BROWNHILL PILES ON PAIN FOR WAGNER
JOSH BROWNHILL added to Huddersfield’s Premier League troubles by scoring a goal that knocked them out of the Cup and gave Bristol City and stunning win.
A third-round tie low on quality was settled by the midfielder’s 72nd-minute strike. It was his fourth goal of the season and came after much twisting and turning in a congested penalty area.
Until then, after a largely forgettable first half, Huddersfield had looked the more likely winners. But Town are bottom of the Premier League for a reason, they have scored only 13 times in 21 top-flight games and have little, if any, confidence in front of goal.
Against City, opponents unbeaten in eight Sky Bet Championship games, and increasingly finding form as the season unfolds, it was to prove their undoing.
Both sides struggled to find any fluency and much of the first half was played almost at walking pace.
The Robins were a constant setpiece threat through Adam Webster and, although their goal attempts were sporadic, Callum O’Dowda’s first-half header did strike the woodwork.
Chris Lowe’s advances from left-back offered Huddersfield hope, but it was the hosts who had the first real chance of note after 36 minutes.
O’Dowda directed Jack Hunt’s cross on to the bar and Famara Diedhiou sent the rebound over under pressure from Mathias Jorgensen and Jon Gorenc Stankovic. Jamie Paterson’s fierce 25-yard drive then just cleared the bar before Huddersfield responded with their first incisive attack of the half.
Hogg slipped in Erik Durm and his cross was begging for a decisive final touch, but the stretching Laurent Depoitre skewed it wide from four yards.
Depoitre and Juninho Bacuna were replaced at half-time as Terriers boss David Wagner – no doubt keen to avoid a replay with a relegation battle to face – sent on Pritchard and Mounie.
Pritchard appealed for a penalty within moments of his arrival after tumbling in the box, and there was suddenly more purpose about Huddersfield’s play.
Lowe and Hogg fired wide and City were grateful for Bailey Wright’s intervention after Mounie had lifted the ball over goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa and seemed certain to break the deadlock.
Pritchard wasted another promising opportunity, and it proved fateful as Huddersfield failed to clear a corner and Brownhill fired home past Ben Hamer at his near post.
Brownhill almost added a second when denied by a diving Hamer save, but City held on to take their place in round four.