Huddersfield Town let down their supporters and must do some soul-searching after Barnsley loss, insists bitterly-disappointed manager Danny Cowley

Town produced a lacklustre first-half performance in front of a big 4,436 visiting contingent and despite improving their intensity and energy levels on the resumption - with Steve Mounie and Flo Hadergjonaj coming on for top-scorer Karlan Grant and Jaden Brown - they succumbed to a 2-1 loss in a 'six-pointer' towards the foot of the Championship.

The Terriers' display in the opening 45 minutes drew boos at the interval from away followers and Cowley believes that his side let down supporters with aspects of their performance in the first period.

Cowley, who confirmed that Grant was replaced for tactical reasons, said: "It was a disappointing outcome, for sure.

"I was disappointed with how we responded to the first goal and didn't think we got to our levels for the rest of the first half.

"We came out in the second half with renewed intensity and more purpose. We did well to get back into it and had some moments towards the end.

"But I think if we are brutally honest, we lacked the quality to get back into the game.

"It is a tough loss and I felt for the supporters. It is hard to come and speak when you feel like you have let them down.

"It hurts us. We all have to go home and do some soul-searching and look at ourselves and what we do, how we do it and what we can do better."

On his side's poor first-half showing, he added: "The worst thing I can do to any human being is question their application or work ethic.

"So, I wouldn't want to do that. But I didn't think we played with the intensity or energy I would have liked after the first goal. The first goal hurt us and it was a really poor goal.

"I thought that Fraizer (Campbell) and Lewis (O'Brien) were the only two that gave us the levels we would expect in the first half.

"The first goal was a big diagonal and young Jaden (Brown) did not get anywhere near tight enough. Jaden had a difficult first half, but he's a young boy. He has done brilliantly this season, but he is young and needs some help and we are working hard to get him some.