HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1, LEICESTER CITY 1
Dominant Huddersfield Town scored first but were pegged back by the visitors in a second half which saw chances arrive for both sides in an open second half which both sides played a big part.
Laurent Depoitre’s first goal for Town at the start of the second half, on his full debut at the John Smith’s Stadium, was cancelled out just four minutes later after Jamie Vardy converted a soft penalty.
Town manager David Wagner was delighted with the hard-working Terriers back at the John Smith’s stadium but was disappointed by the result after Elias Kachunga’s 62nd minute goal was disallowed with the scores balanced at 1-1.
He said: “We scored a great goal but were a little unconcentrated after we were 1-0 up and conceded a deserved penalty and then we scored but as everybody has seen the referee has decided it’s offside and it’s something we have to accept.
“I have seen our video footage and obviously Kachunga was nearly a yard onside. From my point of video it wasn’t difficult to see. This is why we have the referee’s assistant on the sideline.
“Unfortunately he did a mistake and this was the wrong decision but it’s something we have to accept even if it absolutely hurts.”
Wagner praised his team’s reaction following their defeat in London against West Ham on Monday, adding: “The players showed the reaction they asked for in themselves after the poor performance on Monday.”
Town handed full league debuts to Laurent Depoitre, Danny Williams, and Abdelhamid Sabiri and they replaced Steve Mounie, who was injured, Phillip Billing and Ryan Van La Parra as the Terriers looked to bounce back from their first defeat of the season away at West Ham.
Former Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho made his first start for the Foxes who hadn’t made the best of starts to the season.
Town took the initiative at the John Smith’s with an early header by Laurent Depoitre signalling their attacking intentions at home but there were few chances as clear as that despite Town’s early dominance.
Tom Ince was heavily involved from the left flank putting crosses in and taking shots as Town returned to an aggressive pressing game that left the Foxes starved of possession.
With Town back to their usual attacking selves there were half chances for Abdelhamid Sabiri and Christopher Schindler from headers.
The Foxes only had a Riyad Mahrez free kick against the Town wall with a turn and shot from Iheanacho bravely blocked by Mooy after Wes Morgan’s knockdown from the following corner to show for a very poor first half by them.
Town got their just reward for their first half display just seconds into the second period with a simple ball out of defence which found Abdelhamid Sabiri.
Sabiri’s through ball released Depoitre who held off and turned Harry Maguire before going past the Foxes defender and driving in the opening goal seconds into the second half from 15 yards out.
The lead lasted just four minutes, however, as Chris Lowe gave away a penalty with a soft-looking foul on Andy King which Vardy, starved of service in the first half, converted to level the scores.
Town could have retaken the lead in the 52nd minute but Schmeichel tipped over Matthias Zanka’s rising shot from the edge of the box after Kachunga’s found him with a cutback.
And Town should have taken the lead after 62 minutes but Kachunga had his tap-in from Zanka’s cross chalked off by the assistant referee.
Danny Williams saw his shot whistle past the post soon afterwards while Vardy finally had a great chance in the 70th minute but reacted too slow to Mahrez’ square pass fired across the six yard box which would have given the Foxes the lead.
Town continued to drive forward and saw chances from Tom Ince as well as a majority of action inside the Foxes half with a mouthwatering cross from the left by Mooy fluffed by substitute Collin Quaner who miscontrolled what could have been a tap-in from six yards out little over five minutes from the end.
Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith, Jorgensen, Schindler, Lowe, Williams, Mooy, Kachunga, Ince, Sabiri, Depoitre
Huddersfield Town subs: Coleman, Malone, Hogg, Billing, Van La Parra, Quaner, Hefele
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Mahrez, King, Ndidi, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Vardy
Leicester City Subs: Gray, Hamer, Dragovic, Amertey, Slimani, Okazaki, Iborra
Attendance: 24,169