1…1.
There’s a well-worn trope in science fiction, from Terry Pratchett to Across the Spider-verse, that suggests there are certain events that absolutely have to come to pass, lest the very fabric of time be ripped to shreds, destroying the entire universe.
It’s starting to feel as though something like that is affecting Huddersfield Town, magnetically drawing them towards 1-1 draws regardless of how absurd the result may be.
This one is the most heartbreaking yet. Town finally escaped their tendency to concede first, having done so in seven of their past eight league games – and when you do so in the 86th minute against a side in the bottom three, you expect to retain the full three points.
Objective one was to avoid a defeat that would have seen Town replace QPR in the relegation zone, which has been accomplished – but they have also blown a golden opportunity to ensure they were not just deferring the issue until the occasion of their next defeat.
It now feels like that’s exactly what they have done. If you can’t beat this QPR side despite dominating so much of the game and despite only having to protect a lead for 14 minutes, how can there be any sense that it’s all going to be rosy from here?
2. Who knows what this means for Darren Moore?
That emotional reaction transports us right back to last February’s 2-2 draw away to Blackpool, when Mark Fotheringham’s side likewise shot themselves in the foot after looking to have claimed a late victory over a relegation rival.
That ended up spelling the end of the Scot’s tenure, with the club making a quick decision to get rid and bring in Neil Warnock as his replacement.
Kevin Nagle had issued what unavoidably felt like a public ultimatum to Moore after the 1-1 draw at Blackburn, but specifically worded it not to present this game as a must-win, but as a must-not lose for the manager.