First goals for the club for summer signings Ibby Cissoko and Richard Taylor secured Wanderers’ place in the second round of the FA Cup, writes Pete Oliver.
The duo’s contribution made it three successive wins and a second over Huddersfield in little more than a fortnight as Steven Schumacher's men extended their unbeaten home record with a seventh straight victoryat the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
The scoreline was a repeat of the recent League One meeting between the sides and although this time the Whites didn’t have to come from behind, they still needed to respond with a winner which came courtesy of Taylor with 20 minutes to go.
Cissoko had given Wanderers a half-time lead and at that stage it didn’t look likely to be close. But the Terriers rallied and after Bojan Radulovic had equalised the Whites had to go again to get the job done and raise hopes of a run in the competition.
Starts for Cissoko and Taylor were two of the seven changes made by Schumacher following last weekend’s victory over Cardiff but the boss still sent out a strong starting line-up against a Huddersfield side sticking close to their last league line-up in their desperate need for a win after four successive losses.
And it was Wanderers who bossed the first half with the first chance coming after just five minutes as Cissoko burst into the box and squared the ball for Joel Randall whose effort, from slightly behind him, was too close to Lee Nicholls.
The Terriers’ keeper then held an effort from Amario Cozier-Duberry – the match winner when the sides last met and one of those who retained his place following another late show against Cardiff – before a wicked Aaron Morley free-kick somehow stayed out of the visitors’ net after pinging around the six-yard box.
Cozier-Duberry posed his usual threat, while another well-worked set-piece paved the way for Cyrus Christie to steer an effort just wide before Huddersfield threatened for the first time from a corner of their own which Josh Feeney headed just wide.
Wanderers always looked the most likely to break the deadlock, though, and four minutes before the break their pressure paid off.
Cozier-Duberry was involved again and after his shot was blocked, Cissoko saw an effort of his own hit a Town defender before calmly steering home the rebound to open his first Wanderers’ account.
The start of the second half continued in similar vein as Cissoko as Wanderers camped in the visitors’ half and Cissoko nearly squeezed in an effort at the far post from Christie’s deep cross.
But with just one goal in it Huddersfield weren’t out of the tie and it took an excellent save from Tyler Miller, low down to his right, to deny Ben Wiles’ an unlikely equaliser as Wanderers were almost caught out on the break.
That perked up Town and their supporters and after Marcus Holness volleyed just wide the leveller was not a huge surprise, Ruben Roosken clipping a cross beyond Miller for Radulovic to nod home with just over an hour gone.
Both sides then turned to their benches to try and find a winner in the final quarter with ex-Wanderers’ striker Dion Charles among those coming on for the visitors and former Town midfielder Kyle Dempsey making a welcome appearance for just his second appearance of the season following injury.
And it was Dempsey who made the instant impact, finding Taylor inside the box for the full-back to poke the ball goalwards and then follow up to nod in from close range to claim a first goal in English football and send Wanderers through.
It was no more than Wanderers deserved over the piece and they almost made their passage smoother 10 minutes from the end when Josh Sheehan almost capped a fine afternoon’s work with an effort which thudded against a post via the finger tips of Nicholls.
Dempsey also went close to a third when he met a Taylor cross at the near post with an effort he guided just wide and it was almost needed as four minutes from the end Miller spilled the ball and only a goalline block from George Johnston, typifying some excellent late defending, denied Radulovic a second goal and the probability of extra-time as Wanderers booked their place in Monday night's draw.
Wanderers: Miller; Christie, Toal, Johnston, Taylor (Conway 82); Sheehan, Morley; Cozier-Duberry (Forss 67), Randall (Dempsey 67), Cissoko (Osei-Tutu 82); Dalby (Burstow 90). Substitutes: Sharman-Lowe, Dacres-Cogley, Forino, Simons, Burstow.
Booked: None
Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Sorensen, Feeney, Low, Roosken; Gooch (Vost HT), Ledson; Wiles (Ashia 67), Harness (Taylor 86), Miller (Charles 67); Radulovic. Substitutes: Goodman, Chapman, Balker, Roughan, Sway.
Booked: Ledson, Low
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 6,077 (831 away)