Huddersfield Town 2 Exeter City 2: A milestone and more Leo Castledine assists - but Grecians were not for going away
CHRISTMAS and New Year was pretty benevolent to Huddersfield Town and Exeter City.
A haul of ten points from a possible 12 for the former - followed by a nine-point tally from four games for the latter - suggested as much.
Applying some gloss was the phrase of choice for both, heading into their fifth appointment of a hectic holiday period; a game which historically tests physical and mental endurance levels and squad resources.
Following a second half in which they were second best, Town looked like grinding out a precious win to top things off nicely. Jayden Wareham had other ideas to net a late leveller to earn the visitors a merited point. Town could have few complaints after toiling on the restart.
Their best was exclusively reserved for the opening period, courtesy of a first league goal for the club from Marcus Harness and another Bojan Radulovic strike, as the rejuvenated forward scored for a third consecutive home match to continue his renaissance.
Exeter did not fade. The Devonians, seeking successive away victories for the first time since October 2024, had previously shown their good side on a number of recent occasions on their travels despite being edged out at the likes of Bradford, Bolton and Cardiff. Here, they got something tangible.
A headline home win last time out against another divisional ‘big-hitter’ in Luton was also something to respect and bear in mind for the Terriers.
So while there was deflation at the final scoreline, there also needs to be some perspective amid the disappointment for Town’s followers.
On a bitterly cold afternoon, both sides provided warmth for their supporters in an eminently watchable opening half of football.
Town switched their wing-backs with Lynden Gooch and Cameron Ashia drafted into the starting line-up. Ashia, deployed on the right, was handed just his second start of the campaign, with Ruben Roosken again absent.
Harness soon provided a sign of things to come.
His rasping drive from distance was parried by Joe Whitworth. The busy Alfie May picked up the loose ball and floated over a cross to the far post and only smart last-ditch defending from Ilmari Niskanen prevented Leo Castledine from adding to his burgeoning goals tally.
Soon after, it was Harness who was celebrating with his milestone strike following harrying from May and an assist from Castledine. It was a technically perfect, whipped low shot.
The maxim that you are never more vulnerable than when you have just scored soon resonated for Town.
Straightaway, they momentarily switched off and the alert Ethan Brierley played the ball inside to Reece Cole, whose fine curler was right out of the sweet spot and flew in past the stationary Lee Nicholls.
Raudlovic later announced himself, cutting inside from the left before seeing his shot deflect off Jack Fitzwater and fly agonisingly wide but the in-form striker would be hailing another goal in the lead up to the interval.
It was another very well-taken goal by Town.
Castledine showed he is much more than a goalscorer to smartly spot Ashia in space, with the Town youngster possessing the composure to steady himself and pick out Radulovic for a tap-in at the back stick.
Not that Exeter were going away. Ahead of the break, Nicholls made an important reaction save to keep out Wareham’s point-blank save after he had been found nicely by the impressive Niskanen, on the overlap.
Interval replacement Josh Feeney, on for the injured Sean Roughan, made a key interval to get in the way of another Cole blockbuster, as City showed they were not going away quietly.
An audacious strike from May, just inside Exeter’s half, floated just wide after spotting Whitworth stranded out of his goal following loose play from Jake Doyle-Hayes. It was threat in isolation as Exeter looking more likely in fairness.
Nicholls stayed alert to grasp Cole’s strike and then earned his keep to rescue Feeney, whose weak header was latched onto by Wareham.
But the visiting striker had his moment to level it up in the dying minutes as the Grecians secured a point they deserved, when the striker flicked the ball home from Niskanen’s cross.
Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Balker, Wallace, Roughan (Feeney HT); Ashia, Harness (Ledson 86), Kasumu, Gooch (Sorensen 74), Castledine (Wiles 60); May, Radulovic (Charles 74). Substitutes unused: Goodman, Alves. Exeter City: Whitworth; Turns (Sweeney HT), Fitzwater, Woodhouse; Niskanen, Oakes (Aitchison 70), Brierley (Doyle-Hayes 59), McMillan; Cole (Cox 81), Wareham, Higgins (Mendes Gomes 58). Substitutes unused: Bycroft, Francis.
Referee: A Byrne (Suffolk)