Games to define Town’s campaign

FIVE MATCHES WHICH TELL THE STORY OF THE TERRIERS’ SEASON

WE’D like to say it’s been a rollercoaster year, but that description only really applies to the first half of the Terriers’ season. In reality, it’s been more like a log flume – a steady ascent followed by a steep decline.

Huddersfield Town still have one more game left to go as they visit Reading on Saturday, but short of an alien invasion midway through the first half, it’s hard to believe the game will linger long in the memory or have any bearing on how we judge the season.

So here, in chronological order, are the five games that have best defined Town’s 2020/21.

THE first goal of the Carlos Corberan era gave the Terriers their first win of the season – and what a goal it was. Fraizer Campbell’s scissor-kick finish at the end of a flowing move that culminated in Harry Toffolo crossing from the byline was everything we had seen Town trying but often failing to do in pre-season friendlies, in the Carabao Cup exit to Rochdale and in the opening two games of the season against Norwich and Brentford.

After losing all of those first three competitive games of the season and having their thin squad exposed by first-half injuries to Christopher Schindler and Harry Toffolo at Brentford – Romoney Crichlow and Jaden Brown their replacements on the day – fans were rightly worried about whether this squad might struggle in this division.

It turned out they were right, of course, but for a good while it looked like they would be proven wrong. The win over Forest was the start of that, with Town going unbeaten in their next four to produce what would prove to be their best run of the season.

Campbell’s strike was nominated for goal of the season too – but lost to former Town man Lee Novak, who is now at Bradford City.

THAT four-game unbeaten run also featured a 1-1 draw at Rotherham, a 2-1 win away to Swansea and a 1-0