Huddersfield 1 Luton 2: Old habits at new year die hard for Terriers after deflating loss

Unfortunately, old habits die hard at the start of the new year. The Terriers are usually pretty sluggish when it comes to January 1.

You have to go back to New Year’s Day in 1997 for their last victory on this milestone date.

In ten winless matches since, they have lost on no less than eight occasions - and have had some painful episodes along the way.

All was seemingly set fair for Huddersfield when Duane Holmes followed his strike against Rotherham United with another important goalscoring contribution to put the hosts ahead.

Town did not play with a swagger, but looked a side comfortable in their own skin again following the fillip of back-to-back victories.

The second half was less fulfilling on a day when three points would have seen them move out of the relegation positions thanks to other results.

Huddersfield hung in and their competitiveness and spirit was in no doubt in a tight game. But the game-breaking moment would come from the visitors.

It arrived from an unlikely source with former Bradford City and Hull City centre-half Reece Burke coolly steering the ball past Lee Nicholls on 84 minutes to crown his first appearance since September following injury - with another defender in Amari’i Bell having earlier levelled it up for Luton just before the break.

The celebrations were manifest among those from Bedfordshire, with the Hatters afforded a touch of schadenfreude following their play-off elimination at Huddersfield last May.

You have to go back to April for the last occasion that the Terriers won three league games in a row.

Luton have achieved just that themselves and as a consequence, they find themselves up to fifth spot.

Holmes was bestowed with the bouquets after a crisp low finish of confidence to put Town in front, but the real instigator was Kaine Kesler-Hayden.

The Aston Villa loanee is starting to look the part and chased a seemingly lost cause near the right touchline and tenaciously gathered a ball he had no right to.

He slipped the ball infield to Jack Rudoni, whose intended shot flew perfectly into the path of Holmes, who fired past Ethan Horvath.

Town looked the part in their 3-4-2-1 formation. Luton, who boasted a pretty impressive return of six wins in their previous 12 away fixtures this term, also displayed polish with former Town target Elijah Adebayo and ex-Barnsley striker Carlton Morris causing bother.

They combined for a big moment on ten minutes when Morris elegantly sent his strike partner away, but fortunately, Nicholls stayed strong and got his angles right and saved.

Rather more unfortunate was the fact that the pair were also involved with more telling effect in the Hatters’ leveller close to the break.

Neat play exposed Town’s defensive channel on their left as Alfie Doughty got away and his centre to the other side of the box saw Luton stacked with numbers.

The ball found Bell, whose scorching drive flew towards goal at a rate of knots and although Michal Helik miraculously cleared, the ball was deemed to have crossed the line by the well-positioned referee Matt Donohue.

Another development which the Terriers could have done without arrived a little earlier when Jonathan Hogg’s calf trouble resurfaced and he had to make way. While the first half exhibited Town in a pretty positive light, the second was more of a grind.

The telling development arrived when Boyle, who had a tough afternoon, could not clear James Bree’s low centre and Burke finished tidily with the instincts of a striker as opposed to a defender - with the move having started off via another replacement in Huddersfield-born veteran Cameron Jerome.

Unsurprisingly, it arrived down the left-hand side of the hosts' defence, where they struggled markedly.

Josh Ruffels had a chance to level it up in stoppage time, but his attempt was weak and lacked power.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Boyle; Hayden, Hogg (Thomas 38) Kasumu (Camara 64), Ruffles; Rudoni, Holmes (Diarra 73); Rhodes (Ward 64). Unused substitutes: Bilokapic, Simpson, Ayina.

Luton Town: Horvath; Bree, Lockyer, Potts; Watson (Woodrow 65); Doughty (Burke 62), Campbell, Mpanzu, Bell; Morris, Adebayo (Jerome 83). Unused substitutes: Isted, Cornick, Berry, Pettit.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).