Huddersfield Town 3, Hull City 0
Huddersfield Town scored three times to beat Hull City and secure their seventh point in a week for the club as Juninho Bacuna came off the bench and changed the game.
Late goals for Karlan Grant, Bacuna, and Elias Kachunga went towards a confidence boosting win as Terriers beat the Tigers for the first time in seven matches.
Kachunga’s goal – Town’s third – lifted them out of the bottom three to 21st – above Reading on goals scored as the Cowley effect took full hold at the John Smith’s Stadium.
It was the first time that home fans had seen more than one goal scored by Town in over 19 months, since a 4-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth in February 2018.
Town also won their next match at West Brom later that match – which was also the last time they had consecutive league wins on the bounce.
Embed from Getty ImagesDanny Cowley made one change from the side that won their first game of the season at Stoke on Tuesday.
Adama Diakhaby was brought into the side with Fraizer Campbell dropping to the bench.
And there was a palpable sense of anticipation as the Terriers kicked off and were in charge from the start.
Hull couldn’t handle the Town intensity early on and there was a shout for handball from the fans as George Long raced off his line to claw away a Christopher Schindler ball up to Karlan Grant at the edge of his area.
Diakhaby had a lot of joy down the Terriers’ right flank without creating too many clear chances but Town were certainly on top of Hull with their pressing game.
Christopher Schindler went down injured after a high challenge after Tommy Elphick nodded a couple of high balls into the area away to safety.
For all the high intensity, there little in the way of early goalmouth action despite a notable increase in confidence by Town following their morale-boosting midweek.
It took until the 29th minute for the first chance of the game with the visitors’ Brandon Flemming’s cutback sent goalwards with a low drive by George Honeyman where it was dealt with comfortably by Kamil Grabara.
Jaden Brown had a rasping shot blocked by Long as the left back marauded up from defence to try to break the deadlock after running onto Lewis O’Brien’s layoff.
Karlan Grant’s shot took a deflection off Jordy de Wijs shortly before half time to go for a corner.
And Kevin Stewart lifted the ball into the path of Tom Eaves whose shot was saved by Grabara as Hull matched Town for chances on goal before the break
The Tigers made a double change after 58 minutes, with Josh Bowler and Leonardo Lopes replacing George Honeyman and Daniel Batty.
Bowler’s first action was to take out Trevoh Chalobah and the game was in danger of becoming a war of attrition.
Super-sub Juninho Bacuna turns on the style again to beat Hull City
But the Terriers regrouped, Jonathan Hogg – on a booking – was replaced by super-sub Juninho Bacuna who followed up his winning goal against Stoke on Tuesday with another game changing appearance.
Bacuna’s first pass fell to Karlan Grant who was given space to turn with the ball, pick his spot, and volley in a goal inside the back post in the 68th minute.
Bacuna rifled in a second 6 minutes later after Diakhaby made another run past de Wijs and cut the ball back to the edge of the box for a superb low finish for the Curacao midfielder.
The John Smith’s Stadium was rocking by now and with 8 minutes to go Elias Kachunga slid in to lift O’Brien’s cross into the roof of the net from 6 yards out.
And it could have been an even bigger win – substitute Campbell headed wide from close range after meeting Kachunga’s cross.
Such was the intensity of Town at the end that they were still chasing a fourth goal in injury time with a fracas on the sidelines as O’Brien tangled with Josh Magennis for the ball.
GOALS – Huddersfield Town 3, Hull City 0
Huddersfield Town 1, Hull City 0: 68. Karlan Grant turned with the ball and fired it low into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after Juninho Bacuna’s deflected shot fell to him.
Huddersfield Town 2, Hull City 0: 74. Juninho Bacuna rifled in the second after Adama Diakhaby blazed past Jordy de Wijs and cut the ball back to the edge of the area.
Huddersfield Town 3, Hull City 0: 82. Elias Kachunga slid in to convert Lewis O’Brien’s cross into the roof of the net from 6 yards out after Juninho Bacuna had seen the Town midfielder in space and threaded him through.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 3, Hull City 0
Huddersfield Town: Grabara, Simpson, Elphick, Schindler, Brown, Chalobah (Stankovic 75), Hogg (Bacuna 68), Diakhaby (Campbell 77), O’Brien, Kachunga, Grant
Huddersfield Town subs not used: Schofield, Mbenza, Mounie, Hadergjonaj
Booking: Hogg 32 (pulling back Jarrod Bowen), Brown 63 (foul), O’Brien 90+1 (fracas with Josh Magennis)
Goals: Grant 68; Bacuna 74; Kachunga 82
Hull City: Long, Lichaj, Burke, de Wijs, Fleming, Stewart, Bowen, Batty (Lopes 59), Honeyman (Bowler 58), Grosicki (Magennis 75), Eaves
Hull City subs not used: Ingram, Tafazolli, Balogh, Pennington
Booking: Magennis 90+1 (fracas with Lewis O’Brien)
Referee: David Webb
Attendance: 21,702 (1700 Hull City fans)