Derensili Sanches Fernandes and Bojan Radulovic scored the goals that secured a commanding 2-0 away win for Huddersfield Town at Home Park. The victory, which came against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, lifts the Terriers to third in the League One table with 19 points from ten games.
Fernandes broke the deadlock with a deflected effort inside the first six minutes, setting the tone for a dominant first-half display. Joe Taylor, the club's top scorer with six goals this season, was twice played clean through by Fernandes but denied by Plymouth goalkeeper Murphy Cooper.
Clinical second half
Ten minutes after the restart, the points were effectively sealed. Bali Mumba, facing his former club, jinked past defenders on the right and clipped a perfect cross into the area. Radulovic, who had picked up a knock earlier, was there to stoop and nod home from close range.
"Stooped to nod home a richly-deserved goal from close range," Radulovic said of his finish.
Plymouth's best chance to get back into the game fell to substitute Xavier Amaechi, who was threaded in by Alex Hartridge. Goalkeeper Matty Young, making his first league start of the season, stood firm to make a vital save with twenty minutes remaining. Young had to be alert again moments later to deny the same player, preserving his clean sheet.
Defensive resolve
The backline, marshalled by captain for the day Cameron Humphreys in the absence of Ryan Ledson and Murray Wallace, was largely untroubled. Ibane Bowat produced a key tackle to snuff out danger during a Plymouth free-kick, earning high praise.
"Absolutely superb defensive performance, we were tempted to go 10/10 here," Bowat said.
Sean Roughan, making his first League One start of the campaign, was solid for the most part, though he was caught out of position in the build-up to Amaechi's big chance. In midfield, Archie Collins was a constant disruptive presence, winning the ball back repeatedly.
The result extends Huddersfield's strong start to the season, where they have lost just once in the league. Their recent form reads three wins, one draw and one loss from the last five matches, a run that includes a 5-0 thrashing of Rochdale. They now sit just one point behind leaders Bradford City. The opening goal from Fernandes came in the 6th minute, and the team's second goal, scored by Radulovic, was netted in the 55th minute.
Manager Michael Duff will be pleased with the depth shown, with Joe Low also making his first league start and substitutes Ashley Fletcher and Marcus Harness seeing late action. The team now turns its focus to a quick turnaround at the John Smith's Stadium. They host Peterborough United on Tuesday night, a side currently 19th in the standings.
This story first appeared at weareterriers.com
Manager Martin Drury praised his side's 'relentless' performance in the 2-0 win at Plymouth but insisted there is still more to come. Drury told the club's media, "We don’t want to sit back we want to more score goals." He said the Terriers, who sit third with 19 points, created numerous chances and were strong from start to finish. The boss also acknowledged the difficulty of facing a Tom Cleverley side, saying, "Tom’s doing an amazing job." The team now prepares to host Peterborough United at the John Smith's Stadium.
Captain Cameron Humphreys said the side learned from their previous mistakes after the 2-0 win at Plymouth. The midfielder told reporters, "I think it's kind of showing that as a group, we're learning from the experiences of previous weeks." He praised the defensive display, saying the boys at the back won every duel against a direct team. The Terriers, who sit third with 19 points, host Peterborough United next.
Manager Martin Drury has singled out defenders Joe Low and Sean Roughan for special praise after their first league starts of the season in the 2-0 win at Plymouth. Drury told reporters the pair's performances were a result of their daily application, saying, "That’s culture, that’s every day, that’s people driving each other." The Terriers, now second in League One with 22 points, followed that win with a 4-1 victory over Peterborough. They next host Wigan at the John Smith's Stadium.
Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley slammed his side's performance in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Home Park. Cleverley told the club's media his players "shrank away from the challenge" after Huddersfield showed their quality. The Terriers, now second in League One with 22 points, followed that win with a 4-1 victory over Peterborough.
