HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1, BURNLEY 2
Huddersfield Town notched up an unwanted new club record eight straight league defeats, losing 2-1 to Burnley after taking the lead and seeing captain Chris Schindler sent off before half time.
Embed from Getty ImagesDefeat left the Terriers eight points adrift of safety on 10 points despite seeing a striker score for the first time this season as the home side took the lead.
Steve Mounie scored his first goal since April 7, 2018 but Town were hit by a double blow before half time when Chris Wood equalised and then captain Chris Schindler was sent off for a second yellow card.
David Wagner’s ten men couldn’t hold out and and succumbed to a 74th minute Ashley Barnes goal as Burnley went for the winner.
The Clarets were themselves reduced to ten men in the 90th minute but held on for the win.
The Terriers were left eight points from safety with 17 games to go. An increasingly tall order.
Elias Kachunga and Isaac Mbenza came in for Chris Lowe and Erik Durm as Huddersfield Town went more positive in the home game against unchanged Burnley who won their last game at home to West Ham.
After a dismal run of seven defeats in seven Premier League games in December – the majority by a single goal margin – Town entered January with one eye on the transfer market after their misfiring strikers had failed to score so far this season.
Terriers boss David Wagner kept faith with striker Steve Mounie who had the unwanted record of not scoring in 32 shots (15 on target) in the Premier League – more than any other player this season.
And Town did commit more players to attack, risking the Burnley counter attack on several occasions and Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood, and Dwight McNeil could have scored early for counter attacking Burnley but for wayward shooting.
Chris Schindler’s attempt to open the scoring was blocked by Burnley defenders and Tom Heaton on the line at close range after another Town tactic – the Phil Billing long throw – caused chaos in the Burnley area.
Town’s pressing game was certainly impressing the home crowd but there was precious little real goal mouth action for fans to get involved with.
Chris Schindler was booked after a foul on Chris Wood, leaving Ashley Westwood with a tasty free kick which Ben Mee met with a fine header that was tipped away by Jonas Lossl after half an hour – the best chance of the game.
Undeterred, Town forced a corner and Burnley blocks from Kachunga and Jonathan Hogg before reeling Burnley succumbed to another deep cross into the box by Isaac Mbenza which was finished off by a Steve Mounie who rose unmarked at the back post to head the Terriers into a 33rd minute lead.
It was his first goal of the season with his 35th shot but the lead was short-lived though as Chris Wood turned in McNeil’s left wing cross to level the scores for Burnley just seven minutes later.
Wood, who scored his 100th league goal tonight, notched his seventh against the Terriers.
Chris Schindler sent off as Huddersfield Town go down to club record eighth league defeat in a row
And the Terriers were hit by a second blow less than a minute later when Schindler was sent off for a second yellow card after a foul on McNeil.
Embed from Getty ImagesTown’s captain hadn’t realised he had already been booked and tried to protest but he had to go.
Pritchard was sacrificed for Erik Durm as Town switched to a 4-4-1 at the end of the first half.
The 10-men Terriers competed well after the break even though Burnley went closer with a header wide by Wood and a Johann Berg Gudmundsson shot smothered by Lossl.
It was a scramble at times, with Wood denied a shooting chance after the hour mark by some last ditch defending in the Town area and Durm bravely put his head into the way of the ball to block Gudmundsson’s free header after a cut back by Charlie Taylor.
Gudmundsson struck a deflected Burnley shot wide, Robbie Brady saw a tame effort saved, and Wood flicked over from Barnes’ cross as Town continued to repel all Burnley attacks.
Durm was denied a penalty before Burnley went up the other end and scored with 16 minutes to go after Chris Wood switched play towards the centre and Ashley Westwood put Barnes clean though and the Burnley forward took his chance to put Burnley in front for the first time.
Town were deflated and Laurent Depoitre replaced the injured Durm for a final 7 minutes as the Terriers desperately tried to claw themselves back into the game and went long.
Isaac Mbenza was haring down on goal in the 90th minute on a last gasp Town break when Brady was sent off for a reckless 2 footed challenge.
Phil Billing’s dipping free kick from 30 yards at the start of five minutes of injury time narrowly went over but, as with the rest of their season, the Terriers couldn’t find the vital goal as time ran out.
GOALS – Huddersfield Town 1, Burnley 2
Huddersfield Town 1, Burnley 0: 33. Steve Mounie with a firm header inside the back post from a lofted cross from the left by Isaac Mbenza to send the home crowd wild following a period of Town pressure.
Huddersfield Town 1, Burnley 1: 40. Dwight McNeil’s turn gave him room and his square pass from the left was turned in from 6 yards by Chris Wood who scored his 7th league goal against the Terriers.
Huddersfield Town 1, Burnley 2: 74. Ashley Barnes finally broke the Town resistance with Chris Wood switching play back to the centre before Ashley Westwood put Ashley Barnes through for Burnley’s second.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 1, Burnley 2
Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Hadergjonaj (Lowe 71), Zanka, Schindler, Kongolo, Hogg, Billing, Kachunga, Pritchard (Durm 44, Depoitre 83), Mcbenza, Mounie
Huddersfield Town Subs not used: Hamer, Bacuna, Diakhaby, Stankovic
Booked: Schindler 30
Sent off: Schindler 41 (Second Yellow card for foul on Dwight McNeil)
Goal: Mounie 33
Burnley: Heaton, Bardsley (Lowton 58), Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil (Brady 63), Barnes (Hendrick 90+1), Wood
Burnley subs not used: Hart, Vokes, Vydra, Long
Booked: Mee 14, Bardsley 31, Wood 78, Heaton 90+2
Sent off: Brady 90 (Straight Red for 2-footed challenge on Isaac Mbenza)
Goals: Wood 41, Barnes 74
Attendance: 23,750 (2,275 Burnley fans)