“Sensational” – Player ratings for Huddersfield Town’s last gasp 2-1 win over Sheffield United

What a weird game football can be. Last Saturday I couldn’t have felt lower about Town’s prospects but yesterday afternoon I was going bonkers behind the goal at Bramhall Lane as we secured our second win of the week with an injury-time winner. Suddenly things don’t seem nearly as bleak, even if both our wins came from negative tactics, luck and opponents that couldn’t finish chances. In some ways it feels even better to win when most neutrals would say we didn’t deserve it. 

Player ratings are tricky for this kind of game. While the football Town played was poor for at least 70 minutes of the game, they did seem to be executing a game plan that mostly worked. We were solid at the back and kept our shape well for long periods but didn’t offer nearly enough going forward until Carlos changed the shape by bringing on Toffolo and Campbell. 

I’m going to lean towards the generous side of things with these scores, as it was a brilliant away performance in many ways and the right tactics to use against a team that clearly had better players than us.

Lee Nicholls – 8 out of 10

Wonderful game management that wound the Sheffield United fans and players up no end. I’ve never seen a player take longer over goal kicks and it was exactly the right thing to do under the circumstances. It’s frustrating when it’s the other team doing it but glorious when you’re supporting the team killing time. He also made some decent saves and commanded his area well. He was targeting the wings with his long kicking, which paid off nicely a couple of times but too often ended up going out for throw ins.

Ollie Turton – 5 out of 10

I’m willing to cut him some slack because he’s clearly not comfortable playing as a wingback but he struggled yesterday and missed tackles and gave the ball away too much. It seems like Sheffield United had picked him out as a weak link and tried to exploit him at times. He didn’t do anything massively wrong but didn’t show a lot of quality either. Now Toffolo is close to full fitness we may go back to playing 4-3-3 soon, which should suit him more. 

Matty Pearson – 7 out of 10

Stood up well to all the pressure thrown at him and used his physical presence to good effect. He’s not the best with the ball at his feet but he does everything else well enough to forgive him. He seems suited to this kind of backs-to-the-wall kind of performance, where character is more important than fancy football.

Naby Sarr – 8 out of 10

He did “a Naby Sarr” in the first half, when he dithered on the ball and got caught in possession, letting Sheffield United through on goal but thankfully we weren’t punished for the mistake. Aside from this one aberration he had a fantastic game, so it’s probably a bit generous to score him so highly but he did a lot right otherwise and helped repel wave after wave of United attacks. My favourite moment of his was the incredible sliding tackle he timed perfectly on Brewster when it seemed like he’d been left for dead. My heart was in my mouth when I saw him diving in with both feet off the ground but it was superbly timed and neutralised a very threatening attack.

Levi Colwill – 8 out of 10

Did incredibly well to get into the right position to convert Toffolo’s pass for the winning goal. He’s only been playing men’s football for about a month and he’s already experienced a moment that will cement him Huddersfield Town folklore. Prior to his injury time winner he had already had a decent game, standing up well to the constant pressure and making some good interventions to break up play. Even at this early stage of his career, it seems obvious to me that he’s going to go on to be a top player and play at the highest level. Like with Chilwell and Smith Rowe, we just have to enjoy him while we’ve got him and feel glad to have seen a future star in the early stages of their career.

Sorba Thomas – 7 out of 10

He had a five minute spell at the start of the game where he looked sensational but he faded a bit as Sheffield United started to dominate the game and he had to drop deep to provide defensive cover. When we brought Toffolo on and pushed Thomas into a front three he looked a lot more threatening and was able to influence the game more. His relationship on the pitch with Koroma is developing nicely and I’ve a feeling that they could both help to bring the best out of the other if they play together on either side of a central striker.

Jonathan Hogg – 6 out of 10

A decent performance but he is still being asked to hang back more than usual and spends most of his time on the pitch just in front of the central defenders. He does a lot of work organising those around him and mopping up loose balls, which we need even if it isn’t particularly glamorous. This wasn’t one of his best performances but he was disciplined and did a lot of dirty work.

Scott High – 5 out of 10

Really struggled to get into the game, which is a shame because Town desperately needed someone in midfield to get their foot on the ball and play balls for the forwards to run on to. Only managed 12 touches and 7 passes in 60 minutes, so it was no surprise when he was subbed off after an hour. 

Lewis O’Brien – 7 out of 10 

He wasn’t much better than Scott High in the first half and wasn’t able to get on the ball much. But he was sensational in moments in the second half, regularly curling passes into the runs of Koroma to set him off on counter attacks. I thought he looked completely worn out after about 70 minutes but he was still making lung-busting runs at 90 minutes, which shows exactly the kind of character he is. Bielsa’s comments in the press suggest Leeds may have cooled their interest in him for now, so hopefully we’ll get to see him again in a Town shirt.

Josh Koroma – 8 out of 10

Didn’t get any kind of service until later in the second half but when he was given the right balls he managed to stretch the defence and provide a goal threat. Being hyper-critical, he should have scored from his first shot for the goal but he showed good composure when collecting the rebound and slotting home. Now he’s off the mark it may help him to kick on and score even more, he certainly looks a handful when he gets the chance to run with the ball at his feet.

Danny Ward – 4 out of 10

I don’t know whether it was too much coffee or not enough but he is desperately out of form and can’t seem to do anything right at the moment. He runs about plenty and closes down the opposition but he struggled to link up play and didn’t look even close to causing the defenders any problems. He’s yet to play well this season but keeps getting selected to start games, which fans find inexplicable but there must be some reason behind his continued selection. 

Substitutes

Harry Toffolo – 8 out of 10

Showed exactly what we’ve been missing when he came off the bench and brought drive and intent to our attacks down the left flank. I’d forgotten how much better O’Brien plays with Toffolo on the pitch too, as they have an almost telepathic understanding of each other’s game and link up very well. His assist for the winner was superb, judging the angle of the pass perfectly to set Colwill up for a simple finish (or maybe he just missed his shot, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt).

Fraizer Campell – 7 out of 10

He may feel a bit aggrieved to have not been awarded a penalty but it shouldn’t have come to that as by the time he tumbled in the box he had dithered away two good shooting opportunities when a more instinctive striker would have pulled the trigger. Even accounting for his lack of a striker’s instinct in those situations, he’s clearly in better form than Ward and is unlucky to not be starting games. 

Alex Vallejo – 6 out of 10 

Brought on specifically to help defend the lead and did his job reasonably well. Helped to close down space in the middle of the park and looked OK in the few minutes he was on the pitch.