Good report Nick. I'll do mine tomorrow (or maybe about 5 in the morning - I'm getting up for Hatton fight). Was asked if I wanted to go to Sports CAfe to watch it but I'm too old to stay up drinking till 4.
Not much different to yours - I have one or two observations about our play and despite winning 4-0 I thought we were dreadful in the first half. Oh yeah , the statue - yes the b'stards defaced it , painted it blue and daubed HTFC on it. Not worth getting too upset about - you'd expect that from your average town fan. There were a few angry folk at the ground though. --- Nick Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Really foul weather - fine driving rain blown around > by a blustery wind. > > Run ragged by their slick short passing (passing on > the ground) game in the first half, we were lucky > not to get to half time a goal or two behind. They > moved the ball with accuracy and purpose through our > non-existant midfield. Their were several examples > of last ditch tackles and blocks in our box as > Huddersfield looked odds on to score. Certainly > there wasn't all that much that came through as far > as Caspar but that was down to tenacious tackling in > the area mixed with woeful final balls. Meanwhile we > had thumped high balls up towards Beckford and > Kandol - neither of whom were getting much change > out of their Chalfs - who were "rugged". So imagine > the laughs when the hitherto hopeless Douglas picked > up a loose clearance about 30 yards out dead centre > - "shoot" yelled some of the crowd "oh god, please > don't" I thought, just as he hit a daisy cutter > along the wet turf and into the left hand corner. > Looked like the keeper might have done better. > > Then, after this brief interuption, it was time to > return to the script thus far. Huddersfield passing > rings round us. Douglas got a few tackles in but > promptly gave the ball away. Kishishev looked off > the pace - was rightly booked for a hopelessly late > challenge and could have walked 15 minutes later for > more or less the same thing. Prutton was doing OK on > the right - some decent linking up with Fraser and > Beckford. Westlake was being busy without achieving > over much. Hughes was being given tough time by > their right winger who was strong and fast. Hughes > kept on fighting as you'd expect but I don't think > this position does him many favours against a good > winger. A lot of Huddersfield's early good stuff > came down our left. > > The second half started with us swapping Howson for > Kishishev. Looked to be a good move as we stepped up > the pitch and really pressed each Huddersfield > player whenever they had possession. We also kept > the ball much better and began to pass it around, > quickly putting their defence under a whole > different set of pressures than in the first half. > And it was't long before it paid off. Kandol and > Beckford came much more to the fore; Richardson and > Prutton made good headway down the right and swung > some decent crosses. Howson seemed to believe that > he could waltz through the middle...which he > couldn't. Kandol was fed with a good early ball and > moved in from the left - he should have been looking > to play it square where he had 2 team-mates charging > forward, but he delayed too long and nearly got > caught. He was driven back round and out to the left > where Prutton was lurking, he slid a low ball into > the front post where Beckford got there before the > defender and guided it home. "2-0 and its your > keeper's fault" sang most of the 32, 000 in > attendance. We're a bunch of heartless bastards, > really. From then on we pressed and pressed, > Beckford nearly getting free several times down the > right, after quick balls out of defence released > him. Howson and Westlake were featuring much more, > picking the ball up, prompting and probing, and > running miles on this dreadful heavy pitch. > > Westlake ran on through the inside left channel, > pulled the ball low and hard across the box, > Prutton's first effort was saved but it only spilled > to Beckford who was where all good poachers should > be. 3-0. > > Flo replaced Beckford with 10 minutes or so left. > Did nothing again, except score that is. And that > will do just fine. Marques lifted a long ball > forward, Kandol flicked on, Westlake thumped a shot > which was saved and again the poacher was there to > pick up the pieces, this time it was Flo. > > On the first half this was tough on Huddersfield, > but the truth was that as we upped the game in the > second half they were floundering and while 4-0 > flatters us a little, the victory was definitely > earned over the 90 minutes. > > ANGKERGREN - more tidying stuff up than actual saves > - made a good interception to touch a cross out of > the way of the incoming forward early the second > half > > RICHARDSON - decent defensively, good working of the > Rwing with Prutton - some dubious passing though > > HUGHES - tough first half against a lively winger > but stuck to it. I think that the team loses more > than it gains by moving him to LBack. > > HEATH - his kind of game - dealt with the big ugly > stuff - but was struggling with the fast quick > passing when that came his way > > MARQUES - probably not his best but still better > than the others > > PRUTTON - a real hard working game > > DOUGLAS - as ever with this guy - loads of effort > goes into breaking stuff up, winning the ball back > etc only to give it up too easily with some rank bad > play. Nicely struck goal - but a decent keeper would > have had it. > > KISHISHEV - off the pace - could have been sent off > on 40 minutes > > WESTLAKE - v quiet start - increasingly influential > as his midfield opposite number ran out of steam and > sat further and further back > > BECKFORD - 2 goals - loads of running and threats - > almost invisible in the first half > > KANDOL - worked hard again but looks like he > desperately needs a couple of goals. Frustration > showed at the end with his stupid booking for a > petulant outburst. > > ---------- > > Subs > > Howson - pushed our midfield forward and upped the > tempo - whether it was tactical as such or whether > DW just thought that Kishishev was dea man walking, > who knows, but I though it worked > > Flo - came on - scored - doesn't he always? > > Carole - with seconds left > > ---------- > > biggest crowd since forever in this league - lots of > noise - great respect for the rememberance of Billy > - even from Huddersfield, despite the apparent > defacing of the statue in the early hours - as > reported in the YP. > > > > _______________________________________________ > the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and > the list administrators accept no liability for the > personal views and opinions of contributors. > Leedslist mailing list > [email protected] > http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > DELETE THE FOOTERS WHEN REPLYING YOU LAZY SODS!!!! > DELETE THE FOOTERS WHEN REPLYING YOU LAZY SODS!!!! > ___________________________________________________________ Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! 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