A last-gasp goal in first half injury time from Posh skipper Hector Kyprianou secured a first league win on the road since August at the John Smith’s Stadium this afternoon.
Posh started the game brightly and created several chances with the whole team, and in particular Tayo Edun and Abraham Odoh on the left flank, adopting an impressive pressing game which the home side failed to deal with effectively early on.
On 18 minutes Odoh showcased the press again, nicking the ball from Lasse Sorensen and driving at goal only to see his strike deflect out for a corner. Minutes later Odoh won the ball again, drove at the defence from the left and found Archie Collins who in turn found Hector Kyprianou on the edge of the box. The Posh skipper struck a powerful effort which Lee Nicholls in the Huddersfield goal saved well.
On 32 minutes Huddersfield had the ball in the back of the net, but much to the discontent of the home crowd the referee had already blown for a foul and brought play back for a free-kick to the hosts.
Deep into the first half Odoh’s press was again on show as he won the ball down the left, his cross found Cian Hayes, who struck from the edge of the box but saw his effort cleared off the line, a second attempt from Jones was also blocked.
Huddersfield were forced into an early change when Radinio Balker left the field injured after a prolonged period on 43 minutes. This enforced change saw the referee add four additional minutes at the end of the first half.
The home side were left to rue those additional minutes as the only goal of the game came deep in first half injury time. An Edun cross from the left was met by KYPRIANOU as he arrived late to head home a powerful header beating Lee Nicholls in the Terrier’s goal.
Huddersfield made two further changes during the interval and came out strong early in the second half, but it was Posh who created the best of the chances. Early in the second half Jones broke down the left and played a ball across the box, Malik Mothersille was unable to finish from close range.
Minutes later Mothersille and Hayes found themselves in a two v two situation with the Huddersfield backline, the latter finding a sprinting Jones on the overlap, but the forward could only find the side-netting with his effort.
On 63 minutes Mothersille had another chance but his strike, which was on target, was deflected out for a corner by Josh Ruffels. On 69 minutes Huddersfield’s Callum Marshall had an effort, which looked like it might be heading in, loop onto the roof of the net much to the relief of Posh keeper Jed Steer.
As the game entered the last 15 minutes Huddersfield threaten on a number of occasions, the best effort cleared by Edun from point blank range but the Posh backline held on to claim a first clean sheet of the season away from home in front of a jubilant travelling crowd of over 800 who made the trip.
Next up we face a Vertu Trophy semi-final in Wales as we head to Wrexham for a place at the Wembley showpiece in April.
Huddersfield Town: Nicholls, Sorensen, Ruffels, Hogg, Marshall (sub Ladapo 70 min), Wiles (sub Charles 46 min), Koroma, Kasumu, Lonwijk (sub Hodge 64 min), Balker (sub Turton 43 min), Chirewa (sub Evans 46 min). Unused subs: Chapman, Evans, Ayina.
Posh: Steer, Collins, Wallin, Mothersille (sub Susho 78 min), Odoh, Edun, Jones (sub Ihiovien 54 min), Hayes, Kyprianou, Hughes, Dornelly. Unused subs: Bilokapic, Conn-Clarke, Nevett, Mills, O'Brien-Brady.
Half-time: Huddersfield Town 0-1 Peterborough United
Full-time: Huddersfield Town 0-1 Peterborough United
Attendance: 18,977
Referee: Darren Drysdale