Liverpool's spirit left at home

This was yet another disappointing away performance by Liverpool and one is fast becoming resigned to the fact that until the side can produce the spirit it shows at home the prize of promotion will stay out of reach. Not until the last 15 minutes at Leeds Road did Liverpool get into things with the prospect of achieving anything.

Before that they had been made to play a secondary role to a Huddersfield team which at least had the attribute of making the quick challenge for the ball and of using it with speed and thought which Liverpool could never equal.

They never seemed able to get into a groove which indicated they could get a goal or two and up to the final quarter of an hour, if Huddersfield had been leading by more than their single success, by Massie on twenty minutes, it would not have been a false picture.

They squandered chances and the ironical thing from Liverpool's point of view was that Massie's goal came during an eight minute period when centre half White was having a stitch inserted in a gash to the side of his head.

Victory deserved

Despite a lot of first half pressure and occasions in the second half when they had the Liverpool defence in a quandary, Huddersfield could not add another but, because they scored when Liverpool only had ten men, it does not mean that they did not deserve their eventual victory.

The Huddersfield reaction was that it was the best game they had seen at Leeds Road for some time. One wondered how successful they would have been if Liverpool had repeated the spirit, coupled with the determination to be first to the ball, by which they conquered Leyton.

Unfortunately, it was just not there until the last 15 minutes when they did stir themselves in a belated effort to snatch a point.

They went near to doing it for A'Court made Wood save at the foot of the post, Morris headed just over, and Hickson reckoned he was pulled down when about to shoot. This was a hair-line case and the referee did not agree, but if Liverpool had drawn Huddersfield would have thought themselves unlucky, especially when they remembered how Hawksworth drove over from six yards, and how Law did the same, and how the ball was kept out by the most fortunate interventions.

No penetration

Liverpool's big trouble was that they could not find penetration. Campbell was not an improvement on Wilkinson and Wheeler is finding the lack of pace telling when it comes to recovery.

Moran and Molyneux were put under a lot of pressure because of the failure of the wing halves to get a grip on the Huddersfield inside forwards and their desperation could be understood at times. White, in spite of his injury, played strongly and did much to bolster the defence.

Slater is not always convincing in his outcomings for the high cross, but in this game made several notable saves and had no chance with Massie's low drive, which came when Hunt - then at right half - could not properly clear a centre from the right.

Liverpool's forward display lacked initiative and the ability to deliver the quick, telling pass. Morris was seen rarely, probably because he did not get as much of the ball as A'Court, whose tendency to run into trouble was another hindrance to progress.

Neither Hunt nor Melia could open up a solid looking Huddersfield defence and Hickson had little scope against Coddington, but was far from being the worst of the line. Not once did he get a through ball.

Although Law does not look a 40,000 pound-class player, his cleverness, speed and precision passing stand out. If only his finishing was anything like as good.

Copyright - The Liverpool Daily Post