Huddersfield Town v Bristol Rovers

October 19, 2024

Bristol Rovers team badge

v

Bristol Rovers team badge

3

Huddersfield Town

3

Goal scorers

Pearson (34), Marshall (38), Radulovic (52)

Players

Chapman, Pearson, Lees, Lonswijk, Kasumu, Sorensen (Turton, 7) (Hogg 85), Kane (Evans, 79), Wiles, Miller, Radulovic, Marshall (Ward, 78). Substitutes: Headley, Maxwell Booked: Lonwijk

1

Bristol Rovers

Goal scorers

Hutchinson (69)

Players

Griffiths, Wilson Moore, Mola, Conteh, Hunt (Sousa, 55), Lindsay (Garrett, 75), Ward (Hutchinson, 60), Bilongo (Forde, 60), Omochere, Sinclair (Sotiriou, 55). Substitutes: McCormick, Taylor Booked: Lindsay, Sotiriou

Key moments

THE GAME

Matt Taylor made two changes to his starting lineup as his side went in search of a third successive league victory; Connor Taylor and Ruel Sotiriou were the players to make way, for Taylor Moore and Grant Ward respectively.

The first real goal threat of the game came from Rovers but when Promise Omochere found Scott Sinclair, the skipper dragged his shot wide of the target,

As the home side began to exert pressure on Rovers’ defence, it seemed only a matter of time before they scored. Mickel Miller saw two efforts blocked, while Bojan Radovic also twice went close to breaking the deadlock.

The opening goal arrived just after the half hour mark when a corner, taken by Ben Wiles, wasn’t dealt with by Rovers and Matty Pearson fired a shot past Josh Griffiths from close range.

Four minutes later Huddersfield doubled their lead through Callum Marshall who gave Griffiths no chance of saving his fierce cross shot which nestled in the bottom corner of the net.

Seven minutes into the second half the home side scored again. This time Radovic was on target after getting on the end of a cross from Miller and sidefooting home from six yards.

Marshall and David Kasumu both had chances to extent the lead still further, but Rovers managed to reduce the deficit through Isaac Hutchinson, on for Ward, who finished off Kamil Conteh’s cross.

Lino Sousa fired wide of goal as Taylor’s side attempted to play their way back into contention but Huddersfield comfortably held out to take all three points. It’s impossible to give a side like Huddersfield a three goal start and expect to win the ga,e.

THEY SAID WHAT?

‘The first half an hour of the game, every moment of it and every minute of it seemed to go away from us a little bit, even before the opening goal.

‘There were just too many moments within the game where we came out second best or didn’t retain possession. We didn’t hold the ball or have any control for long enough.

‘When the goal came in put us intot a nice place. There’s been too many performances where we’ve not seen enough out of us but mentally, after the first goal went in, there was not enough fight.’ (Rovers manager Matt Taylor)

‘It’s obviously really disappointing when you lose a game like that; you’re coming in with your head down, but it’s after a game like that you have to bounce back.

‘We were very much under the cosh and defending in the first half. We had a few chances in the second half and got a goal back through Isaac and Lino could have made it 3-2. The first half was tough, and while the second half was a little bit better, it wasn’t good enough.

‘If we win on Tuesday we will be happy again as that would make it three wins out of four, which sounds good. However we have to continue with the consistency of winning games and back to back games as well.’ (Rovers captain Scott Sinclair)

‘I thought we were good value for the win. In the first half and probably up to the 65th minute, we were totally dominant.

‘There were bits in that last little bit that we probably weren’t happy with, but as a general rule we are. It’s hard to win a game of football and the most pleasing aspect was the way we started; there were lots of positives and, ultimately, a win is a win.

‘We know where we are at with our supporters, we need to earn their trust and performances like today will hopefully go towards doing that.’ (Huddersfield Head Coach Michael Duff)

Stats

Man of the match

Josh Griffiths, the choice of fans travelling on the Supporters Club coaches

Referee

Dean Whitestone

Attendance

18179

Away fans

811

Stats

Man of the match

Josh Griffiths, the choice of fans travelling on the Supporters Club coaches

Referee

Dean Whitestone

Attendance

18179

Away fans

811

Key moments

THE GAME

Matt Taylor made two changes to his starting lineup as his side went in search of a third successive league victory; Connor Taylor and Ruel Sotiriou were the players to make way, for Taylor Moore and Grant Ward respectively.

The first real goal threat of the game came from Rovers but when Promise Omochere found Scott Sinclair, the skipper dragged his shot wide of the target,

As the home side began to exert pressure on Rovers’ defence, it seemed only a matter of time before they scored. Mickel Miller saw two efforts blocked, while Bojan Radovic also twice went close to breaking the deadlock.

The opening goal arrived just after the half hour mark when a corner, taken by Ben Wiles, wasn’t dealt with by Rovers and Matty Pearson fired a shot past Josh Griffiths from close range.

Four minutes later Huddersfield doubled their lead through Callum Marshall who gave Griffiths no chance of saving his fierce cross shot which nestled in the bottom corner of the net.

Seven minutes into the second half the home side scored again. This time Radovic was on target after getting on the end of a cross from Miller and sidefooting home from six yards.

Marshall and David Kasumu both had chances to extent the lead still further, but Rovers managed to reduce the deficit through Isaac Hutchinson, on for Ward, who finished off Kamil Conteh’s cross.

Lino Sousa fired wide of goal as Taylor’s side attempted to play their way back into contention but Huddersfield comfortably held out to take all three points. It’s impossible to give a side like Huddersfield a three goal start and expect to win the ga,e.

THEY SAID WHAT?

‘The first half an hour of the game, every moment of it and every minute of it seemed to go away from us a little bit, even before the opening goal.

‘There were just too many moments within the game where we came out second best or didn’t retain possession. We didn’t hold the ball or have any control for long enough.

‘When the goal came in put us intot a nice place. There’s been too many performances where we’ve not seen enough out of us but mentally, after the first goal went in, there was not enough fight.’ (Rovers manager Matt Taylor)

‘It’s obviously really disappointing when you lose a game like that; you’re coming in with your head down, but it’s after a game like that you have to bounce back.

‘We were very much under the cosh and defending in the first half. We had a few chances in the second half and got a goal back through Isaac and Lino could have made it 3-2. The first half was tough, and while the second half was a little bit better, it wasn’t good enough.

‘If we win on Tuesday we will be happy again as that would make it three wins out of four, which sounds good. However we have to continue with the consistency of winning games and back to back games as well.’ (Rovers captain Scott Sinclair)

‘I thought we were good value for the win. In the first half and probably up to the 65th minute, we were totally dominant.

‘There were bits in that last little bit that we probably weren’t happy with, but as a general rule we are. It’s hard to win a game of football and the most pleasing aspect was the way we started; there were lots of positives and, ultimately, a win is a win.

‘We know where we are at with our supporters, we need to earn their trust and performances like today will hopefully go towards doing that.’ (Huddersfield Head Coach Michael Duff)

Match commentary

A FEW FACTS

  • Former Rovers goalkeeper Lee Chapman is on the injured list and so Australian born Jacob Chapman was between the posts for Huddersfield
  • Another former Rovers player, midfielder Antony Evans, was sent on as a 79th minute Huddersfield substitute
  • Jack Hunt, a former Huddersfield player, started for Rovers
  • Huddersfield’s Nigel Lonwijk was born in the Netherlands and has played professionally there and in Switzerland
  • Ben Wiles is the grandson of Eddie Colquhoun, who played for Sheffield United against Rovers in the 1970’s.
  • Bojan Radovic (or Bojan Radulovic-Samoukovix to give him his correct name) was born in Spain and has also played professionally in Sweden and Finland; he once scored a hat trick as a substitute in a Finnish league game.
  • Freddie Ladapo has now played for five separate clubs against Rovers in the league since 2016
  • First Rovers league goal for Isaac Hutchinson
  • Only three players, Josh Griffiths, James Wilson and Clinton Mola have started all 11 of Rovers league games to date
  • Highest league attendance for a Rovers game this season
  • League position: 18th
  • Promise Omochere has appeared in all 11 games, but went on as a substitute in the game against Wycombe Wanderers
  • Kofi Shaw, omitted from the squad that travelled to Huddersfield, scored twice for the U-18’s in their game against Exeter City