PREVIEW: Sky Blues To Host Huddersfield

City prepare for final home fixture of the season...

29 April 2022

The Sky Blues will face Huddersfield Town at the Coventry Building Society Arena this weekend for the final home fixture of the season. Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents.

Fact File:

Name: Huddersfield Town Association Football Club
Founded: 1908
Stadium: John Smith's Stadium (Opened in 1994)
Capacity: 24,121
Nickname: The Terriers
Address: The John Smith’s Stadium, Stadium Way, Huddersfield, HD1 6PX
Pitch Size: 115 x 75 yards

The Opposition:

Huddersfield currently sit in fourth place in the SkyBet Championship as The Terriers hope to return to the Premier League since their last stay in 2019, having accumulated 21 wins, 13 draws and 10 defeats so far this season.

Manager Carlos Corberan has made three additions to his side over the course of the January transfer window, as Carel Eiting from KRC Genk and Jamal Blackman from Los Angeles FC both joined on free transfers. Meanwhile, Tino Anjorin joined Huddersfield from Chelsea on loan.

Danny Ward’s 13 goals this season puts him as The Terriers’ top goalscorer, while Danel Sinani and Duane Holmes have six goals each.

The Manager:

Terriers manager Carlos Corberan represented Valencia CF at youth level as a goalkeeper, but after only featuring for the reserve team he decided to retire and persue a coaching career at the age of 23.

After gaining coaching experience at Villarreal, Al-Ittihad, AD Alcorcon and Al-Nassr, Corberan’s first senior managerial experience came in November 2016 when he was appointed as Doxa Katokopias’ head coach in Cyprus.

Following a stint at Ermis Aradippou the following year, Corberan was announced as the new Leeds United Under-23 manager in June 2017. Moreover, once Marcelo Bielsa was appointed as the first team’s new head coach in 2018, Corberan was promoted to first team coach alongside his Under-23s duties.

During this time, Corberan led his Under-23s side to the Professional Development Northern League title before becoming national champions with a win over Birmingham City.

In July 2020, Corberan became head coach at Huddersfield Town and finished last season in 20^th position.

Last Six Games:

Won – Huddersfield 2-1 Barnsley (SkyBet Championship)
Won – Middlesbrough 0-2 Huddersfield (SkyBet Championship)
Drew – Huddersfield 2-2 QPR (SkyBet Championship)
Won – Huddersfield 2-0 Luton Town (SkyBet Championship)
Won – Hull City 0-1 Huddersfield (SkyBet Championship)
Lost – Huddersfield 0-3 Bournemouth (SkyBet Championship)

Last Time We Met: Huddersfield 1-1 Sky Blues

Matty Godden’s injury time header ensured that City snatched a late point to end the game 1-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium, after Danny Ward broke the deadlock with his strike to put the Terriers ahead in the first half.

Sky Blues XI: Simon Moore (GK), Todd Kane, Dom Hyam, Kyle McFadzean, Michael Rose, Fankaty Dabo (Ian Maatsen 62’), Jamie Allen, Ben Sheaf (Tyler Walker 62’), Liam Kelly (C), Callum O’Hare (Jodi Jones 81’), Matty Godden.

Unused Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Viktor Gyökeres, Jordan Shipley, Josh Eccles.

Head-to-head Record:

Sky Blues wins – 5
Draws – 5
Huddersfield wins – 8

Club Connection: Robbie Simpson

Former Sky Blues and Huddersfield man Robbie Simpson began his youth career at Norwich City before making the move to Cambridge City.

Simpson swapped Cambridge City for Cambridge United in 2006 and, despite having his start at his new club hampered by a knee injury and full-time study at Loughborough University, his goal-scoring ability eventually made him a fans’ favourite. By the end of the season, Simpson claimed the Supporters’ Player of the Year and Goal of the Year with 17 goals in 33 appearances.

As a result of his impressive 2006/07 campaign, Simpson signed for the Sky Blues the following season. Soon afterwards, the forward made an instant impact by scoring five minutes into his competitive debut in a League Cup fixture versus Notts County.

In June 2009, Simpson made the switch to Huddersfield Town on a three-year deal, however most his first season at his new club was disrupted by injury.

Loan moves to Brentford and Oldham Athletic in his remaining seasons with Huddersfield resulted in Simpson signing for Oldham on a permanent deal in 2012. However, at the end of the 2012/13 season, he was released and signed for Leyton Orient.

During his one-year deal at Orient, Simpson appeared on the bench in the 2014 League One play-off Final but later returned to Cambridge United.

After leaving by mutual consent at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, Simpson moved on to Exeter City where he spent two years before signing for MK Dons in 2018. Arriving on a short-term deal with newly-relegated League Two club MK Dons, he scored his first goal for the club within a minute of entering the field as a substitute against Grimsby Town and the team eventually earned a third-place promotion that season.

In August 2019, Simpson signed for Chelmsford City in the National League South, where he has since been appointed as manager.

Match Officials:

Tony Harrington will be the man in the middle of the Sky Blues clash with Huddersfield Town this weekend.

Harrington will be assisted by Mark Scholes and Daniel Leach, whilst Josh Smith will act as the fourth official.

Match Reports

REPORT: Sky Blues 1-2 Huddersfield Town

City defeated in final home game of the season...

30 April 2022

The Sky Blues' final home game of the season ended in a 2-1 defeat against Huddersfield Town this afternoon, as Viktor Gyökeres struck late to halve the defecit from Harry Toffolo’s curling effort and Faustino Anjorin’s penalty.

Backed by the immense roar of the Sky Blues faithful, City looked to mount some early pressure on the visitors when some neat interchanges between O’Hare and Gyökeres yielded a number of corners inside ten minutes. Dom Hyam’s audacious overhead kick within the penalty area from the set piece delivery caused the Terriers trouble, however City were unable to convert early on.

A clash between Michael Rose and Kyle McFadzean resulted in a stoppage while both players received treatment on 20 minutes, however both were deemed able to continue.

Soon afterwards, a quick move between O’Hare and Gyökeres got the home crowd off their feet once more when O’Hare’s effort was lashed narrowly wide, and soon afterwards a counter-attack led by Jordan Rhodes resulted in a Huddersfield corner which Ben Wilson rose highest to punch away.

An intelligent free kick delivery from Hamer at the edge of Huddersfield's box found Waghorn lurking at the far post and his header back across the face of goal was met by Hyam, but his effort was parried at point-blank range by Lee Nicholls on 38 minutes.

Amid a first half which saw both teams flex their defensive abilities it would take an impressive effort to break the deadlock, and despite the Sky Blues growing in stature throughout the contest, it was Huddersfield who struck first. A rapid counter-attack from the Terriers on 44 minutes culminated in Harry Toffolo unlocking the resolute City defence with his curling effort which sailed high into the far corner of the net.

Half-time: Sky Blues 0-1 Huddersfield Town

The first effort of the second half fell City’s way when a short corner was delivered to Hamer and, following his industrious efforts of the first half, he tried his luck from range but to no avail as Nicholls made an assured save.

Rhodes had a golden opportunity to double his side’s advantage when Holmes found space on the right flank and whipped a low cross into the path of the striker in the six-yard box, but his sliced effort bobbled past the goal mouth.

Young duo Josh Eccles and Fabio Tavares entered the field to applause at the Coventry Building Society Arena with 20 minutes remaining and Tavares looked to inject fresh energy into the frontline when he immediately worked to close down Huddersfield's possession in defence.

The Sky Blues looked condemned to a two-goal deficit when Terriers top goalscorer Danny Ward burst past City’s defence on 75 minutes, however his chance was scuppered by Wilson who made a fantastic stop.

However, Huddersfield doubled their lead only minutes later when Lewis O’Brien was judged to have been fouled by Wilson in the box and Faustino Anjorin stepped up to power the ball into the bottom corner from the penalty spot.

After a prolonged period of Sky Blues pressure, City clawed a goal back via Viktor Gyökeres in the final moments of the game when the Swedish striker powered home at point-blank range from a dangerous cross by O’Hare.

Despite the home crowd urging the Sky Blues’ valiant late efforts on into injury time, City fell to 2-1 defeat at the conclusion of this afternoon’s final home game of the season at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Full-time: Sky Blues 1-2 Huddersfield Town

Referee: Tony Harrington

Attendance: 23,828 (2,439 away)

Scorers: Harry Toffolo (44’), Faustino Anjorin (78’), Viktor Gyökeres (89’)

Yellow cards: Todd Kane (69’)

Sky Blues Xl: Ben Wilson (GK), Todd Kane (Josh Eccles 70’), Dom Hyam, Kyle McFadzean ©, Michael Rose, Jake Bidwell, Gustavo Hamer (Jodi Jones 76’), Jamie Allen, Callum O’Hare, Martyn Waghorn (Fabio Tavares 70’), Viktor Gyökeres.

Unused subs: Simon Moore (GK), Jake Clarke-Salter, Ian Maatsen, Jordan Shipley.

Huddersfield XI: Lee Nicholls (GK), Pipa, Harry Toffolo, Jonathan Hogg © (Naby Sarr 76’), Lewis O’Brien, Jordan Rhodes (Danny Ward 60’), Scott High, Duane Holmes (Faustino Anjorin 64’), Levi Colwill, Tom Lees, Jonathan Russell.

Unused subs: Jamal Blackman (GK), Josh Ruffels, Oliver Turton, Carel Eiting.