Huddersfield 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Garry Monk won the battle of the new two new Yorkshire managers as Sheffield Wednesday beat Huddersfield 2-0 at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Steven Fletcher’s 10th-minute header and a rare goal from substitute Sam Winnall proved the difference between the two sides as Danny Cowley who, along with his brother and assistant Nicky, suffered defeat in their first outing at the Huddersfield helm.
Both sides created good chances, but it was Fletcher who gave the Owls the lead with his fourth goal in six games. The 32-year-old striker timed his run to perfection to head Kadeem Harris’ cross past the helpless Terriers goalkeeper Kamil Grabara.
Huddersfield fought back, with Terence Kongolo volleying over after a one-two with Fraizer Campbell, and then testing Kieren Westwood with a stinging drive. Jacob Murphy, on loan from Newcastle, then missed a chance to double Wednesday’s lead before the break.
Cowley brought on Isaac Mbenza and Juninho Bacuna at half-time, with the latter setting up Kongolo with a cross – only for the defender to be denied by Westwood again. Campbell failed to test the Wednesday keeper from an Adama Diakhaby cross, before Adam Reach went close at the other end.
Winnall then settled the game with 18 minutes remaining, glancing in a header from skipper Barry Bannan’s delightful cross for his first goal for the Owls in more than two years. The visitors threatened a third late on, but ran out comfortable winners. PA
That’s it for today’s blog. The win moves Sheffield Wednesday up to ninth, only a couple of points off the automatic promotion places. Huddersfield stay in 21st. Thanks for your company - bye!
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Full time: Huddersfield 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Peep peep! Garry Monk starts his spell as Sheffield Wednesday manager with an ultimately comfortable victory, thanks to two accomplished headers from Steven Fletcher and Sam Winnall. Huddersfield were willing but looked short on quality and especially confidence. The Cowley brothers will need a bit of time to improve things.
90+2 min Nuhiu and Bacuna have a bit of a shoving match on the touchline. Nothing to see here.
90 min Four minutes of added time.
89 min “One final thought,” says Joe Ludlam. “Imagine what Adthe Nuhiu would have done to England’s defence if Kosovo had brought him off the bench...”
He is an appreciable unit.
87 min Winnall’s shot goes behind off a defender. It was very hard work for 72 minutes, but since the second goal Wednesday have been cruising.
86 min Kieran Lee replaces the impressive Kadeem Harris, who had a hand in both goals.
85 min Nuhiu limbers into the area and finds Winnall, who blasts the bouncing ball over the bar on the turn.
83 min Huddersfield’s heads have gone down since the second goal, which is understandable if not ideal.
82 min Another Wednesday change: Atdhe Nuhiu replaces the goalscorer Steven Fletcher.
79 min Huddersfield suddenly look so vulnerable to the counter-attack. Winnall, in a criminal amount of space just past the halfway line. slices the defence open with a beautiful pass to the left-back Palmer. He surges into the area and slips a low cross that just evades the sliding Fletcher in front of an open goal. Fletcher is then booked for something or other.
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77 min This could get worse for Huddersfield. Wednesday break down the left through Winnall, who picks out Reach on the edge of the box. He has time to take a touch and smack a shot that deflects wide off Hogg. Before the corner is taken, Huddersfield bring on Steve Mounie for the impressive Fraizer Campbell.
74 min It’s been a bit of a mugging, in that Huddersfield have dominated possession throughout, but the two Wednesday goals were excellent.
GOAL! Huddersfield 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday (Winnall 72)
That’s another really good goal. Harris drew two defenders towards him and played the ball back to Bannan, who curled a beautiful first-time ball towards the six-yard line. It was perfect for the substitute Sam Winnall, who got between the centre-halves and flicked an accomplished header in off the far post.
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71 min “I don’t think we’ve looked inspired going forward since about 1998,” says Joe Ludlam, “and after a year of Jos Luhakay’s ‘everyone a centre-half’ philosophy I’ll take any hint of positive intent. I do worry about loading good players into the middle when they’re more effective elsewhere (Reach is best on the wing, Hutchinson less likely to get sent off at the back) but hopefully Monk will have the confidence to address this as the season progresses.”
70 min Borner is booked for taking a shortcut through the back of Campbell.
69 min Hutchinson has hurt his left knee after landing awkwardly. He’s going to try to continue.
68 min Hadergjonaj is booked for a foul on Harris, who has given him a difficult afternoon.
66 min That was a really good chance for Reach. Harris zoomed into the area and picked out Reach in space on the edge of the area. He took the short first time, but it was a tame strike and too close to Grabara.
63 min Chalobah is booked for a high foot on Borner. I’m not even sure it was a foul.
61 min Hadergjonaj’s low cross ricochets right across the face of goal. Huddersfield look more threatening since that double substitution.
60 min Reach wriggles away from Hogg on the edge of the area and hits a shot on the turn that goes just wide. Grabara had it covered. Moments later, Wednesday make their first change, with Sam Winnall replacing Murphy.
57 min: Good save from Westwood! Bacuna forced his way past Odubajo on the left and cut the ball back towards Kongolo on the edge of the area. He took the shot first time, sweeping it low towards the near post, and Westwood got down to his right to make a smart save.
56 min Huddersfield make a double change, with Juninho Bacuna and Isaac Mbenza replacing Diakhaby and O’Brien.
55 min Hutchinson is booked for repeat offending.
52 min Hutchinson’s tame shot from 25 yards dribbles well wide.
50 min “Not the greatest half of football ever played,” says Paolo. “Based on it, both new managers have a job on their hands.”
49 min At the other end, Campbell’s volley is too close to Westwood. He’s looked very sharp.
48 min I don’t think that was a penalty. He was bumped a bit by Schindler, but I don’t think there was enough for a foul. I’d like to see it again though because he may have been sandwiched by Schindler and Hogg.
47 min Wednesday have a big penalty appeal turned down. Murphy played a smart one-two with Fletcher and went down after a challenge from the side. The referee wasn’t interested. We haven’t seen a replay yet.
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47 min “The Cowley brothers’ arrival has certainly felt positive,” says Paul Townend. “The message boards and threads had got incredibly despondent, not an unknown trait in Huddersfield. Amazing to think they already have more wins at the John Smith than the previous manager!”
46 min Peep peep! Sheffield Wednesday get the second half under way.
Half-time reading
“(Early) afternoon Rob, from a Wednesday fan,” says Joe Ludlam. “The 4-5-1 formation has looked very negative at Hillsborough - we’ve had the players to make it work but a succession of defensive managers have used the central three to protect rather than control. It’s refreshing to see the players given a bit more licence going forward today, especially the wingers. Hopefully Monk will bring back the optimism we felt so briefly under Steve Bruce. That said, I still wish I was watching the cricket.”
It’s been more of a 4-4-2 today, which Garry Monk has often used during his career. They’ve been a bit uninspired going forward, although that’s partly because they had a lead to protect for most of the half. And it was a very good goal.
Half time: Huddersfield 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Peep peep! Wednesday lead through Steven Fletcher’s accomplished early goal. That aside it’s been a pretty scruffy game, although Huddersfield in particular have been full of good intentions.
44 min Murphy spanks wide from 25 yards.
41 min Wednesday haven’t offered much going forward, apart from that fine early goal. They seem happy enough to sit on their lead and see what Huddersfield have got.
37 min This is better from Huddersfield. Grant beats a couple of players and angles a lofted cross towards the far post, where Hadergjonaj heads the ball tamely into the arms of Westwood. I think he was trying to steer it towards Campbell, who was in space to his left.
35 min Kongolo moves infield from the left and hits a stinging right-footed shot from the edge of the box that Westwood can’t hold. Happily for him, it rebounds to safety.
31 min It’s been a blue-collar match so far. Bannan has shown the usual touches of class, but the effort:quality ratio leaves a little to be desired.
27 min Grant’s corner is headed away as far as Hogg, who slashes over the bar from 25 yards.
26 min Grant goes on a lovely run from the left, beating Odubajo and then Iorfa before Odubajo makes a good recovery challenge on the edge of the area.
22 min I think the Cowley brothers will be pretty happy with Huddersfield’s start. They’ve been bright and breezy in possession, Campbell in particular, and are a little unfortunate to be behind.
20 min The lively Campbell beats Hutchinson with a lovely piece of skill and plays the ball wide towards Hadergjonaj. He has options in the middle ... and sidefoots his cross straight at the keeper Westwood.
19 min “Signs of a fresh approach already for Huddersfield,” says Jerry Strachan. “Starting 12 men may prove to be a masterstroke. Playing Hogg twice in the same match is inspired.”
Ach, thanks for pointing it out – I’ll change it.
18 min Anyone out there?
16 min Good play from Kongolo. He marches forwards from left-back, plays a one-two with Campbell and volleys over the bar on the stretch.
14 min Campbell tries to get Huddersfield going again with a lively tackle on Hutchinson. Bannan then takes Hogg out, increasing the temperature some more.
11 min That was such good play from Kadeem Harris, who beat his man with ease and then delivered a fine cross.
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GOAL! Huddersfield 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Fletcher 10)
That’s an excellent goal. After a long passing move from Wednesday, Bannan finds Harris on the left. He surges towards the byline, beating Hadergjonaj easily with a stepover before standing up a lovely cross. Fletcher towers over Elphick in the six-yard box to thump a header into the net.
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8 min Huddersfield win the first corner of the match, on the right. Grant curls it in, and there’s a foul on a Wednesday defender.
6 min At the other end, Chalobah sidefoots a low shot from 25 yards that is comfortably held by Westwood, sprawling to his left.
5 min A long goalkick from Westwood is headed down by Fletcher to Reach, who knees the ball up and hits a volley that goes straight at Grabara from 20 yards. He didn’t really get hold of it.
4 min The Wednesday right-back Odubajo takes one in the personal space, prompting much mirth in the commentary box.
3 min A slow start, with both teams having a look at each other.
1 min Peep peep! Huddersfield, in blue and white stripes, kick off from right to left. Sheffield Wednesday are in their green change strip.
The players emerge, looking ready for action. Danny Cowley and Garry Monk shake hands warmly in the tunnel. For all concerned, a new era is about to begin.
And here’s Garry Monk
“It’s been a good week. I’ve had so much support and a really good welcome. It’s only been a short period with the players but we’ve tried to do some good work without being overbearing. It’s a really good group - very motivated and positive - and it’s been difficult to leave people out.
“This is a huge, historic club. I got a sense of that when I had a loan spell here. It’s our job to fight for that, and hopefully we can start well today.”
Danny Cowley’s pre-match thoughts
“It’s been a really good week - a bit of a whirlwind, but it’s been great to meet the people of Huddersfield: the players, the staff and some of the supporters. At this stage we’re trying to get to know the players as people, and once you do that you can start to build respect and trust, and then hopefully we can start to affect them. We’ve got no Alex Pritchard, who hasn’t been able to train We’ve picked a team we feel can be successful on the day.”
Team news
Huddersfield (4-2-3-1) Grabara; Hadergjonaj, Elphick, Schindler, Kongolo; Hogg, Chalobah; Diakhaby, O’Brien, Grant; Campbell.
Substitutes: Schofield, Bacuna, Kachunga, Mbenza, Mounie, Stankovic, J Brown.
Sheffield Wednesday (4-4-2) Westwood; Odubajo, Iorfa, Borner, Palmer; Murphy, Hutchinson, Bannan, Harris; Fletcher, Reach.
Substitutes: Dawson, Fox, Lee, Winnall, Nuhiu, Luongo, Bates.
Referee Simon Hooper.
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Pre-match reading
Preamble
Hello. The 2019-20 season literally starts today for Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday, who both go into this lunchtime match with new managers. The Cowley brothers are in charge at the John Smith’s Stadium, while Garry Monk has taken over from Wednesday caretaker Lee Bullen.
Bullen did a decent job, winning three of his six games, and a win today would move Wednesday to within two points of Charlton in second. The Cowleys start their new job from a position of weakness: Huddersfield are second from bottom, with one point from six games.
That was then and this is now. Huddersfield can draw a line under those first six games, and the fact they’ve won only one of their last 31 league games. For the first time in a while, the John Smith’s Stadium is an optimistic place.
Kick off is at midday.
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