Huddersfield Town boss Neil Warnock angered at 'stupid' dismissal plus praise for Josh Austerfield, Brahima Diarra and two others & an update on Tom Lees after Middlesbrough loss

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN manager Neil Warnock was critical of the decision-making of defender Jaheim Headley following his 13th-minute dismissal in the Terriers' 3-2 Carabao Cup exit at home to Middlesbrough.
Leon Wobschall
By Leon Wobschall
Published 8th Aug 2023, 22:14 BST

Leading 1-0 thanks to a gift of an opener from Kian Harratt, Town were reduced to ten men after Headley pushed over Isaiah Jones as he bore down on goal and the complexion of the game changed in an instant.

Boro soon levelled, courtesy of Sam Silvera.

Town, who made ten changes from the side who lost at Plymouth on the opening day with Josh Austerfield, Loick Ayina, Brodie Spencer and Harratt all handed starts alongside fit-again Yuta Nakayama, showed plenty of character and desire, but playing with ten men took its toll in the second half.

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Huddersfield Town manager Neil Warnock, who faced one of his former clubs in Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. Picture: Tony Johnson.Huddersfield Town manager Neil Warnock, who faced one of his former clubs in Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. Picture: Tony Johnson.
Huddersfield Town manager Neil Warnock, who faced one of his former clubs in Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. Picture: Tony Johnson.

Goals from Jones and substitute Riley McGree put Boro 3-1 up, although a first competitive strike for the club from late substitute Kyle Hudlin in the fourth minute of stoppage time provided some consolation for Town.

On whether he felt the sending off of Headley was harsh in the game's major moment, Warnock said: "No. I don't think Jonesy would have scored. He'd have stumbled and put it wide.

"In a cup match...Let him go and shoot and score or he might knock it over... Absolutely stupid. It was like Crooksy (Matt Crooks) getting booked in the 95th minute or whatever. You go daft if you are a manager.

"But I thought there were a lot of plusses. I thought the crowd were very good. With the lads who came in, I asked them to show me what they could do and they all know we are short on numbers. I don't think they let me down.

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"All the way through, they gave everything. I think it would have been a really interesting game with 11 men because I thought we could get at them. In fairness, we did as well as we could and it was nice for the big lad to score at the end.

"I thought Austerfield was as good as he has been and Diarra was sharp. (Ben) Jackson has also surprised me and I thought I'd be letting him go at the end of the season, but I think he has been sharp. Brodie is also as good as I've seen him in a proper game.

"They are all in my mind as we have not got a massive squad. We'll have a look how Hoggy (Jonathan Hogg) is like later on in the week. I don't think we will get anybody back.

"I don't think Tom (Lees) will be back until after the international break."

Related topics:Neil WarnockTom LeesMiddlesbrough