“I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them.”
Charles Bukowskld
This was always going to be a real test following our return to League One. We’d lost Jobe to big spending Stockport- for a seven figure fee? But brought in three new players within 24 hours. Our recruitment has been good this year, and there is plenty of quality in the side. Maybe there will be a few others. Luke Berry apparently wanted too much money. Perhaps he was worried by house prices in Cambridge. Still money isn’t everything, as Tottenham and Peterborough are proving…..Apart from our natural interest in the new players, the Habbin Ultras seemed preoccupied with the weather. We weren’t put off by the rain, in fact we were fascinated by it and wondered what effect if any it might have on the pitch. Despite it being wet, a Bank holiday and the end of the school holidays, 7,041 dedicated fans poured into the Abbey, including 1,036 largely silent fans from Huddersfield. Last time we played them here they thrashed us but then we did to go on to be relegated. This contest would be much closer, wouldn’t it?
We missed a early chance and then a better one when Bennett missed an easy headed chance. Perhaps he could have squared it? He has missed a few similar chances over the last year. Then Bradshaw missed another reasonable chance before Huddersfield hit a post from an impressive distance. Appere fired in a good low cross and a number of U’s might have scored. Our story for the last two seasons really. It was a fast ,skilful and entertaining game. The pitch was slippery and players found the conditions tough. Huddersfield got away with a few nasty challenges. Kell Watts was felled for five minutes by a swinging arm. A booking surely but this Referee didn’t seem to want to book Huddersfield players and allowed a certain amount of casual violence to take the place of football at intervals. Watts was fouled again, a nasty challenge which again deserved yellow. I had hoped to see a better standard of Referee in this league. I’ve been disappointed so far.
I was pleased that we finished the half level. Town are a very good and very experienced team, but they were unable to dominate us. In fact, we had more chances.
In the second half we dominated even more. Watts deliberately collided with Fletcher’s outstretched arm, and he must have been wondering what he’d done to deserve it. Perhaps Huddersfield had identified him as one of our best players which he certainly is. Heffernan had a really impressive debut, Bradshaw played well and when KaiKai came on, he was a class above everyone else on the field. And then we scored. A Huddersfield player was fouled in the build up, but they’d already got away with a lot and I felt that it served them right. Poor officials affect both sides. The Linesman in front of the Main Stand might as well have not been there. Was that what the Huddersfield Goalie was saying to the Referee?
He needn’t have worried about it, since they equalised within two minutes following a clear foul on KaiKai in the build-up. Taylor had done nothing up until then, but he took his goal well. Shortly afterwards, just as happened against MK Dons last season, the Referee gave Huddersfield a penalty for a perfectly brilliant tackle from Bennett which took place outside the area. Many Town fans agreed that it was a ridiculous decision but, like us, were happy to take it because so often it can go the other way. This is not to excuse the fact that we switched off after our goal and not for the first time. How many goals have we conceded in the last ten minutes during the last two years? Harris called it unprofessional and he was right. We fought hard to get a lead and then squandered it. The Linesman in front of the Habbin could have helped the Referee but didn’t but I won’t blame the officials for the way we conceded two goals at the end. The challenges we put in before conceding both goals were pitiful. Dom Ball was excellent for most of the game but was caught ball watching for one of the goals. No wonder Harris was furious. I wondered too what had happened to Knight. So far this season there has been no sign of the player who terrorised defences last season. We need him back and we need more ruthless finishing too. Dom Ball might have equalised at the end but blazed way over the goal when he should at least have been on target.
So, ultimately, disappointing. None of the goals we saw should have been allowed and we cannot stay so naïve if we want to stay up. On the plus side, we were the better team for much of the game and deserved a point. I remain optimistic but we need to stay switched on. Can we find a goalscorer? Everyone wants one. We need one!