Huddersfield Town (0) 0
Preston North End (0) 0
Saturday 21 October 2000
Attendance 13,161
Reported by Martin Sykes
Huddersfield: Vaesen, Jenkins, Lucketti, Armstrong, Gorré, Sellars, Irons, Beech, Kozluk, Gallen (Facey 28), Smith (Thornley 45), Facey (Baldry 53).
Subs not used: Margetson, Gray.
Booked: Lucketti.
Preston: Lucas, Alexander, Edwards, Gregan, Murdock, Cartwright (Gunnlaugsson 77), McKenna (Anderson 57), Appleton, Rankine, Robinson, Meijer.
Subs not used: Moilanen, Kidd, Jackson.
Booked: Murdock.
Ref: N Barry (Scunthorpe).
Newly promoted Preston came to the MacAlpine yesterday with a bit of a
reputation for being a good side with play off aspirations. They left
leaving you thinking that if they were 5th in the table, even the appalling
mess we find ourselves in now is far from unretrievable.
Other than Wimbledon, who were efficiently good rather than dazzling, and
Bolton to an extent, I have yet to see a side which Bruce's original side
wouldn't tear apart (I missed the Warford and Gillingham games).
Town's problems are so well chronicled that they barely need repeating
here - suffice to say that our original forward line didn't exactly inspire
confidence to break their record of one (strangely fortuitous) goal in 3
matches and as personnel then had to switch around throughout the game
through illness and injury, a balnk scoreline was always predictable.
Thankfully, and despite another edgy performance from Lucketti, our defence
didn't break down in to synchronised panic with the quite excellent
Armstrong - yes, you read it right, the quite excellent Armstrong - only
missing out on MOTM because Kuzlok was even better.
The only fear attaching to our loanee from the Blades is the near certainty
that if we did actually splash out the £70,000 demanded, he would suddenly
play like his temporary colleagues. Cynical, perhaps, but this dreary season
leads you in to a state of almost permanent self pity and pessimism.
To say that the game itself was largely pedestrian would be to succumb to
ludicrous hyperbole. Very little constructive football shone through the
depressing midfield scuffle and even Sellars' passing ability was subsumed
in the drudgery.
Relief was occasional but restricted to the rare event of either side
finding any width away from the melee, and then the quality of the final
ball dragged us all back again.
At least for the first 20 minutes, Town didn't appear to be letting the
considerable handicaps of lack of confidence, a lack of fitness of some
players and lack of a genuine centre forward get them too down and chances
for Gallen, Lucketti and Beech were spurned before the departure with injury
of Gallen.
Gallen's departure was the start of the decline and one which was
accelerated by the forward line having to be changed every 15 minutes until
the end of the game. This musical chairs pantomime was wholly unavoidable
but even Steve Bruce would have found it difficult to have as many
positional changes for players in a 90 minute period.
In the middle of the park, Beech had a better day - though he missed two
straightforward chances - and became the senior partner as Irons had one of
his lumbering off days. Thornley - playing in a more orthodox wing role -
acquitted himself better and Baldry added some much needed flair in the
second half.
It transpires that Smith was replaced through illness, which was a more
charitable explanation than the fact that he looked vaguely bored by the
whole thing - it really is time for Smith's quality to shine again, though
he can be excused for yesterday.
A visitor from say, Finland (!), may be excused for having all his
prejudices about English football confirmed in the dire 90 minutes he
witnessed - being grateful for any small mercy, regulars can be thankful for
a scruffy point and the opportunity of going above Crewe on Tuesday if we
can find someone to score.
It's not a particularly heartening objective, but in our current
circumstances, like a recovering alcoholic, we must take one step at a time
and one day at a time (sweet Jesus!).
Vaesen - Some good saves (one excellent) and competent.
Jenkins - Tired a little, understandably, but OK generally.
Armstrong - Composed, authoratitive, combative, possibly wouldn't pass a dope test (whoops - very unfair and uncalled for but it was a surreal performance!)
Lucketti - Still jittery at times. Desperately needs to regain his authority (remember when his clearing headers went miles?)
Kozluk - Saved me from having to make Armstrong the MOTM - outstanding in virtually everything he did.
Sellars - Far too anonymous and couldn't raise the level of the game above the scrum.
Irons - Lethargic and looked very old. Should be a leader but most definitely is not.
Beech - Better. Should have scored.
Smith - Ill and looked it.
Gorré - Out of place up front. Some good things but another one who tired.
Gallen - Missed a great chance and went off injured.
Facey (for Gallen) - Not much trouble to Preston's very good central defence then injured
Thornley (for Smith) - Glimpses of his capability and something of a threat at times.
Baldry (for Facey) - Some good runs and tried to inject some flair and pace
MOTM - Kuzlok (phew!)