Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town at Ewood Park on Saturday | Michal Helik earns point for Terriers, cancelling out Adam Wharton's opener.
Saturday 20 January 2024 18:34, UK
Michal Helik's eighth goal of the season gave relegation-threatened Huddersfield a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.
It was the least that Darren Moore's side deserved after creating the better chances in this encounter between two of the Sky Bet Championship's most out-of-form sides.
The Terriers gifted Blackburn the opener after Adam Wharton profited from a poor pass, but Helik's towering header midway through the first half restored parity.
Huddersfield, who are now just three points clear of the drop zone, were guilty of missing opportunities to snatch victory through Jack Rudoni and David Kasumu.
Aynsley Pears returned in goal for Rovers, who have won just once in 10 league games, after a three-month layoff while Rhys Healey made his Huddersfield debut.
Blackburn took a seventh-minute lead when Wharton intercepted a terrible Jonathan Hogg pass to go clean through on goal and he confidently stroked into the right corner for his second goal this season.
Dominic Hyam directed a free header straight at Lee Nicholls soon after but the Terriers grew into the game and Healey forced a sharp low save from Pears in the 22nd minute.
But, from the resulting corner, the Terriers equalised through Helik who got up highest at the near post before glancing Sorba Thomas' corner into the far corner from six yards.
Blackburn thought they should have had a penalty in the 37th minute when Sam Gallagher seemed to have his heels clipped by Brodie Spencer when chasing a Sammie Szmodics through ball but the referee waved away the protests.
It should have got worse for the hosts moments later when Josh Koroma seized on a poor pass to race clean through before squaring for Rudoni but he somehow slotted wide with the goal at his mercy.
Blackburn came out with renewed purpose but it was Huddersfield who created the better opportunities after soaking up the pressure and substitute Bojan Radulovic went close after cutting inside from the right but Pears smothered his shot.
They went even closer in the 76th minute, hitting Blackburn on the counter to release Kasumu clean through but the substitute dragged his shot wide of the left post with just Pears to beat.
Helik almost scored a spectacular second moments later when he met Kasumu's cross on the volley from a tight angle but directed agonisingly wide.
Blackburn substitute Joe Rankin-Costello volleyed over in injury time but a point is the most they deserved after a lacklustre display.
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:
"We are of course disappointed not to win the game. Huddersfield came with a very clear plan to sit back and rely on set-plays and transition moments.
"We know when a team sit back like that, it can be difficult to play through, with a lot of bodies behind the ball.
"I actually thought we started really bright. We scored an excellent goal, then I think with Hayden Carter, he got injured and it killed the momentum a bit and then we were playing too slow in that moment.
"We conceded a goal we shouldn't have conceded of course, but all the credit to Huddersfield and Helik. He's scored a lot of goals from set-pieces this season.
"The second half, I thought we dominated totally. We did a lot of good things until we came to around the box. What we've been really great at during this season is creating chances.
"I think with the possession we had, we didn't create enough chances. I think we were lacking runs and were lacking quick play, instead taking too many touches around the box."
Huddersfield's Darren Moore:
"I know they had a lot more possession but I thought we had the clearer-cut chances, certainly we feel like as a team we're going away a little bit frustrated with the chances we created.
"We could have capitalised more. I don't want it to seem like a downer but the hard bit was the boys getting into those areas and finding the composure. The last bit was the final conversion because they were clear-cut chances for us to go and score.
"The positives are I've been quite happy with the way the boys have been showing the performances over the last half dozen, seven, eight games, in terms of we're talking about us winning games.
"I keep saying to them that as long as they keep applying themselves, those draws will turn into wins because you're certainly in the ascendency in winning games as opposed to losing games. We have to keep going."
