Warnock digs-out a vital win
NEIL WARNOCK won a record eight promotions during his long managerial career but his return to the dugout yesterday encouraged hopes of a rather more modest aim – survival.
It will not be easy, but the veteran boss worked his magic immediately for a Huddersfield side floundering in the Championship relegation zone after a disastrous campaign.
Warnock, 74, became the Terriers’ fourth manager in just six months after returning from a holiday in New York, coming out of retirement to rejoin a club in his heart from a promotionwinning spell in the mid-90s.
After goals from Joseph Hungbo and Jaheim Headley sealed victory following Troy Deeney’s opener, Warnock said: “It’s been a long, hectic week. I came back on Thursday and we had a session at teatime and two or three hours on Friday.
“It was as good a session as I’d had in my career but I didn’t know if they could play as well – but this was a complete performance and it’s lovely to get that reward.
“I asked them afterwards, ‘How does it feel?’ That’s why we do it.
“You’ve to die for three points and everyone played their part.”
Warnock added: “We’ve got an outside chance of staying up. We have got to get in the mix.
“It’s Burnley away next, so I might leave that to see some family! No one wants to go to Burnley at the minute, do they?”
Birmingham led in the sixth minute as Deeney bundled home from close range but the hosts came back strongly.
Hungbo struck a brilliant leftfoot goal on 25 minutes and Headley was then on hand to latch on to a long ball and hit a superb, left-foot shot into the bottom corner.