Huddersfield Town 0, Sheffield Wednesday 2
Headers by Steven Fletcher and Sam Winnall condemned Danny Cowley’s Huddersfield Town to a sixth straight defeat this season – at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.
The Terriers’ wretched record against the Owls extended to ten games without a win as the visitors recorded a 2-0 win at the John Smith’s Stadium, in the process extending their clean sheet record there to eight games.
The Terriers notched up an unwanted Football League record of 30 games on the trot without having scored more than once in all competitions, while failing to score in 17 of those.
But there are signs of improvement in style of play from Town under new manager Danny Cowley and the Terriers carved out clear goalscoring chances through Terence Kongolo, Florent Haderganaj, and Karlan Grant.
Cowley made just two changes to the side that lost 2-1 at Luton before the international break.
Tommy Elphick came in for Jaden Brown while Lewis O’Brien replaced the departed Rajiv van La Parra.
But it was new Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk who took the points as his side exploited Town’s weaknesses in defence.
While Town dominated possession in the first half and tested Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Kieren Westwood they went behind to simplest of openers from in-form Steven Fletcher.
Adam Reach and Trevoh Chalobah had chances in the first six minutes and the Terriers impressed after an energetic start.
But Town fell asleep in the 10th minute when Kadeem Harris escaped the attentions of Florent Hadergjonj on the Owls’ left flank to cross from the byline for Fletcher to nod home from three yards out having outjumped Chris Schindler.
It was Fletcher’s fourth goal of the season and his third in three games for the in-form striker.
Town were not dispirited, though, and stuck to their patient build-up with a superb move ending in Terence Kongolo volleying over the bar running onto a deflected pass by Frazier Campbell.
They pressed high to win the ball back but they were troubled by the Owl’s aerial presence and physical approach when the ball was floated into the box though.
Westwood saved twice from Kongolo and Hadergjonaj as Town rallied late in the first half.
He also saved Campbell’s 12 yard effort from Adama Diakhaby’s cross after the break as the Terriers looked to capitalise on his pace onto through balls.
Cowley brought on Isaac Mbenza and Juninho Bacuna early in the second half and the move almost brought immediate dividend with Bacuna teeing up Grant for a low shot that was tipped away by Westwood.
Adam Reach twice had shots saved by Kamil Grabara as the Owls exploited holes in Town’s defence behind Hadergjonaj before Town fell for another aerial attack from the left.
Kadeem Harris laid the ball off to Barry Bannan whose deep sweeping cross from the left was headed past Grabara by substitute Sam Winnall from 8 yards out in the 72nd minute.
Town heads went down after that goal.
Reach nearly added another after his shot was blocked after Winnall found him in space in front of goal following another cut back from the left while a sliding Fletcher was inches off scoring after Liam Palmer slid him in from the left.
Grant holed out to Westwood with a long range curling effort as Town got frustrated at the end of the game with the visitors holding them at bay as the game finished with an unsavoury altercation between substitutes Bacuna and Atdhe Nuhiu in front of the dugout.
GOALS – Huddersfield Town 0, Sheffield Wednesday 2
Huddersfield Town 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1: 10. Kadeem Harris’ left wing cross was nodded in by Steven Fletcher from three yards out after he arrived late in the 6 yard box and rose above Chris Schindler to score.
Huddersfield Town 0, Sheffield Wednesday 2: 72. Sam Winnall headed past Grabara from 8 yards out following a sweeping left wing cross by Barry Bannan.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 0, Sheffield Wednesday 2
Huddersfield Town: Grabara, Hadergjonaj, Elphick, Schindler (C), Kongolo, Chalobah, Hogg, Diakhaby (Mbenza 56), O’Brien (Bacuna 56), Grant, Campbell (Mounie 77)
Huddersfield Town Subs not used: Schofield, Kachunga, Stankovic, Brown
Booked: Chalobah 63 (high boot on Julian Borner), Hadergjonaj 68 (foul)
Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Odubajo, Iorfa, Borner, Palmer, Hutchinson, Murphy (Winnall 60), Reach, Bannan (C), Kadeem Harris (Lee 86), Fletcher (Nuhiu 83)
Sheffield Wednesday Subs not used: Dawson, Fox, Luongo, Bates
Booked: Hutchinson 55 (foul), Borner 65 (foul on Frazier Campbell), Fletcher 79
Goals: Fletcher 10, Winnall 72
Referee: Simon Hooper
Attendance: 22,754 (2,227 away fans)