Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 1
Huddersfield Town were held to a 1-1 draw at home against 10-man Stoke City after they failed to make the most of their chances.
Pipa’s early deflected goal was cancelled out by a Steven Fletcher penalty midway through the first half but the Potters were reduced to 10 men when Stoke full back Rhys Norrington-Davies was sent off in first half injury time for a dangerous sliding tackle on Juninho Bacuna who would have been clean through on goal.
Town failed to convert the chances they created in the second half into the winning goal though as the experienced Potters held on for a draw against the wasteful Terriers.
The toothless Terriers ended the game with 71% of the possession, having had 18 shots – only 4 on target – and with only one goal to show for it as they stayed in 14th place in the Championship on 32 points.
The result meant that Town ended their five match losing streak in 2021 after earning their first Championship point of the year and ensured that the Potters remained winless in 9 games.
The Terriers line-up remained unchanged from the away defeat at Bristol City – there were few recognised senior options on the bench for the injury ravaged squad.
And Town got off to an early start when Pipa’s shot took a deflection off Stoke captain John Obi Mikel to wrongfoot the unsighted Angus Gunn after just 5 minutes.
Alex Vallejo blocked a shot from Steven Fletcher after 17 minutes while a woeful shot by Rhys Norrington-Davies was the best that Stoke could do in response.
Harry Toffolo delivered the ball to Frazier Campbell after 22 minutes, but the experienced front man headed just wide of the near post.
Referee Gavin Ward didn’t hesitate to give a penalty after Jack Clarke was brought down by a lunge from Naby Sarr after the terriers conceded possession in front of their own box.
Steven Fletcher stepped up and calmly slotted the ball to the right side with Ryan Schofield guessing the wrong way.
The Terriers won several corners and free kicks but couldn’t make much of them as the visitors gained some useful ground at the end of the first half where they had 2 shots blocked and won a corner.
Rhys Norrington-Davies sent off for Stoke City who manage to hold on to earn a point for Stoke City at Huddersfield Town
Town got the drop on Stoke in first half injury time and Norrington-Davies was sent off after Bacuna was tackled dangerously by the Stoke man who slid into him after he tried to pick up the loose ball after Campbell slipped when trying to control it.
Bacuna limped off at half time after some treatment but both sides made no changes after the break with Stoke wide man James McClean filling in at left back after the visitors re-emerged.
Town didn’t make the most of their man advantage, Vallejo’s shooting was poor while Bacuna didn’t properly test Gunn with a speculative shot as Stoke stayed resilient.
Pipa was not given a penalty after he went over a trailing leg from a Stoke defender as he weaved his way into the box and Harry Toffolo’s cross was too close to Gunn – not the last time that Toffolo’s crossing radar was off.
Stoke’s first change came after 58 minutes with Jacob Brown coming on for Fletcher and Town replaced Rolando Aarons with Duane Holmes who was making his second debut for the club after signing earlier in the week.
Lewis O’Brien swept a Toffolo cross onto the Stoke crossbar with Gunn diving – the closest the Terriers came in the second half – before Bacuna had a firm shot headed off the line by McClean.
Stoke made their second change with Jordan Cousins replacing Jack Clarke with 19 minutes to go and James Chester blocked a shot from Vallejo while Toffolo couldn’t keep his shot down.
Town were needing a goal, and Richard Keogh departed with Kieran Phillips replacing him with 13 minutes to go as Stoke’s attacking ambitions dried up.
Duane Holmes’ shot was deflected and looped onto the roof of the net – winning Town another corner they could not profit from.
The Terriers looked tired and McClean had a shot charged down by Pipa after he won the ball and went past 2 Town players on his way into the box.
Nathan Collins won the resulting header from the corner but couldn’t direct it on goal as Stoke reminded the Terriers they could still be a threat though.
Town’s last throw of the dice was to replace Mbenza with Alex Pritchard with 5 minutes to go.
Cousins went into Toffolo to win Town a free kick to the left of the Stoke box and Bacuna’s low free kick was cleared by Stoke – much to the consternation of the home side who were fuming seconds later when Campbell went down under an apparent challenge from Gunn and certainly no penalty.
Pipa’s injury time left foot shot also went wide as Town’s frustrating day ended with the spoils shared.
GOALS – Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 1
Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 0: 5. Pipa’s shot from Isaac Mbenza’s cutback took a deflection off Stoke captain John Obi Mikel and wrongfooted Angus Gunn.
Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 0: 24. Steven Fletcher levelled matters from the penalty spot after Ryan Schofield guessed wrong following a wild lunge by Naby Sarr to bring down Jack Clarke in the area as Stoke counter attacked.
MATCH STATS – Huddersfield Town 1, Stoke City 1
Huddersfield Town: Schofield, Pipa, Keogh (Phillips 77), Sarr, Toffolo (C), Bacuna, Vallejo, O’Brien, Mbenza (Pritchard 85), Campbell, Aarons (Holmes 59)
Huddersfield Town subs not used: Pereira, Duhaney, Crichlow, Brown, Jones, High
Goal: Pipa 5
Stoke City: Gunn, Norrington-Davies, Chester, Souttar, Collins, Thompson, Mikel (C), Allen, McClean, Fletcher (Brown 58), Clarke (Cousins 71)
Stoke City Subs not used: Bursik, Batth, Vokes, Smith, Oakley-Boothe, Clucas, Matondo
Booking: Mikel 90+4 (foul on Kieran Phillip)
Sent off: Norrington-Davies 45+3 (dangerous last man foul on Juninho Bacuna)
Goal: Fletcher 24 pen
Referee: Gavin Ward