Seventies nostalgia as Huddersfield Town roll back the years - final word on Terriers' third League One win in a row against Shrewsbury

What a difference a year makes.

Browned off after a fraught opening to 2023-24, the Huddersfield Town chairman took to social media shortly after witnessing an excruciating 4-0 loss to Norwich City almost exactly 12 months to the day at the John Smith’s Stadium and vented his spleen.

‘Unacceptable’ he told all and sundry and the fuse was lit and so began a chain of events which would eventually culminate in a parting of the ways with Neil Warnock, who was never going to take that sort of thing lying down.

You feared for Town back then. A year on and things are looking decidedly healthier, albeit in the tier below. Yes, there were one or two grumbles after they made hard work of beating a game Shrewsbury side, but they were good grumbles.

Huddersfield lost their way a bit for spells after taking a 21st-minute lead and the second half was stodgy.

More importantly, at the end, they had their win - a third successive one at the start of a season for the first time since August 1979 no less. A 79-80 season that ended in promotion - and silverware.

In the here and now, Town had to contend with a low block from the opposition and rising expectation levels from three quarters of the stadium.

Beaten in their opening two league games and down on numbers, Shrewsbury were expected by many to be summarily dispatched. They didn’t go quietly. This was an instructive lesson for Huddersfield.

The surroundings of Town’s souped-up home will galvanise visiting teams when lining up against one of the division’s ‘names’. Huddersfield will see plenty of the ball, their possession count was 68.6 per cent on Saturday, but solving the puzzle in front of them will not always be straightforward. They will have to find different ways. They found one on Saturday.

Callum Marshall’s strike at the far post was a tidy moment. What made it even more noteworthy was what happened before.

On his first league start, the young Ulsterman was afforded the sort of chance in the opening quarter that he would have been hankering for beforehand.

Picked out by a spotter’s badge of a left-wing cross from Mickel Miller - Huddersfield’s best on the day - the unmarked teenager had plenty of the goal to aim at, but planted his header straight at keeper Toby Savin.

Admirably, his shoulders never sagged and within 10 minutes, he had his reward. His movement to gravitate to the back stick and gamble after Brodie Spencer’s cross was deflected off the head of Aaron Pierre was instinctive and the sort of thing you cannot coach. He chested the ball down and finished like a veteran. It augured well.

Marshall’s replacement in Josh Koroma, who came on midway through the second half with Town toiling a little, also showed what he is capable of.

A delicious pass with the outside of his foot which sent fellow replacement Rhys Healey clear should have got the finish it deserved.

Still, Town are in a handy spot. Herbie Kane’s absence for a few weeks with a groin issue is unfortunate - as would be any potential loss of Spencer, who came off with a shoulder injury early in the second half, but Duff won’t panic.

The arrival of another forward option before the deadline would certainly be useful. Once again, if it does not transpire, you won’t see Duff bleating.

Much of what happened between Marshall’s goal and Healey’s miss wasn’t particularly memorable. Town lacked sharpness and a bit of devilment, but in late August, you cannot have everything.

In fairness, Shrewsbury had their moments. Two of which arrived in the first half with Tommi O’Reilly’s curler hit the woodwork and Lee Nicholls earning his keep by denying John Marquis after he got away down the left. Huddersfield will certainly be hoping he is still on deck by the close of play on August 30.

Aside from that, Town never really looked like conceding. Which is a nice habit to have in early season. It will have been duly noted by Duff.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Spencer (Pearson 51); Sorensen, Evans (Kasumu 68), Hogg, Wiles (Iorpenda 90+4), Miller; Marshall (Koroma 67), Ward (Healey 67) Substitutes unused: Maxwell, Headley.

Shrewsbury Town: Savin; Hoole, Nsisala, Pierre, Benning; Perry; O’Reilly (Sagoe Jr 68), Winchester, Shipley (Biggins 87), Bloxham; Marquis (Lloyd 68). Substitutes unused: Young, M Feeney, Nurse.

Referee: T Reeves (Warwicks).