Huddersfield Town player ratings after inability to break down stubborn Cardiff
Cardiff City ran out 1-0 winners thanks to Famara Diedhiou's first-half goal after the Terriers could find no way to unlock the hosts' defence
Lee Nicholls - 6
Wasn’t tested a huge amount by Cardiff, but they didn’t exactly have to bombard the Town goal after going ahead in the first half and then keeping Town at arm’s length for the rest of the game.
Matty Pearson - 5
Started at right-back and struggled against Karlan Grant and Josh Wilson-Esbrand in the early stages of the game.
Michal Helik - 6
Sound game defensively, but Town desperately missed a ball-playing defender it eh back line, which simply isn’t his game.
Tom Lees - 6
Ditto.
Brodie Spencer - 4
Found it difficult to get to grips with Josh Bowler, particularly after picking up a rather needless yellow card early on, so no surprise when Cardiff broke the deadlock from that side. Taken off at the break to be replaced by Jaheim Headley.
Ben Wiles - 4
Stationed in central midfield in Town’s 4-2-3-1 on the ball. Showed a couple of promising signs of a partnership up the right with Sorba Thomas in the opening few minutes, but found the game increasingly frustrating as he was unable to find his touch. Taken off at the break.
David Kasumu - 6
Town’s deepest-lying midfielder, positioned to help break up Cardiff breaks — which he often did to very good effect. As ever, looked better when he kept things simpler on the ball, which we presume is exactly why he was taken off late on in the game.
Sorba Thomas - 5
Made his 100th start for the club. Put in some promising dead ball deliveries, as per, with a few teasing balls going narrowly unconnected. Kept making runs to the byline that his teammates were unable to pick out, and constantly found himself running into traffic or taking heavy touches whenever he tried to go through the middle.
Jack Rudoni - 4
Constantly made himself available for passes by stepping off his man, even if that meant dropping behind them, but was unable to do much of any danger having got on the ball.
Delano Burgzorg - 3
Started on the left wing, then went right, then was moved into a twin number 10 role alongside Rudoni as Andre Breinreiter switched to a 3-4-2-1 on the ball. Largely anonymous through large spells of the first half, and was woeful with his final product whenever he did get on the ball.
Danny Ward - 5
Worked hard all game, whether that was in the press, making runs, or chasing down every last 50/50 ball that went anywhere near him. Couldn’t get his foot onto a great ball headed back across goal by Jaheim Headley in the final few minutes.
Substitutes
Alex Matos (for Wiles 46) - Put on in an effort to bring something different to the midfield, but didn’t especially succeed in that endeavour. 4
Jaheim Headley (for Spencer 46) - Offered an improvement from Spencer and caused Cardiff problems with his direct running. Was involved in a flashpoint with Ryan Wintle after Headley went down at the end of a driving run and claimed (very tenuously) for a penalty, but the replays showed it was pure theatrics from Wintle and the referee rightly chose just to have a word with both players. Won a great header back across goal for Ward late on that the striker couldn’t finish. 7
Bojan Radulovic (for Kasumu 74) - Alternated playing just behind and alongside Ward in a bid to get back into the game, prompting yet another tactical shift, this time to 4-4-1-1. Barely got a touch, however. 4
Tom Edwards (for Pearson 74) - Finished the game at right-back having had little opportunity to try and repeat his match-winning cross against Watford, but did do more to enable Thomas than the winger had had up until that point. 5
Unused substitutes: Chris Maxwell, Ben Jackson, Brahima Diarra, Tom Iorpenda, Josh Koroma.
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