well over. Latching onto a cross from Thomas in a similar position to his goal against Bristol City last week, he got underneath the ball as he opted for power over precision and missed the target.
Punished less than five minutes later, Jamal Lowe’s run down the left before cutting inside saw him fire clinically into the bottom corner. Completely against the run of play, it was a finish that the Terriers could’ve afforded had they taken their earlier chances of their own.
With 10 minutes to go, Town came the closest yet to getting on the scoresheet, with Ward striking first time left footed from inside the area after Kasumu had carried the ball forward. Watching his effort bounce back across the goal line after smashing the inside of the post before going out for a goal kick, the forward couldn’t have come any closer without scoring having caught the ball beautifully.
Stretching to equalise, the Terriers were undone twice more on the break as Swansea scored two more at close range. The first, tapped home by Ronald, was followed up as added time begun by Yates who finished off a move that saw a low cross kindly deflected. Wrapping the game up through Walsh, his effort from range curled into the top corner from range.
TOWN'S TEAM (4-2-3-1)
Lee Nicholls; Matty Pearson, Michał Helik (c), Tom Lees (Ben Jackson, 87'), Brodie Spencer (Jaheim Headley 61'); Alex Matos (Rhys Healey 61'), David Kasumu; Sorba Thomas, Jack Rudoni, Josh Koroma; Delano Burgzorg (Danny Ward 61')
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
Chris Maxwell; Bojan Radulovic, Tom Edwards, Ollie Turton, Ben Wiles
TOWN CARDS
Michał Helik 56'
GATE
18,935 (433)
