Late implosion sees Huddersfield Town crash to a 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City

ON THE day that America went to the polls, Carlos Corberan was more preoccupied with his ongoing mission to make Huddersfield Town great again as opposed to affairs across the pond.
Josh Koroma is pictured celebrating his goal for Huddersfield Town against Bristol City. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Josh Koroma is pictured celebrating his goal for Huddersfield Town against Bristol City. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Josh Koroma is pictured celebrating his goal for Huddersfield Town against Bristol City. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

Fake news is no concern to the single-minded and driven head coach either. Witnessing consistent evidence that the fruits of his painstaking labours on the training ground are displayed by his players on a match-day on a regular basis most definitely are.

Soon after Saturday's outstanding 3-0 victory at Millwall, the Spaniard's attention had switched to this engagement before Town had even left the capital.

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Without being as eye-catching as they were three days earlier, Corberan's charges were comfortable and in control heading into the final quarter of this game - having made the most of a choice opportunity just before the break when Josh Koroma struck.

Unfortunately, the visitors' substitutions would reap a mini-harvest as Huddersfield inexplicably plucked defeat from the jaws of victory and the agitation of Corberan - who would have been justified for thinking that he could not believe what he had just seen - was there for all to see.

Jay Dasilva and former Terriers midfielder Jamie Paterson, who netted a late winner after coming on to add insult to injury, were the beneficiaries to seal an unlikely win.

But the real backslaps were reserved for substitute Antoine Semenyo, whose introduction totally changed the game with Town palpably unable to cope with with his strength, pace and directness during his devastating late cameo which left the hosts' backline spooked.

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Semenyo got away from Richard Stearman to set up Dasilva's 77th-minute equaliser, with the defender left unchecked at the far post.

The young striker was inches away from netting in own right soon after and he was not finished yet. Far from it.

His low drive shuddered against the post five minutes from time with the ball quickly recycled. Amid the consternation, Paterson struck.

A perfectionist with an eye for finer details and someone who misses nothing, Corberan's exasperation will have been matched by anger.

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After contriving to gift Preston victory in their previous home game, Town - on a night when they could have leapfrogged the visitors with three points - unfortunately conjured a poorly-timed re-run as they afforded the visitors two goals in quick succession. They remain a work in progress

It was a night when City were rewarded for patience and sticking in there allied to some aggressive substitutions, as they ended their five-match winless streak in dramatic fashion.

The disciplined Robins, forced into a late change when Tyreeq Makinson was withdrawn from the starting line-up due to a severe headache, with Adam Nagy taking his place - kept their shape diligently in the first period with their three-man backline turning into a 'five' when the hosts had the ball.

But they fatally dropped their guard just before the break and Huddersfield dined out with relish.

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Isaac Mbenza, who minutes earlier had cut a frustrated figure as he waited for the ball to arrive, was the beneficiary and he needed no second invitation.

Set free by Fraizer Campbell's incisive pass, Mbenza's low cross was textbook and Koroma tucked the ball home from close range. It was an opportune moment to register his first home goal in Terriers' colours and second in successive games.

It gave Town a precious advantage in a game which looked like being a tight one, although Corberan will have been wanting more after a first half in which Bristol City had the better of it.

City came into the game in poor form results wise and with injury issues hardly helping their cause. But on the first-half evidence, they did not look a side low on confidence.

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Until Koroma's goal, they contrived the best moments. None more so when a fine three-man move ended with ex-Town forward Nahki Wells hitting a sweet half-volley which clipped the woodwork early on.

Callum O'Dowda should have done better when he fired over when well placed on the half-hour and Zac Vyner was also profligate when he planted a free header wide following Chris Brunt's expert corner.

Aside from a slaloming run from Pipa which ended in him shooting straight at Daniel Bentley, Town really threatened and their geometry of their passing was a touch wayward.

But smart sides make the most of key moments, as City unfortunately did late on as well.

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Despite probing and enquiring, Town failed to put the game to bed with a second goal and the Robins' desperation in throwing on several attacking players in a bid to change the narrative of the game turned into delirium by the final whistle.

Huddersfield Town: Hamer; Stearman, Schindler (Daly 86), Sarr; Pipa, Hogg, O'Brien, Toffolo; Mbenza (Diakhaby 79), Campbell, Koroma (Eiting 74). Substitutes unused: Pereira, Crichlow, Brown, Duhaney.

Bristol City: Bentley; Vyner, Kalas, Rowe (Diedhiou 59); Hunt, O'Dowda, Brunt (Paterson 68), Nagy, Dasilva; Martin, Wells (Semenyo 68). Substitutes unused: O'Leary, Moore, Massengo.

Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).

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