Huddersfield Town 0 Burnley 1: Terriers come off poor second-best on Danny Schofield’s opening night

A Covid outbreak, as opposed to high-summer departures, were the reason why Danny Schofield was at the helm in last season’s Championship opener at Derby County, as Town chiselled out a heartening 1-1 draw.

A season on and Schofield found himself in permanent charge without the aforesaid trio in another opening league game – and this time with the eyes of the nation watching in this EFL curtain-raiser and a fair bit more on his shoulders.

They won’t have been impressed.

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In another similarity to the opening salvos of 2021-22, Town began their home campaign against relegated opponents, with the hope being that events would be far less brutal than their 5-1 evisceration at the hands of Fulham last August.

This margin of defeat was far less emphatic in terms of the scoreline at least. But it was worrying all the same on a night when Huddersfield did not so much as muster an effort on target and deserved what they got. Nothing.

Inspection of both team-sheets displayed a polar opposite in terms of approach. While Vincent Kompany handed Clarets debuts to no less than six players, Schofield – on his first big night – elected to keep his powder dry with his new signings, with four starting on the bench.

The evidence of a comprehensively one-sided first half when the slick visitors outclassed the hosts and were sharper in deed, movement and thought could not have forced Schofield into anything but a rethink and his first test just one half into his reign.

Some boos arrived at the break, even accounting for the fact it is still July.

He resisted the urge before eventually relenting and the sole positive from the night came in the form of a strong cameo from substitute Tino Anjorin on his second debut.

Viewed as a ‘difference-maker’ by Schofield, he breathed some much-needed life into Town, even if they could not threaten under-employed Clarets keeper Arijanet Muric in a deflating evening which saw a home replacement in David Kasumu substituted before the end with an injury.

It was that sort of night.

The fortunate facet was that Town trailed just by a single goal at the interval in a half in which Schofield’s side created zilch and Burnley had 73 per cent possession and in a player in Josh Cullen who pretty much ran the game.

The opener came from another to shine – and another debutant in Ian Maatsen.

Up against Sorba Thomas, it was he who posed the problems for the Wales international and not the other way around.

Schofied spoke of tweaks in Town’s playing style from the Corberan years, while Kompany’s comments suggested a different approach from the pragmatism of the Sean Dyche era and the ones who could not be anything but enthused at the break were the 2,210 travelling supporters.

Maatsen had a field day down the left and Connor Roberts posed problems on the other flank. Ashley Barnes’s movement caused problems along with the strength and directness of Josh Brownhill and the control of Cullen and Cork, who dominated midfield.

A warning came when only alert last-ditch defending from Tom Lees – partnering Rarmani Edmonds-Green – thwarted Barnes.

Burnley were in the groove and had the rhythm and soon had the opener.

Maatsen started the move, playing the ball inside on the left. A dummy from Barnes caused consternation and after Brownhill challenged, the ball broke nicely for the Chelsea loanee, who coolly steered the ball home.

Nicholls then kept Town in it, blocking Roberts’s effort from close in after a sublime first-time pass from Cullen.

Before the break, slick play from Brownhill and Maatsen dissected Town, but Dara Costelloe’s effort was wide before the interval provided sanctuary for the Terriers.

Schofield did not change it initially before deciding to give Burnley something to think about as Anjorin and Jack Rudoni were introduced.

Anjorin in particular made a statement and immediately won a free-kick in a dangerous position with Town starting to finally impose themselves, but without creating anything substantive.

Burnley waited for their moment, although Kompany will have been conscious that the game was not put to bed.

A rare moment of alarm saw Danny Ward’s snapshot fly over after a Costello error but the best chances for the next goal came at the other end.

Taylor Harwood Bellis saw his downward header held by Nicholls before substitute Scott Twine saw his crafty free-kick hit the post after David Kasumu’s foul on fellow replacement Vitinho.

Burnley merited the win and it was very flat from Town, whose ten-match run without defeat on a Friday night ended in a whimper in truth.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls, Turton, Edmonds-Green (Nakayama 87), Lees, Ruffles, Hogg, Thomas, Russell (Kasumu 72 (Rhodes 87)), Holmes (Anjorin 56), Koroma (Rudoni 56); Ward. Unused substitutes: Chapman, Jackson.

Burnley: Muric; Roberts, Harwood-Bellis, Taylor, Maatsen; Cullen, Cork, Bastien (Twine 69); Brownhill, Barnes, Costelloe (Vitinho 74). Unused substitutes: Peacock-Farrell, Egan-Riley, McNally, Phillips, Dodgson.

Referee: J Linington (Isle of Wight).