Andy Munro on another Blues win.
It’s the result that counts, winning ugly etc etc..
All the clichés apply to an unconvincing Blues’ performance at Huddersfield. Yet this all proves the value of retaining continuity and structure in providing the necessary consistency of performance so valuable in the roller-coaster Championship.
In games gone by, Blues would have chased and harried and pressed leaving themselves exposed at the back, drained of energy and leaving no space for effective counter attacking. That has all changed with the arrival of the Rowett regime as we almost invite teams onto us before we deliver the sucker punch.
In fairness, it certainly wasn’t one way traffic, more nip and tuck for both sides struggling to play any sort of cohesive football. In fact, there was a case for the Yorkshire men to have edged proceedings in the first half. Winning 6-1 in the Championship doesn’t earn anybody the right to a free-scoring bonanza every week, unless, of course, you’re AFC Bournemouth.
In Ying and Yang terms – Robbo was outstanding alongside the ever consistent Morrison whilst Cotterill could do no right as passes aplenty went astray. Our other outlet, Demarai Gray, predictably found himself the subject of close attentions from an increasing number of defenders which is the penalty of putting your head above the playing parapet in the fiercely competitive Championship.
However, whatever was said at half-time had the desired effect as Blues looked brighter in the second period without tearing up any trees. It was likely, in a dour encounter (how the term ‘dour’ seems befitting of an away game in Yorkshire in darkest December), that a single goal would settle proceedings. As so often happens in football, the player who couldn’t put a foot right scored the decisive goal with a stunning set piece strike. This followed the fouling of Donaldson who, in his lonely role up front, foraged fruitlessly most of the afternoon.
Either way, it’s now reached the stage that, if we can get three points over the next two games against the East Midlanders then perhaps, at last, we can start to look upwards instead of downwards.
