Huddersfield Town vs Cardiff City. Sky Bet Championship.
The John Smith's StadiumAttendance20,167.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Huddersfield and Cardiff City at John Smith's Stadium as late goals from Josh Koroma and Jon Russell snatched victory for the Terriers.
Wednesday 23 February 2022 23:15, UK
Jonathan Russell scored a stoppage-time winner as Huddersfield completed a dramatic late comeback to close to within two points of the automatic promotion places with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Cardiff.
Russell's strike came after substitute Josh Koroma cancelled out Tommy Doyle's 61st-minute opener two minutes from time.
As well as extending Town's unbeaten run to 16 games it also gave Carlos Corberan's side a first win over their Welsh visitors since 2003.
The game came to life in the closing half hour with both benches involved in a late flashpoint after Jordan Hugill's challenge on Tom Lees.
But there was even greater drama to follow as Koroma, a 65th-minute replacement for Josh Ruffels, fired in his fifth goal off the campaign to level the scores.
And in the sixth of nine minutes of stoppage time, Russell's first goal for the Terriers sent a packed John Smith's Stadium into raptures.
Two late Kieffer Moore goals earned the Bluebirds a 2-1 comeback win when the teams met in South Wales last November.
This time the visitors almost struck early. Will Vaulks flighted a superb cross from the left and Lee Nicholls was at full stretch to palm away Mark McGuinness' 12th-minute header from six yards.
Town struggled to make significant headway into a constant rain storm.
When they did fashion an opening, Danny Ward couldn't hit the target as he swivelled inside the six-yard box.
Huddersfield-born keeper Alex Smithies then smothered an effort from Sorba Thomas after 22 minutes.
Cardiff though looked most likely to break the stalemate. A 32nd-minute corner might have turned into a more dangerous situation but for Isaak Davies losing his footing on the soggy surface.
However, further intervention was required by Nicholls to deny Doyle after lung busting approach from Cody Drameh.
And twice in the last three minutes of the opening period Nicholls kept out efforts from on-loan Norwich striker Hugill.
Huddersfield were brighter in the second half without looking likely to break through the resolute Welsh defence.
And on the hour, their own rearguard was breached as Ryan Wintle and Hugill combined superbly to play in Doyle to give Cardiff the lead.
That's the way it looked likely to finish until Koroma and Russell earned Huddersfield a sensational victory.
Huddersfield's Carlos Corberan: "I remember Bayern Munich were winning the game. And Manchester United scored two goals from set-pieces in extra-time and won the Champions League. This of course is not the Champions League but one of the skills you need to have as a player is the skill to not give up. So, I am pleased because the players fought to the end.
"That is one skill in football if you don't have it is difficult to compete. Every player needs to have that mentality. It was more about that desire than the tactical side, but the players appreciated the situation."
Cardiff's Steve Morison: "For 80 minutes it was a pretty perfect away performance and what we had asked if the lads. We should have gone in at half-time winning. They had a lot of the ball but didn't really hurt us. We had all the chances and the place was getting frustrated. Then we get the goal. But games change on moments and the incident with Tom Lees geared them up and got the fans right behind them. Their bench is always vocal and loud. That's what you get when you come here.
"He [Hugill] caught him but he didn't mean to catch him. He didn't make a movement towards him [Lees]. Everyone had their opinion. They were trying to get him sent off, we were trying not to get him sent off."
