Five conclusions: Fortitude, fortuity and forwards to the fore for Huddersfield Town

We should have gone with four conclusions just to stick to the schema, really. Thoughts on the victory over Mansfield. The strikers were good! Town are good! Imagine!

1. This game defied sensible analysis

This game stood in stark contrast to the patient, controlled victory Huddersfield Town secured against Wigan in midweek. At half-time, with Town leading 1-2, it seemed inconceivable that we would not see any more goals. If it had finished 3-3, neither side could have complained. It was that kind of afternoon.

Yet 1-2 it was, with Michael Duff’s side once again finding a way to edge out an even encounter against a Mansfield side that is desperately unlucky at the moment.

Extremely windy conditions meant the encounter defied any sensible analysis. Town played the first half with the gale-force wind at their backs, and the second half with it in their faces. They literally had to weather a storm to get these three points — and just about managed to do so.

Jacob Chapman had his busiest afternoon since stepping up as cover for the injured Lee Nicholls. Mansfield also twice hit the woodwork — or rather, once hit the woodwork, then had it hit for them in the very final seconds of the game as Tom Lees’ attempt to clear the ball cannoned back off Chapman’s crossbar.

But the Terriers had chances of their own, with Nigel Clough telling Duff that Josh Koroma should have had a penalty after Mansfield keeper Christy Pym brought him down as he tried to go round him and slot into an empty net.

That’s not quite right — the challenge was actually made just outside the box — but if the officials had seen what everyone else in the ground did, it surely would have drawn a red card regardless. The Mansfield fans around us in the press box were every bit as partisan about the officiating as they had a right to be, and even they were laughing in disbelief at that one going in their favour.

But by then, Town had already established their lead thanks to clinical finishing from Ben Wiles and Koroma. After months of complaining about Town’s inability to put their best chances away from open play, it was refreshing to see them take three points by capitalising when it mattered most.

2. Good performances from centre-forwards? Imagine!

Koroma was not even the starting centre-forward alongside Danny Ward; that honour went to Callum Marshall, who was forced off after receiving a blow to the sternum midway through the first half. On came Josh Ruffels to take over from Koroma at wing-back, with the latter then moving alongside Ward.

Koroma had already performed superbly, advancing the ball half the length of the pitch to tee up Wiles before that change. He carried his excellent start into his centre-forward role alongside the equally impressive Ward.