Huddersfield Town’s head coach, Michael Duff, expressed that the most satisfying element of their 2-0 derby victory against former club Barnsley was his team’s response to adversity. On a day when the hosts maintained their composure and persevered, they were rewarded with a late triumph.
Heading into the match, Town was struggling, having lost seven of their last eight competitive games, with particularly poor performances in their last two home matches against Northampton Town and Blackpool.
In this match, Town dominated the first half but couldn’t find the net. They remained calm under pressure as time dwindled and finally took the lead in the 83rd minute with a stunning goal from Ben Wiles.
Midfielder David Kasumu celebrated his birthday by scoring a late second goal from distance, sealing a well-deserved victory for Huddersfield Town and head coach Michael Duff against his former club.
After the match, Duff, whose team will face Barnsley again in a Trophy game on Tuesday, remarked, “I thought we were good value for the win. You’re never going to dominate for 90 minutes, but I believe we were the dominant team against a strong opponent.”
He added, “At halftime with the score at 0-0, there’s always a worry about whether we’ve missed our chances. The most satisfying part of today is that we went in at 0-0 and didn’t panic. When Barnsley had a 10-15 minute spell in the second half, we stayed focused, absorbed the pressure, and then regrouped, which is a positive sign.”
Duff emphasized the importance of mental resilience, saying, “We’re trying to change the mentality of not retreating in the face of adversity. We scored a fantastic goal to win the game, but it could have easily been an own goal instead.”
He noted, “From my perspective, you guide the players to a certain point on the pitch, and then it’s up to them. We’ve found every way to lose games over the past month—be it refereeing decisions, self-inflicted mistakes, or injuries—without reacting to challenges.”
He expressed pride in the overall performance, saying, “There was plenty of good football and solid performances. I believe we have some talented players, and the support from the fans was excellent from the very beginning.”
Duff acknowledged the underlying issues with the fanbase, stating, “There’s been a lot of noise and pressure, which is understandable. To deliver that performance, knowing the fans could have turned against us but chose not to, is really encouraging. We understand the current situation with our supporters. There’s a lack of trust, and they’ve felt let down for a long time. We must rebuild that relationship by delivering consistent performances and victories. I told the players that it’s our responsibility to earn back their trust.”
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