Huddersfield Town 1 Bradford City 0: Super start for Liam Manning as Terriers claim derby revenge in worrying loss for Bantams
MANY would suggest with some justification that Lee Grant’s Huddersfield Town never got over a poor loss in the reverse fixture against Bradford City at Valley Parade.
In this latest derby meeting of West Yorkshire rivals, his successor in Liam Manning was afforded a psychological huge moment and one which can serve as a springboard for the future.
Speaking in his opening press conference, Manning spoke of wanting to see his players show the right sort of aggression, intensity and behaviours and being brave and attacking with a purpose.
They duly delivered. Yes, it was a bit hairy when Marcus McGuane received his second yellow card on 62 minutes as Town played out the final half-hour or so with 10 men.
Before that, it wasn’t a contest. The hosts led through Marcus Harness’ 23rd-minute goal, but it should have been several more before McGuane saw red. One goal was enough.
City, who huffed and puffed with a man extra, were dire in the first period especially.
They now head to Lincoln on the back of successive league defeats for the first time this season and couldn't complain about the outcome here. They simply didn’t do enough.
Manning's first line-up saw a promotion and a first league start for a player he knows well in McGuane, with Harness also getting the nod. Both decisions worked a treat in a one-sided first-half.
Significant team news from a City perspective saw Antoni Sarcevic and Will Swan miss out and it set the tone for a chastening first-half in which they were comprehensively second-best.
The only positive for the visitors, if there was one, was that the scoreline was only 1-0 for dominant Town, who produced their best home half of football for some time.
Town flew out of the traps from the off, with a front-foot, intense performance which unnerved City, who struggled to pick up Harness and May in the pockets in particular.
The visitors, who handed a full debut to Joe White in the absence of Sarcevic, had a real let-off when Lynden Gooch, involved a fair bit down the right, fired a rebound wide with the goal at his mercy at the far post after Sam Walker parried May's shot.
Undeterred, Town - visibly keen to impress their new boss - cracked on and sustained their dominance, with Bradford struggling to get a kick in the opening 20 minutes in particular.
A tight offside call denied Bojan Radulovic, another to cause the Bantams some headaches, before Joe Wright, City's best performer in the opening half, got in the way of a goalbound drive from the impressive Ryan Ledson.
Town kept up the pressure and soon got the goal they deserved and which had been coming.
Slick work down the left ended in May sending over an inviting cross which was met by Radulovic. Walker made a one-handed parry to keep out his header, but the loose ball fell nicely for Harness, who made no mistake, firing high into the net.
Bradford did, finally, piece one of the passes together as the half went on, but it was fairly fitful. Their sole first-team effort was a tame shot from Metcalfe, which was gathered easily by the underemployed Lee Nicholls.
Entitled to be very unhappy which what he saw, Graham Alexander did not mess about at the interval and made a triple substitution in a bid to revive his side, with Calum Kavanagh handing support to the isolated Stephen Humphrys up top.
On the restart, the first chance was a Town one as Harness again proved an irritant to set up May, with his shot deflected wide.
Huddersfield continued to strive for a killer second and went close when Joe Low headed wide from Gooch's outswinging corner.
McGuane then shot straight at Walker befoee hre break that City so desperately wanted did arrive when McGuane received his second yellow card for a clumsy - and tired - challenge in midfield on Metcalfe.
It provided badly-needed fuel for Bradford's away contingent.
Town continued to look the more likely, with May firing a shot straight at Walker.
Following that potential game-changing moment involving McGuane, the onus was on Town, minus a man, to do their jobs at the back after fielding fairly little pressure before then.
City were understandably afforded more territory with an extra body, but were still awaiting that big chance. It never arrived.
Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Balker, Low, Wallace (Feeney 86); Gooch, McGuane, Ledson, Mumba; Harness (Sorensen 74); May (Humphreys 68), Radulovic (Charles 74). Substitutes unused: Alnwick, Miller, Alves.
Bradford City: Walker; Baldwin (Leigh 85), J Wright (T Wright 68), Tilt; Neufville (Ashby HT), Power, Metcalfe, Touray; White (Sibley HT), Pointon (Kavanagh HT); Humphrys. Substitutes unused: Hilton, Pennington.
Referee: E Duckworth (Lancs).