Ten-man Terriers in show of derby grit
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1
Helik 45
LEEDS UNITED 1
Bamford 67
DANIEL Farke refused to criticise his lacklustre Leeds side after a chance of a club-record ten-successive league wins was ended with a draw in a West Yorkshire derby with ten-man Huddersfield.
The promotion-chasing Whites had enjoyed a perfect league start to 2024, but had to come from behind to rescue a point.
Substitute Michal Helik, the Terriers’ unlikely top scorer, put the hosts ahead, before captain Jonathan Hogg was sent off in first-half stoppage-time.
Patrick Bamford, making his first start since February 10, levelled in the second half, but Farke’s charges failed to find a winner with Crysencio Summerville hitting a post late on.
“I’m far away from punishing my players for their performance,” said Farke, whose side missed the chance to pile the pressure on leaders Leicester by winning the lunchtime kick-off.
“We have won 28 points out of the past ten games, so I won’t criticise them because they didn’t have their best game.
“Individually, they didn’t have their best day, but you have to expect that sometimes.We have to draw a line under that quickly.
“It’s difficult when a team defends and that’s all they do. It was a quick turnaround for us and the pitch was not easy to play.”
The hosts had to play nigh on an hour with ten after Hogg’s stray elbow on Junior Firpo saw him booked for a second time.
And Farke felt the Terriers resorted to time wasting as they secured a hard-fought point.
He added: “Someone told me it was the lowest time the ball was in play ever in the Championship. It’s difficult to create because every goal kick takes two minutes. It’s difficult when a game’s scruffy like that.”
Farke’s men started well and saw Summerville’s early effort was kept out by Lee Nicholls.
Leeds’ stopper Illan Meslier did well to keep out Jack Rudoni’s strike, before the Frenchman produced an even better stop to deny to former AFC Wimbledon man at the near post from the resultant corner.
But despite gi
