York leave it late, Avenue on the rise
Luhukay laid down law to get right Owls response
Late goals from substitutes Jon Parkin and Adriano Moke gave York City a 2-0 win against tenman Blyth Spartans at Bootham Crescent.
Parkin broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 80th minute after Blyth midfielder Connor Oliver handled a cross from David Ferguson. Moke added the second in stoppagetime.
Blyth had been reduced to ten men on the half-hour mark when midfielder Kieran Green was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Ferguson.
The win moves the Minstermen up to seventh in the table.
Bradford Park Avenue took all three points at home against Boston United, moving them above AFC Telford United and into second spot.
A 15th-minute penalty from Oli Johnson proved the difference for Mark Bower’s team, the spot-kick being awarded after former Bradford defender Ryan Qualter had hauled down Conor Branson.
Guiseley made it five matches unbeaten after a 1-1 draw at Altrincham courtesy of a remarkable strike from defender Andy Halls.
Jordan Hulme gave the hosts a 56th-minute lead with a free header, but the visitors were level 15 minutes later when Halls hit an unstoppable low strike from 35 yards into the bottom corner of the net, leaving joint manager Marcus Bignot beaming.
“Andy has scored the goal of the season already,” said Bignot. “We ended the game strongly and we went for the win, but I’m pleased with how we played. It could have been a win, but it’s a good point.” GRIFFIN PARK, Brentford’s home for more than a century, is famous for being the only ground in the country to have a pub on each corner.
Following the abject surrender by Sheffield Wednesday when losing 2-0 to the Bees earlier this month, Owls manager Jos Luhukay could have been forgiven for drowning his sorrows in at least a one of those hostelries before heading back north.
Instead Luhukay decided enough was enough. A line had been crossed by a squad that was long on talent but, on the evidence of the opening three Championship fixtures, short on the hunger required to thrive in such an unforgiving competition.
In the post-mortem that followed Luhukay admits the Owls players saw a new side to him as the 55-year-old laid down the law.
Change was on its way, he promised – and change is what was delivered as previously untouchable key men such as Fernando Forestieri and Sam Hutchinson were dropped to the bench with the Wednesday chief turning to youth. Two games and two wins later the outlook at Hillsborough is looking altogether brighter.
“I was not happy with the game at Brentford and I told the players,” said Luhukay ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup secondround tie at home to Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers. “It was, for me, not acceptable. In football you can lose a game, but the way you lose a game can make you not happy.
“Last Tuesday (on the eve of tackling Millwall) was a very hard analysis. I had a go at the team. Not for me, but for the success of my team. I have to make decisions when my players don’t do 100 per cent what they must do.”
As Forestieri and Hutchinson watched from the sidelines against Millwall last Wednesday in came Matt Penney and Fraser Preston to join fellow academy graduates Cameron Dawson and Jordan Thorniley.
For a club who spent much of Carlos Carvalhal’s reign stockpiling experienced strikers and midfielders at great expense, it represented quite a departure in policy.
Ashley Baker, another of those youngsters to have featured for the Owls this term and someone who is likely to face Wolves tonight, believes such an approach can brings its rewards.
“I don’t see why we can’t achieve what we want as a team with the younger players involved,” said the 21-year-old defender, who could be joined in the starting XI tonight by Preston and Frederik Nielsen. “As you saw last year with Fulham they had youngsters like (Ryan) Sessegnon and got promoted (to the Premier League). Anything can happen.
“When Carlos was here I was on the bench a couple of times, but didn’t feature. But as soon as Jos came in it was clear he didn’t care how old you were or how many games you had played. If you are good enough you get a chance. Simple as that.”
Baker was in the team beaten so comprehensively at Brentford. Asked how angry Luhukay was after that defeat, Baker smiled before adding: “All I will say is he does what he needs to do.”
Luhukay, meanwhile, is wary of asking too much, too soon from Wednesday’s youngsters in terms of workload. He does, however, insist there can be no slipping back into the ways that led to that dreadful defeat at Brentford.
To illustrate this the Owls’ chief has praised the response of Forestieri to being dropped to the bench for the last two games.
“He is one of our best players, but he must also know that he needs the team and the team need him,” said Luhukay. “First he must give something to the team then the team always give him something back.
“Every player in my team, they must do it with each other and not against each other. When they do that I think we have a very strong team. We must always help each other.
“Only then can we be success- ful. The team must have the same feeling. We must do it together. I was happy in the last 20 minutes (against Millwall and Ipswich) that he (Forestieri) gives the signal that he understands what we mean.”
With the transfer window still open until 5pm on Friday speculation continues to surround possible incomings and outgoings from S6. Forestieri was the latest to be linked with a possible move away, to Leeds United, over the weekend, but Luhukay insists there is nothing new to report on the transfer front.
“When we have something we will directly say,” he added. “I look first at my team and what I see in the last two games gives me confidence. I have not spoken with one player.
“From opening day against Wigan to now I have not spoken with one player. I am very happy. The progression of some of our young players gives me a good feeling. But you never know what will happen in the next few days.” MANCHESTER UNITED are nursing the wounds of another loss after Tottenham condemned Jose Mourinho to his biggest home defeat as a manager.
United were in desperate need of a response following a shock defeat at Brighton that led to heightened scrutiny on the manager, key players and background operations.
Mourinho looked to have got the desired response from his players, only for United to unravel in the second half as Harry Kane’s header was complemented by Lucas Moura’s brace as Tottenham ran out victors.
“You’re getting sacked in the morning” chanted the visiting fans after Spurs piled the pressure on the Portuguese and ended their run of four successive Old Trafford defeats.
While Mauricio Pochettino’s men enjoy a 100 per cent start to the campaign, this is just the second season in Premier League history that United have lost more than one of their opening three matches – a result few could have imagined during the hosts’ bright start.
Romelu Lukaku should have scored in a first half in which Phil Jones was fortunate not to give away a penalty for a foul on Moura, but the Brazilian would have the last laugh.
Kane’s headed opener was followed up by Moura striking home 133 seconds later, setting up a victory to which the Brazilian added gloss as the clock wound down to ratchet up the pressure on United.
Moura superbly beat Chris Smalling and fired into the bottom corner after a swift break.
United boss Mourinho took to the field at full-time to shake hands with his players and applauded the home fans that had remained inside Old Trafford.
After scoring his first goal at Old Trafford, Kane said: “That’s massive, to come here and win the way we did is a big statement.
“We wanted to start the season well and three wins out of three is a great start.
“We didn’t play well in the first half, but we came in at 0-0 and said we had to step up the tempo.
“We got the first goal and then we punished them, Lucas with two great finishes, and we saw the game out.”
Kane added: “That’s the only way we’ll win the league.
“We haven’t started well in previous years, we’ve had to play catch-up, but the top six are so strong now you have to stay with them.”