MY TOON SO SHAKY
LATE CRACKER JACOB
NEWCASTLE boss Rafa Benitez admitted his side were not mentally ready as they crashed to a damaging defeat.
They were supposed to breeze back into the Premier League but now look like they will go up by the skin of their teeth.
They have won just two of their last eight games and Benitez, who saw two points chucked away against Leeds on Friday, knows the play-off chasers have them down as wounded prey.
The Toon boss said: “I am concerned about the change in the team’s performance against Leeds and today.
“We have to change and improve a lot. I thought we were ready but it turns out we were not focused or mentally ready. It’s difficult to JACOB BUTTERFIELD’S late equaliser denied Huddersfield the chance to pile pressure on Newcastle in the promotion race.
The result leaves David Wagner’s Terriers seven points behind the Toon with a game in hand.
They had looked set to move within five and really turn up the heat thanks to Collin Quaner’s second goal in four days.
But boss Wagner said: “If we secure a play-off spot, we will be very happy.
“We are very humble and know it is difficult to get points in this division. explain but that was the reality. We have to analyse what is wrong and change quickly.
‘‘I am not going to blame players here but they know what I told them at half-time and the end.
Chance
“We have played so many good games this season. Now we have to play at the level we had before.”
Matt Ritchie headed over Toon’s best chance of the first half before Freddie Sears put Ipswich ahead just before the break.
Daryl Murphy levelled just after DERBY ................... 1 HUDDERSFIELD ..... 1 Don’t forget we are Huddersfield Town and after 42 games this is an unbelievable achievement for the club.
“We are in a wonderful position with a few games to go, but we still need points and today was a step in the right direction.”
Huddersfield led after nine minutes when Quaner neatly finished with his right foot after a clever Joe Lolley pass and a fine Martin Cranie cross.
Derby thought they had equalised moments later the hour mark after Christian Atsu found him at the back post.
But it took Ipswich just a few minutes to get back in front thanks to the move of the game.
David McGoldrick was involved in the build-up and it ended with Sears squaring for him to poke the ball home.
Emyr Huws made sure in stoppage-time with a cracking back-post volley from Brett Pitman’s cross.
Boss Mick McCarthy had a message for the fans who cheered this one but had booed when Town were struggling.
He said: “That’s because we have been s***, but it’s not been helped by a s*** atmosphere as well. It cuts both ways, doesn’t it?
“When we were struggling and could have got relegated, the crowd would have been part of that if it had happened.” but Darren Bent’s close-range header from a Matej Vydra flick-on was ruled out for offside.
Huddersfield dominated but needed keeper Danny Ward to make a smart low save to keep out a powerful shot by Ikechi Anya.
But with two minutes to go the Rams rescued a point as Butterfield struck from distance, although a draw ended Derby’s slight play-off hopes.
Boss Gary Rowett said: “We showed good quality and also got in decent positions and in the end the goal was deserved.”