Huddersfield Town can’t wait to see the back of ‘Dry January’

DRY January is becoming a bit of an institution at Huddersfield Town.
Juninho Bacuna at full-time. (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)Juninho Bacuna at full-time. (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)
Juninho Bacuna at full-time. (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)

In 18 league matches in the first month of a new year since 2018, Town have won just once and Saturday’s latest episode was particularly irksome.

Playing with a man advantage for the entire second half against a Stoke side who were without a win in eight matches in all competitions since just before Christmas, Huddersfield could not have wished for a better chance to cast aside some January blues at the end of a dispiriting, long month.

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Instead, Town lacked the guile, resources and ultimately belief to beat Stoke’s low block, with two banks of four in a rigid 4-4-1 formation dropping deep and ultimately doing their job against a home side whose possession levels stood at 71 per cent on the day.

Nabi Sarr challenges Jordan Thompson at a corner (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)Nabi Sarr challenges Jordan Thompson at a corner (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)
Nabi Sarr challenges Jordan Thompson at a corner (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)

How they could have done with an option still at the club in the mould of Steve Mounie, the player who scored a dramatic late winning goal in Huddersfield’s victory at Hull 12 months ago – their only league win in January in the past four seasons.

It was also an occasion when the spontaneity of top-scorer Josh Koroma was badly missed, with Town looking predictable as the clock ticked down.

Stoke – with two proper defenders getting their heads and bodies in the way of most things in James Chester and Nathan Collins – warmed to their task.

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This was their moment and not Huddersfield’s, with the most relieved person likely to be Rhys Norrington-Davies, with the full-back, on loan from Sheffield United, dismissed on the stroke of half-time following a reckless challenge on Juninho Bacuna.

Tough day - Richard Keogh (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)Tough day - Richard Keogh (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)
Tough day - Richard Keogh (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)

It was Bacuna who had one of Town’s better moments on the restart when his goalbound curler was brilliantly headed clear by James McClean. Pressed into action as an emergency left-back, the winger’s resolve summed up Stoke’s application.

An instinctive finger-tip save from Angus Gunn to touch Lewis O’Brien’s drive onto the crossbar was also significant.

But in truth, there was not a great deal else from Huddersfield in a second period when they camped in Stoke’s half, but with the wit to break down an entrenched back-line being absent.

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The Potters’ defence certainly found it a lot more comfortable than in their previous away game 11 days earlier on Yorkshire soil, when they were terrorised by the Rotherham United duo of Matt Crooks and Michael Smith.

Pipa celebrates his opening goal for Huddersfield Town against Stoke City (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)Pipa celebrates his opening goal for Huddersfield Town against Stoke City (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)
Pipa celebrates his opening goal for Huddersfield Town against Stoke City (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)

For Huddersfield, attention now switches to February, with the fact that Carlos Corberan’s side at least ended a five-match losing sequence in all competitions, giving scant consolation.

Pulling no punches, downcast head coach Corberan observed: “We did not get the result we wanted. One point was not enough for us and we cannot be happy.

“This is a result that cannot be enough for us.”

Alongside issues in the final third, Town’s mistake-ridden tendencies at the back also came to the fore again.

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Huddersfield have fielded 14 different defensive combinations already this term, chiefly due to some desperately unfortunate injury issues in the heart of their back line.

But that lack of continuity can not mitigate for simple, elementary mistakes in possession.

A warning had been posted by recent arrival Richard Keogh when a loose pass gifted the ball to Stoke and only a timely intervention from Alex Vallejo – one of Town’s more assured performers on the day – prevented Joe Allen from finding the net from close range. It was an episode which was unfortunately not heeded by the experienced Keogh.

Another errant pass put Town in trouble in a dangerous position with former Leeds United winger Jack Clarke gifted the ball before driving into the Huddersfield box, with a panicking lunge from Naby Sarr bringing down the loanee for a cast-iron spot-kick.

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Steven Fletcher is not the sort of player to waste opportunities from 12 yards as he coolly sent Ryan Schofield the wrong way to enable Stoke to vanquish a difficult opening 20 minutes.

It was the cue for Stoke to get their passing game together and quieten Huddersfield for the rest of the first period with the hosts spooked by some nervy moments from Keogh, in particular.

At the start, Town were rather more on message on the back of a fifth-minute opener from Pipa.

The marauding full-back saw his low drive fly into the net via a deflection off John-Obi Mikel after being teed up by Isaac Mbenza from Harry Toffolo’s deep cross.

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Headers from Sarr and Fraizer Campbell were not far away until the game turned on Stoke’s penalty award before the narrative switched again when Norrington-Davies was shown a straight red after cleaning out Bacuna.

Town would have two half penalty shouts after the break when Pipa tumbled as Clarke stuck out a trailing leg and Campbell went over at the death as Gunn raced out, but there was no clear contact in either incident.

More concerning for Town was an inability to break down a Stoke side whose satisfaction at the final whistle contrasted markedly with the hosts’ emotions.

Huddersfield Town: Schofield, Pipa, Keogh (Phillips 77), Sarr, Toffolo, Bacuna, Vallejo, O’Brien; Mbenza (Pritchard 85), Campbell, Aarons (Holmes 59). Substitutes unused: Pereira, Duhaney, Crichlow, Jaden Brown, Jones, High.

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Stoke City: Gunn, Collins, Souttar, Chester, Norrington-Davies; Thompson, Mikel, Allen; Clarke (Cousins 71), Fletcher (Jacob Brown 58), McClean. Substitutes unused: Bursik, Batth, Vokes, Smith, Oakley-Boothe, Clucas, Matondo.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).

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