Huddersfield Town 1 Coventry City 3: Late cameo from Terriers, but they need so much more as Coventry show the Championship class

For Huddersfield Town, it is escaping congestion of a different sort - the relegation bottleneck at the wrong end of the table - that is causing the worries.

Holidays at some point in May, as opposed to Easter, will be the prize for those who get through this particular Championship jam and reach their destination. Safety.

On this evidence, Huddersfield are snarled up just where you do not want to be. Ahead of the game, Andre Breitenreiter said in his programme notes that the ‘spirit of Easter is renewed hope.’

Nice words and while a flurry in the final quarter, which saw the returning Rhys Healey bag his first goal in Town colours after coming on as a substitute to reduce the arrears and make the game interesting at 1-2, provided something to buy into, Mark Robins’s slick Coventry side had the final word.

This scoreline was not as emphatic as on the previous occasion that a similarly upwardly-mobile Sky Blues visited last March and feasted with a 4-0 win.

It was an occasion when then Town boss Neil Warnock acknowledged that it would take something ‘monumental’ keep the Terriers up.

Fortunately, Warnock got to work and how. One key piece in the jigsaw was a Good Friday win - at Watford. There was no repeat in 2024.

Twelve months ago, Town had momentum in their survival fight. Aside from a late burst, with Breitenreiter’s substituoins reaping a dividend unlike at

Rotherham in their previous games with Healey, Ben Wiles and Pat Jones all producing good cameos, there was not much else. Little pockets of intensity and conviction don’t keep you up. Not enough players put their hand up.

As befitting a side battling relegation, Town possessed no luck as well, hitting the woodwork in each half.

There was nothing wrong about Town’s work ethic, but unfortunately, there was a yawning gap at significant junctures in terms of skill levels, decision-making and speed of thought.

A microcosm of Town’s quandary arrived around the time that Ellis Simms, a smooth operator bang in form, scored his opener on 16 minutes.Just before Simms’ beauty, the hosts had the sort of big opportunity that is important not to pass up.

Milan van Ewijk slipped and Josh Koroma was away. Unfortunately, he did not look wholly convincing and Brad Collins blocked his effort.

Straightaway, Simms scored and that is the difference, ultimately.

Kasey Palmer slipped in Simms, who cut inside Michal Helik and fired home an unstoppable right-footed curler.

Former Terriers loanee Palmer wreaked havoc for spells in the first half and Town could not get to grips with him.

He produced an early warning by sending Haji Wright away, but Nicholls got his angles right.

After Palmer’s contribution for the opener, he provided an encore not long after, showing nifty skill in the middle of the park to find Van Ewijk, who squared the ball for Simms to slot the ball low past Nicholls.

The Town custodian prevented Simms from securing rights to the match-ball - and he scented a 14th strike so far in a golden 2024.

Town did persevere. David Kasumu saw his rasping drive hit the post instead of going inside.

The woodwork again proved a bugbear on the resumption for Town, with Rudoni being the player to rue his fortune this time after his fierce effort shuddered the bar.

Coventry stayed calm and it helps when you have players of the ilk of Callum O’Hare on the bench.

He came on for Palmer, applauded by home supporters as he made way - a touch of class in keeping with a classy player.

Town did find a lifeline. A dreadful pass out from the back from Collins which was spotted by the alert Healey. He blocked a pass, with the ball finding Wiles who slotted in his fellow replacement.

Jones then tested Collins as Town suddenly sniffed something, but Wright had the last word, ramming home clinically from van Ewijk’s pass.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls, Pearson, Helik, Balker (Spencer 53); Kasumu (Wiles 64), Matos, Hogg (Jones 64), Headley, Rudoni; Burgzorg (Healey 64), Koroma (Radulovic 76). Unused substitutes: Maxwell, Edwards, Jackson, Iorpenda.

Coventry City: Collins; Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Kitching; Van Ewijk, Eccles (Torp 83), Sheaf (Kelly 90+5), Bidwell, Palmer (O’Hare 63); Wright, Simms (Godden 83). Unused substitutes: Wilson, Binks, Dasilva, Taveres, Andrews.

Referee: A Herczeg (Co.Durham).