REPORT | HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 ARGYLE 1
REPORT | HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 ARGYLE 1
Huddersfield Town 1
Koroma 38
Argyle 1
Whittaker 12
The first Sky Bet Championship encounter of the Ian Foster era was a classic game of two halves, as Argyle shared the spoils with Huddersfield Town.
The Pilgrims were excellent in the first period and deservedly grabbed the lead with another accomplished finish from Morgan Whittaker, adding a further page to his glossy Green scrapbook.
Huddersfield drew level through Josh Koroma on 38 minutes and the hosts enjoyed more of the play after the break but the stalemate was probably a fair outcome.
The first team sheet under Foster included the selection of new loan signings Ashley Phillips and Darko Gyabi, as the Greens looked for a repeat of the opening day victory over the Terriers way back in August.
Bali Mumba, Ryan Hardie and Whittaker all hit the net in that 3-1 victory at Home Park, and it took Whittaker just 12 minutes to extend his superb recent scoring run to seven goals in the last seven games.
Huddersfield had asked a couple of early questions, Koroma hitting the side-netting moments after his dangerous cross had forced Brendan Galloway into a crucial defensive clearance under pressure.
Whittaker fired a warning shot that brought the best out of Lee Nicholls but the home custodian had no chance with the opener. The ball was worked through the Argyle midfield, fed wide to Mumba for an inviting cross that saw Whittaker pounce from close-range.
Phillips protected the lead with an excellent intervention from a low cross, with Alex Matos firing the loose ball into the side-netting before a period of controlled containment from the Greens.
Huddersfield were now the side enjoying more possession but without much penetration against a compact and organised Argyle defence. When the Pilgrims did break, Gyabi was tripped just outside the box and the free-kick was nudged to Hardie for a strike deflected inches wide.
Argyle stayed in the Huddersfield half, Jordan Houghton pinching the ball on the right and feeding Hardie for a shot charged down in the box but the Greens were then struck by a sucker-punch.
Sorba Thomas won the ball in midfield, although it looked like a foul on Gyabi, nothing was given and Koroma shifted play on to his left foot and arrowed a low finish beyond Conor Hazard from 16 yards.
A terrific clearance from Mumba ensured parity remained at the break and a chance for the medical staff to work on Houghton, who suffered a blow to the ankle in the final minute of the half, moments before a Hardie curler from distance that was pouched by Nicholls.
The pace of Hardie had the home defence at full stretch immediately after the restart and, again, the referee waved away claims for an Argyle foul when the number nine was tripped by a covering defender.
Whittaker introduced himself to the second period by exchanging passes with Kaine Kesler-Hayden and the 22-yard curler was just a fraction too high, with Nicholls struggling to make up the ground. The Terriers replied with a fierce half-volley from Koroma parried away by Hazard.
Argyle were finding it difficult to break the shackles of a sustained spell of home pressure, as Huddersfield cranked up the tempo around the hour-mark, without creating anything clear-cut to concern Hazard and his defenders.
Foster turned to his bench with a triple change, Adam Randell, Joe Edwards and Mickel Miller replacing Callum Wright, Kesler-Hayden and Mumba.
The game, however, had descended into a scrappy affair, with a succession of fouls in the engine room preventing either side from gaining any rhythm. Houghton, in particular, was in the wars, taking a couple more hefty blows.
The Green Army roar provided a lift for the final ten minutes and Edwards took the hint with two rampaging runs forward, but Argyle were unable to find a killer pass to open up the home defence.
Huddersfield did pick out a shot on target, Ben Jackson’s dipping curler bouncing just in front of Hazard, who produced an excellent save to turn the ball wide. The subsequent corner was headed clear by a dominant Dan Scarr, as Ben Waine replaced Hardie for the closing stages.
A free-kick from Thomas on the right flank picked out Jack Rudoni for a header glanced wide and a definite escape for Argyle before the bruised Houghton was withdrawn from the action, Matt Butcher taking his place.
An ambitious long-ranger from Gyabi was only narrowly off target in the final attempt of the day and points shared.
Huddersfield: 1 Lee Nicholls; 5 Michal Helik, 6 Jonathan Hogg (capt), 8 Jack Rudoni, 10 Josh Koroma (11 Brahima Diarra 78), 14 Sorba Thomas, 17 Brodie Spencer, 18 David Kasumu, 21 Alex Matos (39 Tom Iorpenda 67), 30 Ben Jackson, 32 Tom Lees. Substitutes (not used): 41 Giosue Bellagambi (gk), 2 Rarmani Edmonds-Green, 16 Tom Edwards, 23 Ben Wiles, 36 Josh Austerfield, 37 Loick Ayina, 42 Michael Stone.
Booked: Thomas 50
Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard; 2 Bali Mumba (14 Mickel Miller 66), 4 Jordan Houghton (capt) (7 Matt Butcher 90), 6 Dan Scarr, 9 Ryan Hardie (23 Ben Waine 87), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 11 Callum Wright (20 Adam Randell 66), 18 Darko Gyabi, 22 Brendan Galloway, 26 Ashley Phillips, 29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden (8 Joe Edwards 66). Substitutes (not used): 25 Callum Burton (gk), 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 15 Mustapha Bundu, 19 Tyreik Wright.
Booked: C Wright 26, Hazard 62, Phillips 64, Randell 75
Referee: Tom Nield
Attendance: