First 77 minutes

Jak Alnwick — Started with a positive punch clear from a high cross and solid handling throughout. Looked to strike a balance between drawing the press and finding his centre-backs quickly when available.

Lasse Sorensen — Needed to clear on the cover to prevent Oldham from opening the scoring. Delivered some dangerous crosses from the right before getting involved in a couple of minor flashpoints with an opponent. Got tempted forward before Oldham’s equaliser and didn’t reset quickly enough to contest the second ball at the back post after the subsequent attack was recycled.

Joe Low — Dominant aerially and comfortable cushioning the ball to a teammate in his own box. Mistimed a clearance in the second half that could easily have resulted in an Oldham equaliser. Able to pick passes into feet in midfield.

Ian Togo — Good strength and physical presence at the back but unsurprisingly short of polish. Handy in the air as part of an imposing back two. Also this song needs to be his chant please.

Lynden Gooch — Always willing to look for a clip in behind but played a simple game in possession, linking with Togo inside and Evans in midfield. Started to show some quality in attacking areas and produced two lovely passes to set up Iorpenda’s goal for 1-0. Helped to keep Oldham at bay by backing up the press behind Sway.

Antony Evans — Frequently dropped into the defence in possession, allowing both Gooch and Sorensen to advance. Willing to put a boot in and made a key block on the edge of the penalty area with 20 minutes left, but gave some fouls away in midfield.

Ethan Brierley — Vital connector in the middle, a clean passer and able to open out to the wings with slightly longer passes as well as linking with Sway. Forced the Oldham goalkeeper into a mistake by pressing him in his own six-yard box in the middle of the first half. Reads the game well out of possession and adept at finding space.

Sahil Bashir — Showed composure on the ball in the defensive third and looked to use his pace to burst in behind when Sorensen was driving forward. Able to carry the ball at speed and take a risk, with the inevitable result that some didn’t come off.

Tom Iorpenda — Formed a front two with Fletcher when Huddersfield didn’t have the ball. Mirrored Evans in dropping deep to pick up the ball from the defenders but carried it through the midfield rather than trying to find longer passes into the channels. Able to thread a good pass at the end of it. Terrific movement and finish to give Town the lead. Effective counter-pressing and powerful running made him a constant threat.

Jay Sway — Won a free kick on the edge of the box by stealing the ball on the press and attacking directly. Potentially a red card for the opponent in competitive football and therefore a telling contribution. Nice exchange with Gooch in the build-up to the opening goal.

Ashley Fletcher — Scrapped away with the Oldham back line and offered useful hold-up play. Looked capable of creating a chance through sheer physicality but Town were unable to get him involved as regularly as he’d have liked. Did however get the attack moving for Iorpenda’s goal.

From 77 minutes

Jak Alnwick; Max Murray, Marlie Neil, Ian Togo, Dylan Tawodzera; Luke Schofield, Dan Vost; Zac Bowker, Jamie Spencer, Michael Onyeka; Jahkyah Ebanks-Blake (Trialist)

We’ve got three friendlies, a signing and a new appointment to discuss on this edition of the We Are Terriers podcast.

With just over a fortnight to go before Huddersfield Town’s first competitive game of the season, how is the squad coming together and what do we make to Huddersfield Town’s signings so far?

We also review the friendly games Town have pla…

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From what we’ve seen so far, there are two main things that Martin Drury will be keen to drill into his players over the final two-and-a-half weeks of pre-season.

With four friendlies now done and dusted, Huddersfield Town have just three more pressure-free games to sharpen themselves up before the new campaign begins.

The Terriers will play a couple of behind-closed-doors friendlies this weekend, with Oldham Athletic coming to Canalside on Friday afternoon before Town travel to Middlesbrough’s training ground on Saturday lunchtime. Insert your own gag about watching from the bushes here.

Blackburn Rovers will then visit the Accu Stadium the following Saturday, with the competitive season getting under way against Preston North End at Goodison Park on Saturday 8 August.

Across their summer friendlies so far, Town have repeatedly failed to convert the number of chances they’ve created into goals.

They hit the post and crossbar multiple times against both Birmingham and Fylde, and were wasteful again as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood.

We’ve lost count of the number of chances Joe Taylor, in particular, has enjoyed this summer, only to be denied by a combination of goalkeepers, the woodwork, and offside flags both valid and questionable. His frustration was evident towards the end of his time on the pitch at Fleetwood.

Even the penalty Town won late on against the Fishermen was squandered. A trialist goalkeeper denied young Sahil Bashir after the academy youngsters took over for the final 25 minutes.

The positive here, naturally — beyond the obvious benefit of sharpening the players up — is that Town have consistently managed to create openings against different standards and styles of opposition.

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First 65 minutes

Matty Young (full 90) — Put Town in trouble with a poor kick out to a Fleetwood man 30 yards from goal, resulting in the hosts getting a penalty. Went the right way and got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. Made a great stop to keep out a header to the top corner, only for Fleetwood to go back ahead from the resulting corner.

Radinio Balker — Has had better games. Made a clumsy challenge on Ronan Coughlan to give away another pre-season penalty. Failed to control a goal kick from the Fleetwood keeper as Coughlan got in and hit the bar. Steady away thereafter.

Jack Whatmough — Overall composed on the ball as Town tried to draw the Fleetwood press to create space in midfield. Was a bit unfortunate to see a Fleetwood corner go in off his shoulder, but might also be disappointed to have let his man get in front of him and leave him unsighted in the first place. A shame, as he had dominated his patch of grass up to that point.

Murray Wallace (off 46) — Played a wonderful ball in behind for Joe Taylor early on that saw him round the goalkeeper. Was involved in a nasty collision with the Fleetwood stopper as he challenged for a cross from deep, but was thankfully able to continue after a couple of minutes. Seemed to have a bit of difficulty taking a throw-in just before the break and was taken off at the interval.

Lynden Gooch — Better. Good interception and through ball for Taylor midway through the first half, but not early enough to keep him onside. Repeated the trick to get Taylor in again later in the first half. Moved over to left-back for the second half with Max Murray on at right-back.

Ethan Brierley — A quieter game than his last two summer outings. Put in a couple of decent set piece deliveries.

Ryan Ledson — Stumbled over the ball on the edge of his own box to allow Fleetwood a chance that Young did well to keep out. Often bypassed in midfield with both sides often playing over or around the middle of the pitch. Nice ball through to Taylor just before the hour that he finished off only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Bali Mumba — Continued his positive pre-season form with another threatening display on the left wing. Equalised just before the half hour after timing his run into the box to perfection and keeping his composure to beat the keeper. Responsible enough job at the back.

Antony Evans — One of two number tens behind Taylor, alongside Ashley Fletcher. Had a couple of decent-looking efforts from the edge of the box blocked late in the first half.

Ashley Fletcher — Showed at the weekend and in this game that he has a bit of quality with the ball at his feet. Brilliant threaded pass to find Mumba’s run for the equaliser - absolutely put it on a plate for him. Seemed to enjoy his link-up with Mumba on that left side, which looked very productive. Played a part in Town’s disallowed goal in the second half.

Joe Taylor — Just cannot catch a break in front of goal this summer despite having a fleet of chances yet again. Got round the keeper on the end of Wallace’s ball but was forced wide in the process and made a mess of his ball into the box to let the opportunity slip. Made his run too early to get onto Gooch’s ball (or perhaps the pass came later than he wanted, to be fair) that would have got him clean through again. Got a legitimate one-v-one on 35 minutes but saw his shot saved. Thought he had finally broken his duck just before Town made their changes on the hour, rounding the keeper again and slotting into the net, but again the flag was up — erroneously this time, we think. Showed his frustration after not quite being able to reach Gooch’s cross from deep on the left just before going off.

Substitutes

Max Murray (for Wallace 46) — Played at right-back. Should have had an assist with one of his trademark long throws with Ian Togo didn’t manage to connect with from point-blank range. Shot into the side-netting after bursting into the box at the end of a good Town move after his academy colleagues came on.

From 65 minutes

Matty Young (from 0); Max Murray (on 46), Marlie Neil, Ian Togo, Dylan Tawodzera; Dan Vost, Luke Schofield; Zac Bowker, Jamie Spencer, Sahil Bashir; Michael Onyeka.

Unused substitutes: Nik Tzanev, Nik Idemudia.

Michael Onyeka won a penalty after his persistent work saw him win the ball on the edge of the box before being scythed down by the goalkeeper, with Sahil Bashir having his spot kick saved at the bottom corner.

First 62 minutes

Jak Alnwick (full 90) — Off his line well to deny Tom Cannon in a one-v-one. Read Callum O’Hare’s intentions to make a good stop with his feet on the half hour. Sent the wrong way by O’Hare’s penalty then had no chance off Sam McCallum’s 25-yard rocket to the top corner. Reassuring showing overall.

Ilias Bronkhorst — Played on the right of Town’s back three. Had his hands full with O’Hare, Jamal Baptiste, and Patrick Bamford looking to make overloads up his flank and didn’t always get the support he needed to deal with that. Had a running battle with Bamford, in particular, but stood up to him decently well. Got a little bit drawn into contesting physical battles at times when the ball looked like it was there to be won more cleanly — and I had literally just written that sentence when he brought down O’Hare inside the box to give away a penalty by doing exactly that. An important learning experience for him against Championship opposition.

Joe Low — Played in the middle of the back three. Put Romelle Donovan under pressure off the rebound from that Cannon one-v-one to force him to rush a shot over the bar. Looked controlled and composed even under pressure.

Sean Roughan — Busy afternoon at centre-back. Was beaten by Cannon early on to get clean through on Alnwick, but won all his key battles from there.

Lasse Sorensen — The target of a few long balls around the corner of the United box, and was this close to setting up a Sebine chance with one knockdown. Advanced position from wing-back left Bronkhorst a bit exposed, but that may have been a tactical instruction more than an individual choice.

David Kasumu — Continues to make a solid case for himself in central midfield. Got himself through the thirds with some neat exchanges off teammates, and was back well to deny Sheffield United on the edge of the Town box on a couple of occasions. Gave the ball away to let them in too easily at one point, though.

Marcus McGuane — Forced to receive the ball with his back to goal by the Blades press more than he might have liked, and ended up running into trouble once or twice as a result.

Jay Sway — Doing his first-team prospects no harm at all. Opened the scoring with a well-taken volley just three minutes in after getting into the box from left wing-back to receive George Sebine’s cross. Had another on-target effort tipped wide by a fine save. Helped to limit the threat down that side with United’s bigger threat coming off the opposite flank.

Marcus Harness — Played off the right of Town’s 3-4-3. Had limited opportunities to go on the attack but continually hassled the opposition and played some tidy balls to help get Town forward up the right.

George Sebine (to half time) — Great work up the right to get Town moving and then get to the byline to cut back for Sway to finish to make it 1-0. Had a good effort turned over the bar just a few minutes later. Picked up a knock ten minutes before the break but was able to continue until half time, when he was replaced by Sahil Bashir. Hopefully nothing serious, particularly after this bright showing.

Tom Iorpenda — Worked hard to win the ball and drive into the box to create an early chance for Sebine. A reliable outlet and proved a handful for Femi Seriki whenever he was on the ball up the Town left flank.

From 62 minutes

Jak Alnwick; Max Murray, Marlie Neil, Ian Togo, Dylan Tawodzera; Dan Vost, Jonathan Hogg; Sahil Bashir (from 46), Jamie Spencer, Zac Bowker; Michael Onyeka.

Unused substitutes: Francis Hurl, Nik Idemudia, Luke Schofield.

Huddersfield Town have announced the signing of winger Derensili Sanches Fernandes from Excelsior.

The 25-year-old Dutchman, who is also eligible to represent Cape Verde, has signed a four-year contract after arriving for a ‘significant’ undisclosed fee.

Sanches Fernandes is Town’s second signing from the Dutch top-tier side this summer following the arrival of right-back Ilias Bronkhorst earlier this month.

Town sporting director Chris Markham said in a club statement: “A really ambitious signing, Derens has fielded interest from across Europe this summer after his performances for Excelsior last season, but his decision to join us here in HD1 really speaks to how much he connected to Huddersfield Town and the team we want to become going forward.

“An attack minded winger who loves to go forward but isn’t shy of mucking in when needed either, his attitude, pace, physicality and robustness are all characteristics that immediately appealed to us.

“Having not long celebrated his 25th birthday, Derens is entering the most exciting years of his career and has shown the ability and want to improve his game in consecutive seasons.

“Exactly the type of player on paper that Town fans of all generations have always enjoyed watching, we’re hopeful that he’ll continue to shine in West Yorkshire and deliver on the promise we believe he has.”

Head coach Martin Drury added: “We’re delighted to welcome Derens to Huddersfield Town.

When Chris and the recruitment team presented him to me it was clear he had the capabilities we were looking for in that position. He’s a player that I am excited to work with, and one that our supporters will connect with.

“He can play wide or inside, and has a real appetite to take the ball and attack the opposition. He has an air of confidence and love for the game which really impressed us when meeting him.

“Like any player joining a new club and country it’s a challenge for Derens. We will work relentlessly to ensure he is supported and the make that transition seamless and we look forward to seeing him in a Huddersfield Town shirt.”

Sanches Fernandes said: “Last season was amazing for me, and I was so happy to have played my part in helping Excelsior stay in the Eredivisie and achieve their goals.

“That success has brought interest this summer, but I was determined to only entertain offers that felt right both on and off the pitch, and Huddersfield Town left me with no doubts after speaking and learning more.

“Talks with the sporting director and head coach have been super exciting, and Ilias’ experience here so far really convinced me to make this next step in my career. I can’t wait to get started, to meet supporters and work to grow, improve and show you all what I can already do!”

Catch up on our scouting reports: Ashley Fletcher | Matty Young | Ethan Brierley | Ilias Bronkhorst

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Derensili Sanches Fernandes scouting report

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Huddersfield Town have hired Alan Knill as the final appointment to Martin Drury’s coaching staff.

The 61 year old will bring his previous experience as a manager at Rotherham, Bury, Scunthorpe and Torquay. He has spent much of the past 12 years serving as a trusted assisted to Chris Wilder at Northampton, Middlesbrough, Watford, and two spells at Sheffield United, as well as working as assistant to Rob Page with Wales.

Head coach Drury said in a club statement: “Over the course of the summer I’ve had the opportunity to speak to a number of brilliant coaches whilst working with Chris, with the aim of building the right team around me.

“Throughout that period, appointing an experienced figure who would be able to challenge us in different ways, provide new perspectives on our players, working processes and possess the type of wisdom that only time allows was something I was adamant about and one I felt would add real value to us.

“Alan’s understanding of the game at all levels and the ability to help develop players of all ages was of huge interest for me. His record speaks for itself, but the aspects that most excite me are knowing the environments he’s worked in and helped to create during his career.

“He has helped form cultures that are built on high standards, no excuses and a committed approach to constant improvement, which is an area in which we are aligned. I’m delighted to have Alan alongside me and the rest of our staff, and to have added a key final piece to our team before the season begins.”

Sporting director Chris Markham added: “Martin and I have been aligned from minute one on how we envisaged the men’s first-team staff evolving this summer, and we’ve worked diligently together throughout the summer to achieve that.

“Early on in the process it became abundantly clear to us both that a greater variety of experience within the coaching staff would be beneficial, with Alan fast becoming the outstanding candidate for that position. With almost 900 games of coaching under his belt, Alan’s wealth of lived experience will prove invaluable for us over the course of a long season.

“One of the most highly respected coaches in the country, there has been interest in securing his services at all levels since his departure from Sheffield United, but the understanding between himself, Martin and the club couldn’t have been clearer right from our very first conversation.

“An important appointment to make whilst still in the thick of pre-season, we’re looking forward to working with Alan and couldn’t be happier to have him here at Town.”

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What Alan Knill will bring to Huddersfield Town

Now a respected elder statesman of the game, Knill looks set to fulfil a similar role with the Terriers to the key part he played behind the scenes with Wilder and at Wales.

Over the years, Wilder has been effusive about the role that Knill played in helping Northampton and Sheffield United achieve three promotions in four years.

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Martin Drury and Huddersfield Town have decisions to make in a couple of positions

Seeing two different line-ups across the two halves against Birmingham and Fylde, respectively, has helped put the shape of the squad in perspective.

One obvious point — which we won’t labour here because we’ve said it plenty of times since last season ended — is the lack of wingers in the Town squad. Last week we saw central midfielders David Kasumu and Dan Vost play in wide areas. Over in Lancashire, Town played the second half with Lasse Sorensen on the right wing.

But there are a few positions where Town have more options than they are likely to need in the campaign ahead, and the line between healthy competition and squad bloat is starting to blur.

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First half

Matty Young — Wasn’t really called into action, other than being unable to keep out Jack Morris’ well-struck effort from close range.

Lynden Gooch — Too easily beaten by Fylde left winger Dylan Allen-Hadley twice in the opening minutes, including on the way to the hosts’ opener. Looked a tad fortunate not to be called for a foul on Allen-Hadley midway through the half. Showed a bit more after that really poor start and helped create a couple of opening

Radinio Balker — Put in a good half on and off the ball after extending his contract earlier this week. Got forward to play a dinked ball through to Joe Taylor that didn’t quite come off.

Jack Whatmough — Steady away with his defensive duties. Looked to put Town on the attack whenever he came into possession.

Sean Roughan — Got caught up in a high-speed tangle with Jack Morris that saw the Fylde man tumble over the ad boards and pick up a nasty-looking head injury. Put a decent strike not too far over the bar on the half hour, and had another saved moments later.

Marcus Harness — Hit the post with a bouncing effort midway through the half. Constantly available for cutbacks from inside the box, and served as a fulcrum between the lines when Town weren’t playing straight through the defence.

Ethan Brierley — Another promising summer outing. Sat a bit deeper than his midfield colleagues a lot of the time and looked to spray the ball out to the flanks or go over the top to find runners, which he did to excellent effect on three or four occasions.

Marcus McGuane — Couldn’t quite get his attempts to play straight through to the front two to pay off. Looked more useful in attack as an extra man to help play around the corner.

Bali Mumba — Played on the left wing and looked bright with his runs and work on the ball again. Made what looked to be a great run in behind to get to Brierley’s pass on eight minutes only to be called offside. Got into the box of a Roughan throw-in (which is fun to say) to play a useful knockdown to Harness on the way to Taylor hitting the bar. Quite like what we’ve seen from him as a winger so far.

Ashley Fletcher — Very hard-working off the ball throughout his 45 minutes, and created an opportunity for Joe Taylor early on by successfully closing down the keeper. Played the pass of the half when he found Mumba with a raking ball from halfway before getting into the box looking to receive a cross. Unselfish almost to a fault, opting to pass a promising opening to Roughan to have a crack from an even better position.

Joe Taylor — Another game of lots of smart running and good decisions earning him multiple goalscoring opportunities but no goal to show for it. Would have been given a tap-in by Mumba had the winger not been caught offside in the build-up. Teed up Harness to hit the post with a smart cutback. Smashed his best chance against the crossbar from Fletcher’s pass just before the break.

Second half

Jak Alnwick — Actually came on four minutes into the second half, for some reason, but we won’t split hairs.

Ilias Bronkhorst — Our first chance to get a look at him at right-back. Impressed the travelling Town fans with some of his work up that flank and clearly has a touch of class with the ball at his feet.

Joe Low — Took his goal superbly, controlling Evans’ lofted pass on the half-turn before smashing his bouncing finish into the top corner via the ground. Great sliding block to deny Fylde a potential tap-in from a low ball across the face of goal.

Murray Wallace — Exactly what you’d expect, and we mean that as a compliment.

Jay Sway — Really good outing at left-back. Got forward when the opportunity arose and wanted a penalty four minutes after coming on, with Town scoring from the corner that was actually given instead. Went about his defensive duties capably.

David Kasumu — Looked to have been working on his passing over the summer — played a couple of long balls early the half that surprised us, including one that Lasse Sorensen finished off only for the flag to go up and rule it out.

Ryan Ledson — Leapt like a salmon to meet Antony Evans’ corner and nod Town in front. Typically combative in midfield. This system looks like it plays to his strengths well with its focus on energetic defending and progressive forward balls.

Lasse Sorensen — Played on the right wing ahead of Bronkhorst. Had his ‘goal’ ruled out for offside. Had a couple of moments where he did all the hard work to get into promising positions but his final ball let him down.

Antony Evans — Played as a pair of number 10s in possession alongside Tom Iorpenda. Claimed two assists within four minutes of coming onto the pitch, first teeing up Low with a second ball into the box after a set piece, then putting it right onto Ledson’s head with a corner from the left for the second.

Tom Iorpenda — Enjoyed playing in the left channel with fellow academy product Sway in support. Saw a shot come back off the bar after a neat exchange with George Sebine.

George Sebine — Ran his socks off, as ever. Very unlucky not to get an assist for Iorpenda strike against the woodwork, and equal unfortunate that his squeezed-off shot from Wallace’s knockdown trickled the wrong side of the post. Some of his work on the counter-attack was excellent.

Unused substitutes: Nik Tzanev, Max Murray.

Radinio Balker has signed a one-year extension to his contract at Huddersfield Town.

The centre-back arrived at the club in January 2024, with his previous deal set to expire at the end of the upcoming 2026/27 season.

However, Balker is now under contract until summer 2028.

The 27 year old said in a club statement: “I’m so happy to extend my contract here, and want to start by thanking everyone at the club for showing this confidence in me.

“After a difficult start, I was able to find some consistency last season and all I want to do is be in a position to be a positive influence on the pitch for my team and our amazing supporters.

“I feel at home in West Yorkshire with my wife. We love the club, the people and the way of life here, so there was no hesitation in committing my future.

“I believe that I still have my best years ahead of me as a player, and I want to give everything I have to Huddersfield Town and help us reach our goals and ambitions in not only this season, but beyond.”

Town sporting director Chris Markham commented: “We’ve enjoyed some really productive conversations with Radinio and his representatives whilst negotiating this contract extension, and what has shone through in every discussion is his affinity for the club and urge to contribute more going forward.

“Having shown a huge level of resilience to overcome a difficult start to life here after suffering a major injury, his mental toughness has been hugely commendable and he’s worked hard alongside our staff to get himself back in contention on a regular basis.

“An agreement structured in the interests of all concerned, everybody is happy if there is an in-form Radinio Balker available for Huddersfield Town each week.

“His range of skill isn’t typical of a defender at this level, and that turn of pace, comfort on the ball and ability to help us progress play gives our coaches real choice and flexibility in how they want to play.

“I’m really happy to keep Radinio here with us, and know it means a lot to him to remain a Terrier as well.”

Head coach Martin Drury added: “I’m really pleased that we have agreed with Radinio to extend his contract with the club.

“He’s a well-liked character in the group by both staff and players, and his performances last season filled me with confidence that given the right support we can continue to see him improve moving forward.

“His qualities align with how we want to play and he will play a key part of how we look to develop that identity. On behalf of all the staff, we’re delighted to have Radinio committed to the club for the next two years.”

Huddersfield Town’s first friendly of the summer is now in the books, with 23 members of Martin Drury’s squad getting their first pre-season minutes in a 3-1 defeat to Birmingham.

On this week’s We Are Terriers podcast, we discuss who caught the eye, how the new signings and academy prospects got on, and an interesting situation at centre-forward.

Plus we…

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Tightening up their passing out from the back is the obvious first job for Martin Drury

Yada yada yada, usual pre-season disclaimer about how these friendlies are glorified training sessions, the results don’t mean anything at all, and not to get too carried away in either direction with these things.

We also prefer not to focus on negatives over the summer so much as look for interesting changes we might expect to see in the season ahead.

That all said… Huddersfield Town left us with only one place to start here. They conceded three goals, and all three of them involved the Terriers giving the ball away cheaply from in or around their own box.

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First half

Matty Young

Saved Demarai Gray’s penalty down to his left, only for the Birmingham man to tap home the rebound. Not forced to work otherwise. Did the sweeper-keeper thing a couple of times — clearly confident with the ball at his feet.

Radinio Balker

Helped give Young a quiet 45 minutes with a decent showing at centre-back.

Murray Wallace

Typically composed showing. Got across well to cover for Balker early on. Lovely header down for Taylor after staying up from a long throw.

Sean Roughan

Fielded in that hybrid centre-back/left-back role he has made his own, but edging more towards left-back than we saw last season, other than when Town were defending the box. Won his challenges well when called upon, and made a storming run up the left before picking out Taylor’s run with an early cross — great vision.

Lasse Sorensen

Played a familiar end-to-end role from right-back, and was given the run of his flank in a 3-4-2-1. Busy in the first 15 minutes or so, with Town largely attacking up the other side or going early to Joe Taylor thereafter.

Ryan Ledson

Didn’t treat it like a friendly and received a bit of a word from the referee for a (completely clean but) stiff sliding tackle. Quickly closed down as he tried to reach a hospital pass from Bali Mumba on the way to Birmingham’s penalty.

Marcus McGuane

Looked to be in good nick. Used his strength well to draw a man and then shield the ball, creating space for Tom Iorpenda ahead of him. Showed his passing quality on a couple of occasions.

Bali Mumba

Gave away Birmingham’s penalty after playing Town into trouble in the first place by giving Ledson a misdirected pass he didn’t want on the edge of the box. Had a promisingly bright half otherwise, though. Beat his man multiple times to get Town up the left from wing-back. Had a strong-looking penalty shout turned down at the other end moments later, and nearly scored a fortuitous goal in the process as a clearance hit him on the ground and needed clearing off the goal line.

Marcus Harness

Picked up where he left off last season. Showed some deft feet to get past his man, and was a bit unlucky that a nice ball over the top for Taylor was cut out by the keeper coming out of his box just before half time.

Tom Iorpenda

Played to the left of Harness and Taylor in a front three in the press, and operated as a left-sided ten in possession. Covered plenty of ground on and off the ball and got into some decent positions up the left, but couldn’t find the final ball.

Joe Taylor

Made some excellent runs to earn chances for himself, but just couldn’t finish them off: thwarted by Ryan Allsop’s long arms as he tried to take it round him, shanked one well off target, and put a shot straight at the keeper off Roughan’s early ball in Town’s best opening of the half.

Second half

Jak Alnwick

Virtually nothing he could do other than picking it out of the net three times, the first of which was ruled out for offside.

Lynden Gooch

Looked a good attacking threat from right-back. Fabulous ball from just outside the Town box to send George Sebine one-on-one with a defender on a swift break. Was taken off at the water break in a planned change.

Jack Whatmough

Great to see him back in action over ten months after his last first-team outing. Sharp and forward-looking with the ball. May be a bit disappointed to have lost track of Kyogo on Birmingham’s second goal.

Joe Low

Had a dangerous header well saved on the second ball from a long throw, flicked on by Sebine. Bullied the Birmingham front line at times, but gave away a third very poor goal for Town to concede with a needless pass straight to an attacker.

Max Murray

Put in a capable performance at left-back. Got the chance to show off his incredible long throw.

Antony Evans

Relatively quiet game in midfield, but it was more just about getting minutes into him at this point after the season he just had. Understandably took exception to a clumsy challenge midway through the half. Gave the ball away cheaply from inside his own box on the way to Birmingham's second goal.

Ethan Brierley

The most promising showing of the new faces. Can already see what he offers Town in the press — never shy about hassling defenders on the edge of their own third. Was on set-piece duty and put in a great delivery right down Brad Mayo’s throat from which the keeper was a bit fortunate to draw a foul from Ashley Fletcher. Lovely cross from deep on the left for Town’s late goal.

Dan Vost

Initially played on the right wing before shifting over to the left when Gooch went off. Nice delivery for Sebine to flick on for Low. Good energy and clean in combat.

Ashley Fletcher

Got minutes under his belt playing at number 10 just behind Sebine, which is not a role we’d expect to see him in too much in the season ahead. His presence in the box helped create Sebine’s late goal.

Jay Sway

One of the stars of a successful under-21s side last season. Came on to play at left wing-back before switching to the right after Gooch’s withdrawal. Looked bright and willing to dribble past his man. Much too slow to react to the looping cross for Birmingham’s second goal, and lost track of his man as a result to allow him a free header back across goal. Knocked it down for Sebine to score…not sure he knew too much about it but that’s what can happen if you’re in the right place for it.

George Sebine

Surprised Birmingham with his pace on a couple of occasions, and had a defender scrambling with a run from the halfway line to reach Gooch’s ball, but was just forced to too narrow an angle to apply a convincing finish. Nice flick-on for Low’s chance. Put the ball away confidently to score for Town with the last kick of the game.

Substitutes

David Kasumu (for Gooch 72) — Took over from Vost on the right wing.

Unused substitutes: Ilias Bronkhorst

Huddersfield Town will begin their season at Goodison Park thanks to their Carabao Cup trip to Preston North End being relocated.

The game had originally looked set to be played at Preston’s usual Deepdale home on Saturday 8th August, but the pitch will not be ready in time thanks to ongoing pitch renovations.

Town’s request for the game to played at Accu Stadium was denied.

Instead, North End have successfully applied to the EFL for the game to be played at the famous old ground in Liverpool, which has hosted Everton’s women’s and academy games at a reduced capacity since the men’s side moved to the swanky new Hill Dickinson Stadium last summer.

Ticket and travel information will be announced in due course.

Huddersfield Town have announced contract extensions for five of their most promising young prospects.

George Iorpenda, Max Murray, Jay Sway and George Sebine have all signed deals running through to summer 2029, with Dan Vost meanwhile agreeing terms on a contract until summer 2028.

All of the quintet played a part in Town U21s’ play-off winning campaign last season and made their first team debuts during the 2025/26 season.

Director of player development Jon Worthington said: “What we have seen from all five of these young professionals since they have arrived at the academy was a real focus to improve as individuals.

“Their commitment to that can be seen through their successes in both the U21s and when they have stepped into the first team to gain deserved experience.

“I’d like to congratulate them all on extending their contracts here with the Huddersfield Town, and look forward to continuing working with them, as they hopefully develop into successful senior professionals.”

Murray, Sebine, Sway and Vost have all been included among the first-team squad for their summer training camp in Portugal this week.

It’s been a busy week for Huddersfield Town in the transfer market with three new arrivals, two departures, and a new contract — just in time for the Terriers to jet out to Portugal for pre-season training.

This episode of the We Are Terriers podcast takes a look at what we might expect from Matty Young, Ethan Brierley, and Ilias Bronkhorst, as well as w…

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Huddersfield Town have confirmed the signing of Dutch right-back Ilias Bronkhorst as a free agent.

The 29 year old has signed a two-year deal at Accu Stadium after leaving Eredivisie side Excelsior at the end of last season. He has previously played for Telstar, FC Dordrecht, and NEC Nijmegen.

Huddersfield Town sporting director Chris Markham commented in a club statement: “We’re delighted to welcome Ilias to Huddersfield Town, as it isn’t often that a player of his quality and experience is available as a free agent.

“Ilias was very impressive from our first conversation. He has a burning desire to play football in England, and his philosophies on playing and training are an ideal fit for how we want to work under Martin.

“He combines real technical ability with impressive physicality, and his positional versatility will be a real asset to the squad too. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the blue and white stripes.”

Head coach Martin Drury added: “Ilias has lots of interesting qualities that make him an exciting signing for the club.

“He’s athletic and has physical capabilities that align with how we want to play. He’s coming from a league that requires you to be technically good but alongside this, his contributions to set plays, both attacking and defending were impressive.

“Importantly, we could feel his hunger and excitement for what we’re trying to build here at Huddersfield Town. That’s vital to see in any player we bring to the club.”

Bronkhorst said: “I had a big decision to make this summer, and I wanted to make sure I made the right choice for my career and family.

“After speaking to the club and having a chance to visit the facilities, I had no doubt about Huddersfield Town, and I’m really happy to be here at such an exciting time.

“There is real clarity in who we want to be, how we want to play and how I can contribute to that. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the supporters here too, so I cannot wait to get started and experience that feeling and atmosphere from the stands!”

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Ilias Bronkhorst scouting report

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Lee Nicholls has completed a permanent transfer to Championship side Preston North End.

The Huddersfield Town goalkeeper has been at the club since arriving from MK Dons in 2021, making 178 appearances and keeping 49 clean sheets.

Nicholls was named Championship goalkeeper of the season and Terriers player of the year in 2021/22 after a near-flawless campaign in which he helped Town finish third and reach the play-off final.

The 33-year-old’s place in the side came under threat from loanee Owen Goodman last season, but he nonetheless signed a new contract and successfully fought to earn his starting berth again.

Town announced on Monday that Sunderland goalkeeper Matty Young had been signed on a season-long loan.

Nicholls is now expected to play a back-up role with Preston.

Huddersfield head coach Martin Drury said: “Lee has been at the club for a long period of time and has been part of really successful teams here.

“It’s been a real pleasure for me to have worked with him, and I’ve the utmost respect for him and what he’s achieved so far in his career. Whilst he will be missed, I’m pleased that this move is one that Lee and ourselves feel is the right one, at the right time.

“On behalf of myself and the staff, we wish him well within his new chapter.”

Sporting director Chris Markham commented: “First and foremost, Lee has been an incredible servant for the club and moves on to his next challenge knowing that he will always be welcome here at Huddersfield Town.

“A move that speaks to Lee’s priorities both personally and professionally, the deal also reinforces our ability to adapt the men’s first team ahead of the 2026/27 season.

“An excellent professional and even better person, we’re thankful to Lee for his commitment to the club in his time here with us and wish he and his young family the very best for their new chapter.”

We Are Terriers reaction

It’s worth remembering that when Nicholls signed for Town, he’d been sitting on the bench with lower-tier MK Dons for much of the previous season. As such, he was expected to provide competition for youngster Ryan Schofield, rather than walk straight into the first team.

But it soon became apparent in his first season in a Town shirt that Nicholls was head and shoulders above not just his colleague, but any other goalkeeper in the division.

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Huddersfield Town and 29-year-old goalkeeper Nik Tzanev have agreed a one-year contract extension.

Tzanev’s new deal follows confirmation of Jacob Chapman’s departure to Scottish Premiership side St Mirren and sees the New Zealander remain at Accu Stadium for the 2026-27 season.

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Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jacob Chapman has completed a permanent transfer to Scottish Premiership side St Mirren.

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