The equally iconic Huddersfield Town song “Smile Awhile” has also been sung with pride and enthusiasm by Terriers fans in 2021-22. It has been difficult for them to erase the smile from their faces, seeing the glorious rebirth of the club in a campaign to savor.
Mary Hopkin’s ditty ‘Those Were the Days’ from the late sixties is another song adapted by Town fans. It was a throwback to the early 1970s that Huddersfield hoped to evoke on Monday night: you had to go back fifty years to 1972 to see the last time the club reached the Cup quarter-finals.
Unfortunately, there will be no Mersey victor later this month with Liverpool visiting the City Ground and not John Smith’s Stadium for their Round of 16 tie.
For once, Huddersfield didn’t hit all the right notes, suffering a first defeat in 19 games. At least they got out the front door and fighting.
Forest now face Liverpool for the first time since 1999. They have seen a lot more of Huddersfield since then and this might not be the final meeting between these two this season with both smack dab in the middle of the Championship play-off battle. It would be an absorbing duel.
As in the league match between these teams in Nottingham just after Christmas, there was little to divide these well-matched, well-coached and strong teams. This time Forest prevailed.
Once again, Carlos Corberan showed his fondness for the rotation and the confidence in his squad. He made six substitutions, while his counterpart Steve Cooper, despite his team taking part in an intense and physically demanding game at Bramall Lane on Friday, resisted the urge and made just two.
It was a game of incidents, controversies and mistakes at both ends, especially in the first half, but showed the best traditions of cup football in the process in a gripping draw.
It was also easy to see why these two sides are enjoying such a renaissance. Town posed intelligence and danger on the counter, while Forest also showed the prowess of him going forward.
Clearly in the mood for goal after seeing their name in the lights three days earlier, Tom Lees and Ryan Yates were in the mood for a recharge.
Lees, given Nottingham’s freedom, buried a header to put Town ahead in the 13th minute, with Danel Sinani, who assisted his first goal against Peterborough, once again providing from another corner from the right.
He took Lees’ tally to three goals in two games and five for the season, matching his best comeback in a season.
Unfortunately for Huddersfield, Yates came to the party for the second time in successive games against a Yorkshire side.
After their last-gasp equalizer at Bramall Lane, the midfielder, hailed a ‘diamond’ by his coach, once again displayed his aerial prowess as he converted a James Garner free kick to plant a header past Jamal Blackman. Replays showed that Josh Ruffels sidelined him.
Given the fact that Forest mistakenly saw an early goal disallowed for offside against Sam Surridge, who converted a Brennan Johnson cross shortly before Lees scored, it was a point of karma for the hosts.
That said, Surridge claimed his own revenge to equalize in the 29th minute, scoring a precision finish after Naby Sarr’s late tackle to deny Yates after a penetrating move from Forest.
Town’s fluidity at half-time kept them interested, with Pipa hitting the post after a deft drive, with Thomas’ follow-up joined by Ethan Horvath. It seemed like a great moment in the context of the tie and it proved so with Forest soon taking the lead.
Levels dipped a bit in the second period with Thomas firing into the side net while Graham Scott didn’t budge after Duane Holmes fell in the box under pressure from Joe Worrall.
A dangerous moment saw Horvath make a clever save at the far post to deny Danny Ward and then avoid a near-post effort from the same player with Djed Spence and Garner fending off golden chances to seal it at the other end.
Nottingham Forest: Horvarth; Worrall, Cook, McKenna; Spence, Yates, Garner, Lowe; Zinckernagel (Colback 64); Johnson, Surridge (Davis 68). Unused substitutes: Samba, Figueiredo, Laryea, Mighten, Cafu, Silva, Lolley.
Town of Huddersfield: Blackman; Pearson, Sarr (55th District), Lees; Pipe, Hogg, Eiting, Ruffels (Toffolo 55); Thomas, Sinani (Anjorin 79), Holmes (Rhodes 67). Unused Subs: Nicholls, Turton, High, Rowe, Russell.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-07 22:22:20