TERRIERS CLAIM DERBY DAY SPOILS

TERRIERS CLAIM DERBY DAY SPOILS

Huddersfield Town clinch 1-0 victory at Elland Road...

UNITED 0, HUDDERSFIELD 1 (Mooy 55)

United team: Green, Ayling, Jansson, Bartley, Taylor, Bridcutt, Phillips, Mowatt, Sacko (Roofe 76), Antonsson (Doukara 67), Wood. Subs: Silvestri, Coyle, Cooper, Vieira, Hernandez.

Huddersfield team: Ward, Smith, Hudson, Hogg, Schindler, Mooy, Bunn (Hefele 90+8), Lowe, Payne (Palmer 80), Van La Parra, Kachunga (Wells 78). Subs: Coleman, Whitehead, Cranie, Stankovic.

Referee: Roger East

Booked: Jansson (United), Mooy, Smith, Bunn, van La Parra, Lowe (Huddersfield)

Att: 28,514 (2,721 Huddersfield)

Huddersfield Town claimed the Yorkshire derby spoils after Aaron Mooy’s second-half strike was enough to clinch a 1-0 victory at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

Mooy’s 55th-minute effort beat Rob Green from range to settle a fixture which failed to live up to its pre-match billing.

Chances were scarce throughout and it took both sides the best part of half an hour to really start to threaten, with Alex Mowatt firing well over the Huddersfield bar with a speculative effort from distance, while Mooy’s low attempt rolled past Green’s post at the opposite end after Rajiv van La Parra’s strike was blocked into his path.

United’s best opening of the first half came after 38 minutes, Chris Wood glancing wide from Kalvin Phillips’ near-post corner, before Marcus Antonsson had a major penalty appeal waved away on the stroke of half-time after going down under pressure inside the Town area.

The Terriers broke the deadlock 10 minutes after the restart, Mooy firing home in front of the South Stand after being allowed time to size up his target from 20 yards out.

Chances remained at a premium but United did call goalkeeper Danny Ward into action for the first time as they chased an equaliser, with Mowatt blocked on the turn at the near post after substitute Souleymane Doukara’s deflected cross had squirmed into a dangerous position.

Ward was then equal to Chris Wood’s downwards header from a floated Mowatt cross – United’s best chance to take something from the game – while van La Parra looked to catch Green out at the opposite end with a looping effort from 40 yards, but the United ‘keeper back-pedalled to tip over his bar as the game entered eight minutes of stoppage-time.

The Elland Road crowd urged United forward in search of a late equaliser, but it proved to be in vain as Huddersfield saw the game out to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.

X