An injury time tap-in by Steve Mounie earned Huddersfield Town victory at the John Smith’s Stadium as Wolves’ eight-match unbeaten run came to an end. In a match of few chances, the action looked destined to end goalless, after both sides had produced little in the final third, before Mounie struck at the death.
Matt Doherty had missed the first-half’s best opening when miscuing at the back post, while the league’s bottom side responded through a set of half chances which fell to Karlan Grant. The second period followed a similar theme to the first, with chances at a premium, and shots on goal more so.
Willy Boly floated a header onto the roof of the net, while Elias Kachunga kissed the paintwork with a curling effort. However, it was the hosts who’d sneak the points come full-time as Wolves failed to deal with a ball into their box and a grounded Mounie nudged over the line.
The hosts were desperate for points to reignite their battle for survival and started positively, seeing Jonathan Hogg’s effort deflect off Boly and drop wide of the Wolves goal. The big defender then overcame a scare of his own as he fell to the ground awkwardly, but he showed the spirit this Wolves team is built on to continue.
After surviving a dangerous Joao Moutinho corner, the hosts were then on the attack again, but had better options when Grant fired over from long range, rather than passing. For Wolves, Diogo Jota’s first impact of the contest involved getting to the byline and cutting across goal for Doherty, but the unmarked Irishman scuffed his effort which fell well wide.
Wolves settled more as the contest progressed and Raul Jimenez should have given his side the lead when meeting Moutinho’s free-kick, but he glanced wide of the post. Then, with a swift Town breakaway, Grant’s overhead-kick failed to test Rui Patricio, but Ryan Bennett did receive his ninth yellow card of the campaign for a foul on Jon Stankovic in the build-up. He’s now one booking away from a two-game ban.
That brought an end to the first-half at John Smith’s Stadium, with neither side testing the opposition goalkeeper in a battle of a first 45 minutes.
Half-time: Huddersfield 0 Wolves 0
Like the first-half, the Terriers began the second period well, and Mounie’s powerful strike needed putting behind by Boly, before Patricio denied Stankovic from the following corner. Much of Wolves’ effort were proving fruitless, while Mounie headed a bouncing ball into Patricio’s side netting, with much of the home support thinking it had snuck home.
On 65 minutes Boly rose highest to head Moutinho’s corner over the bar, and that spelled time for a change for Nuno Espirito Santo. Not one, but two, as Morgan Gibbs-White and Ivan Cavaleiro took the place of Moutinho and Jota.
Seconds later Hogg headed over a teasing Grant cross, but Ruben Neves suffered a similar feeling for Wolves, firing over the bar from distance. The changes had lifted Wolves however, and an offside flag denied Doherty when he looked set to score, while Jimenez was denied by a timely Huddersfield block soon after.
With time running out Nuno made his final change of the evening, with Costa taking the place of Jimenez. By this time fan favourite, Aaron Mooy was on for the Terriers and he dragged an effort safely wide.
The next Huddersfield opportunity was less plain-sailing however, as substitute Kachunga curled inches wide of the post. But, with the final action of the game, the hosts earned all three points as Wolves failed to deal with a ball into the box and a grounded Mounie was well placed to nudge over the line.
Full-time: Huddersfield 1 Wolves 0
Huddersfield: Lossl, Duhaney (Bacuna46), Stankovic (Kachunga 83), Schindler, Kongolo, Durm, Hogg, Billing, Pritchard (Mooy 78), Grant, Mounie.
Unused subs: Hamer, Lowe, Depoitre, Zanka.
Wolves: Patricio, Doherty, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Jonny, Neves, Moutinho (Gibbs-White 66), Dendoncker, Jota (Cavaleiro 66), Jimenez (Costa 79).
Unused subs: Ruddy, Vinagre, Saiss, Traore.
