REPORT: EMPHATIC UNITED TAKE DERBY SPOILS

REPORT: EMPHATIC UNITED TAKE DERBY SPOILS

Steve Evans' side are 3-0 winners at the John Smith's Stadium...

HUDDERSFIELD 0, UNITED 3 (Antenucci 45+4, Wood 45+5, Mowatt 55)

Huddersfield team:  Murphy, Davidson, Whitehead, Hudson, Cranie, Wallace, Bunn, Lolley (Holmes 72), Wells (Vaughan 57), Dempsey, Billing (Huws 31). Subs: Steer, Smith, Carayol, Bojaj.

United team:  Silvestri, Wootton (Adeyemi 71), Cooper (Bamba 18), Bellusci, Berardi, Dallas (Botaka 82), Mowatt, Murphy, Cook, Antenucci, Wood. Subs: Horton, Phillips, Buckley, Erwin.

Referee:  Graham Scott

Booked: Cranie (Huddersfield), Wootton, Antenucci (United)

Att: 17,118 (3,831 United)

The televised Yorkshire derby away to Huddersfield Town saw United head coach Steve Evans name an unchanged starting line-up from the 1-0 victory over Cardiff City earlier that week. Captain

Sol Bamba returned to the squad following his one-match suspension, but the captain was made to settle for a place among the substitutes as Giuseppe Bellusci maintained his place in the starting line-up. Elsewhere, Lee Erwin took a place on the bench after completing his month-long loan spell with Bury.

It was a surprisingly subdued start to proceedings, with no chances for either side inside a somewhat cagey opening 15 minutes, but Evans was soon forced into an early change after captain Liam Cooper came off worse in a clash of heads with Scott Wootton.

Cooper, after receiving treatment for several minutes, left the field on a stretcher and was replaced by Bamba just 18 minutes in, handing over the armband in the process.

Goalmouth action remained scarce at the John Smith’s Stadium, and it wasn’t until the half-hour mark when Marco Silvestri was first called into action, getting down sharply to clutch Harry Bunn’s low effort.

Huddersfield were then forced into an early change of their own, with Emyr Huws replacing the injured Philip Billing in midfield. 

United threatened through Antenucci, whose strike was blocked by Murray Wallace, before the best chance of the half so far fell for Alex Mowatt as the midfielder lashed wide from a tight angle.

The game looked destined to be heading into the half-time interval goalless, but eight minutes of added time due to the injury lay-offs allowed for a quick burst of drama – with United taking a quick-fire two-goal lead - before the referee’s whistle.

Evans’ side were the ones pressing forward and went ahead midway through stoppage time after Chris Wood and Stuart Dallas combined to create an opening down the right for the latter to deliver an inch-perfect cross which Antenucci converted from close-range.

And within seconds of the restart, the home fans were left stunned as Antenucci latched on to a through ball to round goalkeeper Joe Murphy and square it back across goal for Chris Wood to calmly slot home a second to double the advantage going into the break.

The hosts made a lively start to the second period as they looked to mount a response, with Silvestri called into action to hold Bunn’s effort, but it was United who grabbed the game’s third goal in spectacular fashion.

Mowatt, the match-winner against Cardiff earlier in the week, strode forward in a similar area before sending an unstoppable strike whistling into the top corner and beyond the sprawling Murphy in front of the delighted travelling fans.

Silvestri was forced into a stunning, one-handed save to claw away another Bunn effort shortly after denying substitute James Vaughan, but United’s lead was comfortable at this point and the game was increasingly looking less and less like a contest.

Tom Adeyemi was introduced, filling in for Wootton at right back, while Jordan Botaka replaced the excellent Dallas 10 minutes from time.

And Botaka was involved almost immediately, coming the closest to a fourth for United after tricking his way past the Town full-back before drawing a fine, finger-tip save from Murphy to push his strike over the bar.

But United were coasting in the closing stages and eased towards the full-time whistle to make it back-to-back Championship victories for Evans.

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