Leeds United 3 Huddersfield Town 0: Redfearn’s foreign legion march on together

Dewsbury-born and brought up in the Spen Valley, an area where footballing loyalties are roughly split between Leeds and Huddersfield, Redfearn will not have needed reminding about the significance of the A62 derby.

Having helped orchestrate United’s crushing 5-1 triumph over Town, in tandem with Nigel Gibbs, on that madcap weekend early in the New Year, Redfearn has now flown solo to pilot another victory that will be remembered with fondness by Whites supporters in years to come.

Over to you, Darko...

On an afternoon when drizzle fell steadily from the slate-grey northern sky, United fans were offered a tantalising vision of sunnier climes.

The Italian duo of Mirco Antenucci and Tommaso Bianchi generated the warmth, alongside the likes of Rudy Austin and Souleymane Doukara as the winter chill set in early for Town followers.

Six goals have arrived from United’s foreign legion in back-to-back wins plotted by a proud Yorkshireman in Redfearn.

As for the latest, it is debatable what Leeds’s overseas contingent knew specficially about the local rivalry with Huddersfield; if anything.

But ‘derby’ is a still a term in the footballing lexion that transcends nationalities, just ask United frontman Antenucci.

He netted United’s killer second goal just before the break and was inches away from a late fourth and said: “A derby game is important and it is nice to win.

“In Italy, I played in Catania-Palermo, Ancona-Ascoli, Vicenza-Padova and I have scored in derbies.

“Here, there were more people in the stadium. In Italy, there are five or 10,000 in the second division. Here, there are 20 to 25,000.

“I enjoyed the victory for the fans. They are very special.

“It was important to score, but more important to the team, which comes first. As a team, we are building. We have 10 to 15 new players and we are starting to play together.”

If Redfearn has left a parting gift in terms of points after United’s poor start to the season, the style makeover he has helped instigate is surely a much more significant development.

To the naked eye, Leeds have rediscovered pace and found poise and attacking teeth on the counter. Measured was the word Redfearn used to describe Saturday’s display, although it does not half help when opponents shoot themselves in the foot.

Town did just that for the opener on 20 minutes when Joel Lynch criminally failed to clear his lines, the ball deflecting off Antenucci to Austin – revelling in the freedom of the park – whose swerving shot deceived Alex Smithies en route to the net.

Town then left themselves with a mountain to climb moments before the break in the game’s outstanding moment.

With bodies stranded upfield, Leeds instigated a quick-fire counter with Antenucci linking superbly with barnstorming centre-back Guiseppe Bellusci.

After latching on to Antenucci’s sweet reverse pass, the centre-back produced a delicious chip which hit the woodwork, and Antenucci kept his composure to fire in the rebound in consummate fashion.

Despite the best efforts of Harry Bunn in the second half, Town looked largely bereft and their fate was sealed with a lovely home clincher on 69 minutes.

The impressive Bianchi supplied Austin, whose slide-rule pass was latched onto by Doukara, who cut inside Mark Hudson before firing a rasping low shot past Smithies.

Despite being afforded a man advantange on 73 minutes when Geatano Berardi picked up a second booking for a foul on Bunn, Town were out for the count.

Their day was best summed up by a glaring late miss from substitute Jon Stead with Leeds almost applying the salt with Antenucci denied a fourth by the fingertips of Smithies, who turned his shot onto the post.

It was a sobering day for Town, whose grim-faced players did their warm-down a fair while after the final whistle, their silence broken by joyous chants hailing United president Massimo Cellino from stragglers in the East Stand, clearly enjoying their day.

For Chris Powell, there was no disguising the pain and searing disappointment of a bitter first taste of derby action up north, his side largely failing to lay a glove on Leeds, Bunn aside.

His post-match utterances were typically thoughtful and considered, but it was also clear by his demeanour that his words in the dressing room will have been a touch more spicy. Captain Lee Peltier admitted as much on his first return to Elland Road and while he got off relatively scot-free in terms of jeers from home fans, the hurt was administered by way of a lame loss.

On his reception, Peltier said: “To be fair, it was not as bad as I thought and it did not really hurt much. It is football, you come back to old grounds and I enjoyed it – but not the result.

“We were second best and gave away three sloppy goals and they were all of our own doing. It was one of those games. The goals were terrible.”

Admitting there some strong words from Powell in the dressing room, he added: “Definitely. He told the lads what he thought and now we have got to move on.

“This has got to be our turning point. It was not good enough.

“We need to start changing things and get some points on the board.”