Five things we learned from last night's Yorkshire matches
That just about sums up Tuesday night’s action for Yorkshire’s EFL sides, which very much represented a case of the good, bad and the ugly.
Here are five talking points from a fairly dramatic programme:
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Hide Ad1: Huddersfield Town are making hay while the sun is shining.
It is certainly a happy time to be a Terrier following an eye-catching unbeaten start to the league campaign.
The excursions to St James’ Park and Villa Park for league appointments for the first time since the eighties have proved more than pure sight-seeing visits with David Wagner’s Town going toe-to-toe with their illustrious hosts and taking a fine haul of four points from six and proving in no way their inferiors. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Town’s unquenchable spirit shone through at Villa Park with the determination and drive of Michael Hefele yielding a dramatic if fortuitous late leveller.
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Hide AdHe chased down a lost cause and was the beneficiary of a huge ricochet after Pierluigi Gollini’s clearance hit his back and careered into the net.
Lucky maybe, but it said everything about Town’s current mindset. This is a team who look together and do not give it away, perhaps honed by the bonds brokered in their Bear Grylls-type boot camp on a remote Swedish island, per chance...
2: Balm provided by Chris Wood for Leeds United - and a message for the doubters.
Garry Monk will be grateful for small mercies in that a last-gasp leveller from Chris Wood avoided the ignominy of presiding over Leeds United losing three league games at the start of a season for the first time since 1936. But the evening was still a largely unsatisfactory one.
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Hide AdWood saved the day in the nick of time on a tense evening which have become all too commonplace at LS11 in recent years.
Monk was able to point to the character of his side at an early juncture in seasonal proceedings following the 1-1 draw with Fulham, but the flow, dash and fluidity was missing - although to expect that at the start of a new campaign is rather foolhardy.
It was ironic that Wood, afforded a tough start to the season, should provide a spot of succour. Although his cupped ear ‘celebration’ in front of the Kop - in reference to some stick that he has received from sections of support this season - was a tad unwise.
3: Sheffield Wednesday. Forestieri on the bench, but the big miss was Lees.
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Hide AdAll the pre-match talk revolved around whether Fernando Forestieri, following his strop and refusal to play at Norwich City, would feature at the Pirelli Stadium.
By the end of proceedings at Burton, the major talk revolved another player, Tom Lees, with the redoubtable defender’s absence due to a slight injury being lamented by Wednesdayites following a 3-1 defeat that few saw coming.
The visitors looked uncertain and unconvincing and a touch rudderless in Lees’ absence in defence, with Burton gleefully cashing in en route to a big win, with Wednesday, just like last season, offered a sobering evening against a side promoted to the Championship.
As for Forestieri, he came on at half-time..
4: Sheffield United. Horrible, most horrible for Chris Wilder.
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Hide AdThe Blades chief was afforded the sort of evening that all managers dread, but one which, unfortunately, all those in the dug-out suffer from time to time.
Everything that could go wrong did in the first half with the hosts besieged at the Lane after turning in a horrendous defensive performance, with the likes of Jack O’Connell and George Long not covering themselves in glory and the leadership and organisation across the pitch being pretty non-existent.
Wilder is nothing but straight-talking and he spoke about some players going under and lacking the mentality to cope as he picked up the pieces of a desperate evening following an ‘unacceptable’ performance.
Having found out a fair bit about his players, he will find out even more about them at Millwall on Saturday.
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Hide Ad5: Bradford City are ticking along nicely, whisper it gently..
Two road trips, two wins - at sides who are not likely to be among the easybeats at League One level as well in 2016-17 in MK Dons and Peterborough United.
It has been impressive stuff from Bradford City, who have looked bright, busy and organised, while possessing a semblance of threat in the final third, despite James Hanson missing through injury at MK Dons.
The spirit and collective will was particularly prevalent in the second half at stadium:mk as Stuart McCall’s City protected their hard-earned gains - it represented the sort of stuff that enables managers to sleep soundly in their beds at night.
Just the sort of meat-and-drink performance that all successful League One sides require in their make-up, in fact.