Corberan hails Terriers after battling show

HUDDERSFIELD boss Carlos Corberan believes his side’s 1-0 win over promotion rivals West Brom was vital to their hopes of reaching the Premier League.

Striker Danel Sinani’s early closerange finish was enough to beat the Baggies, with the visitors also seeing captain Jake Livermore sent off.

“It was a very important win,” said the Terriers boss.

“Every win has the same value, three points was the target.

“We knew how tough and how difficult it was going to be. Physically and technically and mentally it was very hard.

“We knew they are a team that you can’t lose concentration and focus against. They have three strikers and attack you in behind.

“But they are also very aggressive in defence and when they have the ball they want to get it to their strikers fast. I wanted to defend well and we did that better in the second half than the first.

“Our understanding was good, but we couldn’t impose ourselves enough and use the room they gave us.

“Our midfielders Scott High and Lewis O’Brien were good. Everyone was really good. Scott is a very important player and has maturity. He was very good last week against Cardiff too. He is very confident and can still improve. This game challenged him a lot.”

Corberan would not be drawn on the second-half flashpoint that saw Albion skipper Livermore dismissed for violent conduct after raising his foot.

He said: “I don’t know about the red card. I don’t know if he meant it. It was aggressive but all I want is a fair decision, not an advantage. It is a difficult job for referees.

“The only target this year is to be a competitive team against any kind of opponent. I’m learning how to prepare for these very demanding games.

“The strikers Danel and Danny worked brilliantly. Sinani was excellent in defence, knowing when to press. And Ward was exactly the same, competing for balls that were not easy to win.”

The win was Huddersfield’s sixth at home in their last eight games and the manager believes the crowd is playing a big part in that.

“When you are playing the support of the fans is key. The fans create a very positive atmosphere that helps the team to compete well,” added Corberan.

The only target this year is to be a competitive team against any kind of opponent