Crystal Palace 1 Huddersfield Town 0: Terriers slip out of Carabao Cup as Hodgson gets up and running

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN manager David Wagner admitted his side didn't do enough after they saw their Carabao Cup bid ended by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt (left) and Huddersfield Town's Tom Ince battle for the ball . Picture: Adam Davy/PACrystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt (left) and Huddersfield Town's Tom Ince battle for the ball . Picture: Adam Davy/PA
Crystal Palace's Patrick van Aanholt (left) and Huddersfield Town's Tom Ince battle for the ball . Picture: Adam Davy/PA

Bakary Sako’s header proved to be difference, giving the South London club a first win of the season, while at the same time giving new manager Roy Hodgson the first taste of victory since England defeated Wales at the European Championships in 2016.

Huddersfield have made a fine start to the season which included a 3-0 victory at Palace in their opening league game, the first of five Palace have experienced.

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Like Palace, Town made nine changes to the team that started their last Premier League fixture but, overall, their manager wasappeared dissatisfied with the performance offered by his players.

Crystal Palace's Andros Townsend (centre) battles for the ball with Huddersfield Town's Philip Billing (left) and Jonathan Hogg. Picture: Adam Davy/PACrystal Palace's Andros Townsend (centre) battles for the ball with Huddersfield Town's Philip Billing (left) and Jonathan Hogg. Picture: Adam Davy/PA
Crystal Palace's Andros Townsend (centre) battles for the ball with Huddersfield Town's Philip Billing (left) and Jonathan Hogg. Picture: Adam Davy/PA

“We were sloppy in ball possession, not quick enough: we took too many touches on the ball,” said Wagner.

“In the second half we were good, created moments, accelerated the game, but didn’t occupy the dangerous areas well enough.

“(Palace had) a different mind-set and set-up. If you know this is the idea, then there’s a lot of improvement. It’s not comparable to what we saw a few weeks ago.”

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Hodgson’s first match in charge at his latest club ended in a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton - but a much-changed team significantly improved from the point Sako headed the Eagles in front.

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Mamadou Sakho arrived for £26m on a permanent basis from Liverpool shortly before the conclusion of the summer transfer window and his composure in central defence brought much of the stability they have missed since his injury in April.

Palace chairman Steve Parish this week acknowledged his club were short of competition for striker Christian Benteke, but Hodgson experimented with Sako and Lee Chung-yong up front in his favoured 4-4-2 formation.

After the hosts won a 13th-minute corner, at the end of a period in which Sako’s work-rate had impressed, Andros Townsend crossed to the forward and he took advantage of static Huddersfield defending to routinely head beyond Joel Coleman for the decisive breakthrough.

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By half-time Townsend had again threatened with a shot that went wide of the target, and Elias Kachunga struck over for Huddersfield before Tom Ince tested Julian Speroni with another shot - but on neither occasion did a goal appear likely.

Crystal Palace's Andros Townsend (centre) battles for the ball with Huddersfield Town's Philip Billing (left) and Jonathan Hogg. Picture: Adam Davy/PACrystal Palace's Andros Townsend (centre) battles for the ball with Huddersfield Town's Philip Billing (left) and Jonathan Hogg. Picture: Adam Davy/PA
Crystal Palace's Andros Townsend (centre) battles for the ball with Huddersfield Town's Philip Billing (left) and Jonathan Hogg. Picture: Adam Davy/PA

The hosts were given further cause to be positive at half-time when Pape Souare, whose career was threatened when he suffered a broken jaw and thigh bone in a car crash 12 months ago, came on for his first appearance since his recovery.

As the second half progressed Huddersfield enjoyed greater spells of possession but the hosts’ newly-organised defence - demonstrating Hodgson’s influence - refused to be stretched in the final third.

The crucial question became whether, as has so often been the case during the past 12 months, Palace’s confidence would erode and they would make a mistake.

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Huddersfield’s poor execution, however, combined with the Eagles’ belief ensured the hosts finished on top and Sako had another header, from Townsend’s 82nd-minute corner, scrambled clear.

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Substitute Yohan Cabaye also tested Coleman with a strike from 25 yards in stoppage time as Hodgson got a welcome win - crucially, ahead of Premier League fixtures with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea in the coming weeks.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Tomkins, Sakho (Delaney 70), Van Aanholt, Townsend, Milivojevic, Riedewald (Cabaye 80), Schlupp (Souare 46), Sako, Lee. Subs Not Used: Ward, Hennessey, Benteke, Mutch.

Huddersfield Town: Coleman, Hadergjonaj ,Cranie, Hefele, Malone, Billing, Hogg (Whitehead 70), van La Parra, Ince (Mooy 69), Lolley (Sabiri 46), Kachunga. Subs Not Used: Lossl, Smith, Lowe, Jorgensen.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).