Huddersfield Town 1 Wolves 0 – Report and pictures

Steve Mounie tapped in from close range in the 91st minute to hand the Terriers their first win since beating Wolves in November.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side created few chances. Matt Doherty went close in the first half but Wolves failed to muster a shot on target as their eight-game unbeaten run ended abruptly.

Analysis

Well, at least Wolves won't have to play them next season.

Huddersfield have been absolute dross for the past few months, but they've still managed to take six points off Nuno Espirito Santo's team, writes Tim Spiers at the John Smith's Stadium.

Wolves haven't even managed to score against a team that's let in 50 goals this season. And they arguably saved their worst two performances of the entire season for matches against the worst team in the league. It continued Wolves' dreadful record against the Terriers, which now reads 12 defeats in 14 matches.

Nuno urged his team not to underestimate the Terriers ahead of the game, but his players didn't listen.

They were limp in attack, short of ideas and inspiration, they were second best in the tackle and outfought and, at times, outplayed by Huddersfield. They also made uncharacteristic defensive errors.

Huddersfield hadn't won since beating Wolves in November, they'd only won a single point and they've only earned 14 points all season, but half of them have deservedly come against Wolves, who simply weren't at the races and got exactly what they deserved.

Joao Moutinho and Diogo Jota were Wolves' only creative influences but both were withdrawn on 65 minutes. And Nuno, again, shunned Adama Traore who remained sat on the bench come full time at a raucous John Smith's Stadium.

Wolves have enjoyed a season of almost continuous highs and are still in with a great chance of finishing seventh and therefore possibly qualifying for Europe.

But one big improvement they will need to make is turning it on against the 'lesser' sides. A drop off of five or 10 per cent and they can still look bang average against anyone in this league. Just ask Huddersfield.

Match report

Nuno named the same XI and substitutes from the team that drew 1-1 at Bournemouth, with Diogo Jota continuing up front despite suffering recently with a dead leg.

Huddersfield boss Jan Siewart, chasing his first point as Terriers boss, made a wholesale eight changes from the side that lost 2-0 at Newcastle at the weekend.

Aaron Mooy, who was man of the match when they beat Wolves 2-0 in November, dropped to the bench while youngster Demeaco Duhaney was handed his first-team debut.

Talking of that 2-0 win – it was Huddersfield's last victory in any competition. Indeed, coming into the match they had only earned a solitary point (away at Cardiff) in 14 league fixtures.

But the first half belied their recent form, as it did Wolves' as well. Of the two sides, Huddersfield looked more like one in eighth place than Wolves in what was a turgid and forgettable 45 minutes.

The one thing Wolves didn't want to do in the early stages was offer the rock-bottom Terriers any encouragement and get the home fans on side. Well, that's exactly what they did.

The hosts started with purpose and pace, quickly rousing the home supporters. They were first to the majority of loose balls and, frankly, looked like they wanted it more.

Wolves lacked fluency and rhythm. If they managed to string a decent sequence of passes together, they did so laboriously.

Set pieces from Joao Moutinho were their most likely route to goal, as well as the odd lively burst from Jota.

Their first shot came on 20 minutes when a Moutinho corner dropped to Doherty whose shot was blocked. Two minutes later the Irishman got a far clearer sight of goal when Jota scampered to the byline and fired across goal, but Doherty couldn't direct it into the net despite half the goal being open.

That was as close as Wolves came. Ryan Bennett and Raul Jimenez both tried to get their heads on Moutinho corners but couldn't get enough purchase on them, while Ruben Neves saw a decent effort blocked.

In fairness, for all their play Huddersfield created very little at the other end. Rui Patricio had to be alert to smother a couple of early flag kicks, while Karlan Grant acrobatically fired over after a promising break after which Bennett earned his ninth booking of the season (one away from a two-game suspension) for barging Jon Stankovic to the floor.

The main problems for Wolves were in midfield, with no player doing himself justice. Only Jota looked like producing something special and you wondered how long it would be before Nuno turned to his three forwards on the bench.

Wolves needed an improvement, but instead it was the Terriers who started the second half with renewed purpose and almost took the lead.

First, the ball broke nicely for Steve Mounie whose effort was brilliantly blocked by Willy Boly. From the resulting corner Stankovic was afforded a free header but put it too close to Patricio. It was a let off.

Wolves didn't heed the warning though and Mounie should have broken the deadlock when Bennett allowed a cross to bounce in the six yard box, but the striker nodded into the side netting.

Another Moutinho corner saw Wolves create their first chance of the half, with Boly heading over from a great position.

However that was Moutinho's last involvement as he and Jota were both withdrawn in favour of Morgan Gibbs-White and Ivan Cavaleiro.

Far from improving, Wolves' performance had worsened in the second half but the substitutions sparked a revival of sorts. Gibbs-White enjoyed his best cameo for a number of weeks, finding space and looking to work his way into the box.

But chances were at a premium and Nuno made a third change, electing to send on Helder Costa instead of Adama Traore, with Jimenez departing.

The hosts were threatening sporadically with Hogg heading just over and then substitute Mooy shooting wide. Wolves were doing most of the attacking with Cavaleiro and Gibbs-White at the heart of most things, but Huddersfield looked the most likely scorers and Mounie curled a 20-yard effort inches past Patricio's post with five minutes to go.

It just wasn't happening for Wolves – and in stoppage time Huddersfield got what they deserved when, after Patricio brilliantly saved from Grant, Mounie tapped home to send the home fans barmy and have Wolves leaving with their tail between their legs.

Teams

Huddersfield Town (4-3-1-2): Lossl; Duhaney (Bacuna, 45), Kongolo, Schindler, Durm; Billing, Stankovic (Kachunga, 82), Hogg; Pritchard (Mooy, 78); Grant, Mounie. Subs not used: Hamer, Lowe, Zanka, Depoitre.

Goals: Mounie (90+1)

Wolves (3-5-2): Patricio; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Moutinho (Gibbs-White, 66), Neves, Otto; Jimenez (Costa, 78), Jota (Cavaleiro, 66). Subs not used: Ruddy, Saiss, Vinagre, Traore.

Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)

League position

8th (40 points from 28 matches)

Next up

Wolves return to Molineux where they host Cardiff City on Saturday, kick off 3pm.