Thanks to combination of Earnie and Jason Bowen's magic netting both a double, some width and creativity at last and bottom of the Huddersfield being dreadful, the scoreline of 4-0 was deserved but more convincing than a patchy performance where City only produced their best in limited spells but that was all they needed to do.
It's churlish to moan, I'd have taken a scrappy 1-0 before kick-off after recent experiences but the overall team performance was nothing special, some of our criticised players did nothing to enhance their reputations. It really was a case of 'doing just enough for the City'.
After spending all season switching between 1st and 2nd place, The Bluebirds now have a fight and are under self-inflicted pressure. They kicked-off an incredible 10 points behind leaders Wigan and needing what seemed like an impossible 7 goal victory margin to clamber back above Bristol City in 2nd. On the day, if they had really applied themselves, it was achievable, Huddersfield were that poor.
There has been a recent slump with 4 losses in 10 games (after only losing 1 of the first 13), the losses coinciding exactly with injuries that took Danny Gabbidon and Gareth Whalley out of the team. Defeat is becoming a habit, 3 in the last 6 league games but City always bounce back with a win, today was no different.
Injuries apart, fans will argue over the reasons for the hiccup but it's sure to feature style of play, lack of width, being sussed, the team not blending, players out of position, defensive chaos, a lack of drive and vision in midfield, silly suspensions from indiscipline, big name players with big reputations on big money not contributing in a big way and there's an argument for some players being favoured while the valid claims of others are ignored. It's hard to think we're talking about a team in 3rd place, averaging 2 points per game but there is a definite lack of feelgood factor about the club presently, many performances have been uninspiring and unappetising.
There were enforced and positional changes after the Luton Boxing Day debacle. In defence, consistent Gary Croft returned to his left back role (he should never have been dropped. Chris Barker, the £600,000 left back who has struggled in that role was switched to centre-half where he has performed better. The totally out of sorts Spencer Prior has another chance with Rhys Weston on the right as ever.
In midfield, Jason Bowen was given a chance at last to give much needed service and support for Earnie and Thorne but only because Kav was suspended. Fan, the midfielder who was found out at centre back, was used in a holding midfield role with Leggy and Boland completing the line up.
It was fantastic to see Scott Young involved with the first team for the first time this season from the bench but many supporters will worry and wonder what Mark Bonner has done wrong or whether he has any future at all as he was again frozen out, not even deemed worthy of a spot on the bench. By comparison, the misfiring Layton Maxwell was there again and eventually given another run out too.
The Bluebirds needed a confidence and morale boost. If they could have hand-picked opponents, they would probably have chosen Huddersfield, a club in disarray. They made the play-offs last season and took 4 points off the Bluebirds, a big factor in City missing auto-promotion by a single point. They were expected to make a similar challenge this season but crippling financial woes, in-house problems and a loss of better players has changed all of that.
Lou McAri was sacked, the majority of their fans would be glad to see the back of current boss, Mick Wadsworth, their side includes one player whose wages are being paid by a supporter. They have slumped to bottom of the table, this results meant that they are 5 points from safety having won just 1 of their last 12 league and cup games and only scoring in 2 of their last 9 matches. Only Sunderland, in all 4 divisions, have scored fewer than The Terriers tally of just 18 goals in 24 league games. On the road, they have now their last 6 away league games but each of the previous five had been by 1-0 scorelines only, their defensive record prior to today compared to sides in the play-off picture.
Both teams took a while to settle coming to terms with a greasy surface after heavy overnight rain, City also adjusting to their changes of personnel and formation. Until City scored their opener on 19 minutes, they never created any danger. Huddersfield managed a couple of weak headers and shots, none of any real danger.
The opener came from one of Fan's few telling contributions to the game. He started well, passing wide, switching play and hitting one glorious 50 yard ball to Boland before disappearing but not before he knocked an intelligent ball ahead to Jason Bowen. BOWEN took it in his stride, ran on before hitting a perfect 20 yard drive which zipped off the surface and flew past Huddersfield's 6'5" bald 23 year old keeper, Scott Bevan, on a season's loan from Southampton. It was the way to beat Bevan whose height meant that he couldn't get down quickly, all 4 goals were from balls on the ground.
It was the lift City needed. Earnie fired wide just after the goal and Peter Thorne was denied by an excellent Bevan save as he tipped his header just around the post within moments of the goal but things went quiet again until the closing moments of the half.
Huddersfield played some neat football but with no penetration, their only shots were straight at Alexander or well off goal, one went in the Grange End, another hit the corner flag. Andy Booth, a £1 million target for City a year ago, was quiet but beat Prior with too much ease to put one header over and another straight at Neil Alexander. If you were on Spencer Prior watch, you would have worried more and more and he slipped and fell twice (the people around me had a sweep on how many times it would happen), was beaten in the air, showed poor distribution and missed a back header that almost let The Terriers in.
City's meek response during this period but in the final 10 minutes of the half, City finally clicked and put together some terrific passing and flowing football with Jason Bowen starting to buzz and Huddersfield on the rack. Their defence was marshalled by the token ex-Jack that every team seems to have - this time Steve Jenkins - and 32 year old bald, slow centre-half Eddie Youds, once a teenage loan player for City whilst at Everton.
They looked average, being kind, and it showed on 43 minutes as Neil Alexander took a free-kick, the ball flew over players, the centre backs were dreaming of a half-time cuppa and EARNIE nipped in and directed the ball wide of Bevan with ease for the most Route One style goal you can have. Ninian erupted, Earnie somersaulted, Alexander celebrated his 'assist' with every City player on the pitch.
Huddersfield were gone and it got worse as Schofield saw his second yellow card, both times for bringing down Bowen, it could have been a straight red anyway as he seemed to want 'afters' following his original foul. The free-kick was brought forward and inside but blocked, Bowen's effort was just blocked for a corner, Leggy was blocked and Huddersfield desperately cleared as City went for their throats.
Half-time: CITY 2 HUDDERSFIELD 0
The second half for Huddersfield was all about damage limitation, they brought on a more defensive half-time sub while for City, it was all about their desire of how many goals they wanted.
It didn't help that conditions became worse, the winds were stronger as heavier rain arrived, but City's approach was mostly methodical and measured, they waited for chances to come.
There were half-chances, a Fan header, Leggy blasted high over the bar, Thorne and Earnie were so unlucky not to carve open Huddersfield as they produced brilliant link up play and one-twos from halfway before Gary Croft produced a great save from Bevan with a right (yes, right!) footed shot across goal that was just tipped away.
Paying homage to Xmas Day's episode of Only Fools and Horses, City supporters got "Gary" to do the ayatollah and then incessantly chanted "Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary, Gary" which you laughed stupidly about if you saw the programme or were confused about if you didn't. Judging by the look on his face, Crofty himself didn't see it, he was totally perplexed why supporters were suddenly adoring him!
Peter Thorne should have done better and probably scored as Bowen, now everywhere, found him at the far post with a superb flick, Thorne's downwards header went wide before Bowen himself made it 3-0 on 63 minutes.
Earnie's movement and passing in particular was a joy, Huddersfield had no answer to him and Bowen as both were able to do just about everything they wanted. It was another brilliant move as more Bowen trickery took him past 2 or 3 defenders as he carved Huddersfield open, he looked set to go all the way but passed out to Earnie. Earnie went wide when it looked on for him too but the rest was magic as he cut the ball back, Thorne dummied by stepping over the ball and JASON BOWEN back-heeled the ball past the stunned Bevan from 3 yards.
City were now beating players with ease but Bevan saved shots from Earnie and a blistering Bowen drive as he went for his hat-trick, a foot either side of the keeper and it would have been. Bowen was at it again as he beat defenders on the right and gave Peter Thorne what looked like a certainty, his decision to place the ball rather than hit it cost him as his effort was blocked.
Fan and Bowen again were blocked or made Bevan save before it was 4-0 on 73 minutes with Bowen and Earnie at it again. Bowen drifted left, an exchange of passes followed before Willie Boland, not at his best today, found Earnie on the left side of the area. EARNIE spun, shot low across goal and it was too good for Bevan.
You hoped City would go for more but they more or less shut shop and made changes - Fan for Maxwell, Thorne for Leo and, to an enormous ovation, Scott Young for the likeable but luckless Spencer Prior. Prior clapped back, he surely knew that applause wasn't for him?
The best chance of the final stages fell to Huddersfield. They carved a couple of half chances only in the second half, none significant, before Rhys Weston failed to intercept a ball knocked forward. The cross along the ground was also missed by Scott Young stretching leaving Nat Brown with the simple task of firing home from 10 yards in the centre of goal but instead, he fired wide. The 199 Huddersfield fans must have had an horrendous afternoon and that, followed by mocking from City fans, must have made their 4 to 5 hour journey home seem 10 hours.
The result certainly lifted some of the gloom, Crewe losing at home to Oldham at the same time was good for us overall too and although we're in 3rd, there's breathing space. City now need to keep winning and all the upcoming games being against average or struggling teams and likely reinforcements - the performance showed why - there's no reason why City shouldn't.
If City can do that, Wigan can quickly end their 9 match league winning run (they also haven't lost for 20 matches) and someone can do something about Bristol City's 14 match unbeaten run, then it would be a Happy New Year.
Report from FootyMad.
The Bluebirds demolished bottom club Huddersfield with Jason Bowen and Robert Earnshaw both netting doubles against the ten-man Terriers.
Bowen started it off in the 19th minute and scored again after 64 minutes, while Earnshaw made it 23 for the season in the 43rd and 73rd minutes.
HuddersfieldÂ’s Danny Schofield was dismissed in the second minute of first-half injury time when the Bluebirds were already 2-0 up.
The visitors had only scored five goals away from home this season but in the opening minutes they did most of the attacking and Martin Smith and Lee Ashcroft had goal attempts saved by Neil Alexander.
It was not until midway through the half that City began to get on top and when Fan Zhiyi slipped a pass to Bowen he raced through the Huddersfield defence before planting a shot in to the corner of the net.
Just before the interval City doubled their lead with a route one goal. An Alexander free-kick went straight up the middle and Earnshaw only needed a slight flick to send it spinning into the net.
In the second minute of injury time Schofield was dismissed after a challenge from behind on Bowen.
It took the Blues 20 minutes of the second half to open up the Huddersfield defence when Bowen was on hand to back-heel into the net.
Then Earnshaw made it 4-0 when he ran on to a Willie Boland through ball to beat the advancing Scott Bevan with ease.
Huddersfield had a late opportunity to reduce the deficit but makeshift striker Nat Brown sidefooted wide when well placed.
City boss Lennie Lawrence was very pleased that his side had bounced back after the defeat at Luton: "The most important thing to me was keeping a clean sheet. Against ten men it was easier but we were already 2-0 up by then.
"It would have been nice to score more, but I will certainly settle for that as it was a test for us after the Boxing Day defeat, but we came through it.
"But to only be in third place with 49 points is unbelievable although we have shown our rivals that we are not beaten yet."
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