Huddersfield 0 City 2
Report by Kate Thompson
But who’s complaining! Although the Brighton game was a severe disappointment – and meant we lost our chance to beat the record points total for any club – it was not really surprising as the players had played so well for so long and who could begrudge them if they took their foot off the gas.
I thought yesterday would be different, as Pearson had been talking about getting more than 100 points, and so it proved. With what might be termed the second string and without getting out of second gear very often, City comfortably beat a willing but ultimately toothless opposition.
The one Huddersfield player to cause any major problems was Scannell who I seem remember had been quite effective in previous games and who is a dead ringer for Danns.
Apart from the two injured players, Vardy and Schlupp, the team had a number of players who haven’t started many matches, notably Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Chris Wood, Ignasi Miquel, Dean Hammond and Andy King. King had been particularly effective against Bolton, playing just behind Nugent, but this time he played slightly deeper as Wood and Taylor-Fletcher were the front pairing.
The pace was certainly more obvious than it was in the Brighton game although there was rather too much pretty-pretty passing for my taste. Before the first goal Matty James had rattled the crossbar with a thunderbolt that deserved a goal. James was involved again when he slid a pass to Dyer who fed Taylor-Fletcher to score into the corner from a tight angle in the 31st minute, apparently against one of his former teams.
While the score was 0-1 there was a chance that Huddersfield would pull one back and they almost did so but for the presence of Liam Moore on the goal line, who showed good vision to keep the ball out. Most of the other efforts were high, wide and not so wonderful.
Dyer had a couple of good chances in front of the nearly 4,000 Leicester fans and then Wes Morgan scored in the 74th minute with what was a simple tap-in. I had just asked if Wes had scored this season – he has now!
Huddersfield continued to huff and puff but ultimately City were too good for them, as they have been against so many teams. I’m sure there will be a number of contenders for game of the season but for me, the one that stood out was against Derby in January, probably the most consummate performance I have seen for many a year.
Three substitutes were used: Mahrez for Taylor-Fletcher in the 64th minute and Drinkwater for James and Nugent for Wood in the 82nd.
Three final points. Adam Clayton’s beard was a joke, I kept looking for the elastic behind his head! I see he has now shaved it off.
Well done to the Huddersfield club and fans for their sincere congratulations. There was a tannoy announcement at the end of the game but then to my amazement a section of the Huddersfield fans stood in front of the stand where the City fans were and applauded. I have never seen anything like that before and I wasn’t the only one with a lump in my throat!
But on a sourer note, I was not impressed with one young man who insisted on standing up throughout the game despite the man behind him saying he couldn’t stand because of a dicky hip; the response was along the lines of ‘I’m lucky, I haven’t. Words fail me.
So well done the lads for a fantastic season, one we didn’t see coming after losing at Charlton, then twice in one week in early December. So many records have been broken and we still have a chance for a couple more against Doncaster. It’s a shame we potentially will consign Donnie to relegation but football can be a cruel sport – as so many Leicester fans know all too well!
Leicester: Schmeichel, Moore, Miquel, Morgan, Konchesky, Hammond, James (Drinkwater 82), Taylor-Fletcher (Mahrez 64), King, Dyer, Wood (Nugent 82). Subs not used: De Laet, Logan, Wasilewski, Phillips
Huddersfield.: Smithies, Woods, Clarke, Gerrard, Dixon, Scannell, Hogg (Billing 76), Holmes (Norwood 63), Clayton, Hammill (Lolley 75), Wells. Subs not used: Ward, Bennett, Wallace, Smith
Attendance: 16,481 Referee: Iain Williamson
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation