Carlos Corberan asks for more from Huddersfield after Sheffield Wednesday win

Posted Wednesday, December 09, 2020 by PA

Huddersfield manager Carlos Corberan watched his side record a third-straight home win but admitted he still expected more from his players.

First-half goals from Josh Koroma and Isaac Mbenza secured a first Terriers win in 12 matches against Sheffield Wednesday and the 2-0 Championship triumph might have been greater had Juninho Bacuna converted a penalty after the break.

Corberan also felt his team took their foot off the gas after the spot-kick blunder, saying: “At the start of the game, we were very positive and played with a lot of determination. We also created good chances and controlled the game.

“In the second half, we started really well but, unfortunately missed the penalty.

“After that we defended well but – at the same time – we did not attack enough and reach the performance levels that we can and we expect a lot from our players and the team.

“But it’s good to win our home games, even though we would like to have our fans here.”

Corberan refused to criticise Bacuna, meanwhile, as he reasoned: “We have not got many players who have been in that situation before.”

Koroma opened the scoring in the 11th minute when he burst past Dominic Iorfa and fired across goal into Joe Wildsmith’s bottom-right corner from eight yards.

A curling Mbenza free-kick then doubled that advantage midway through the first half and it mattered little when Bacuna missed the target from 12 yards after being brought down by Iorfa.

Owls boss Tony Pulis, who is still waiting for his first win in charge, was unhappy with the contrast in his team’s performance from Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at title hopefuls Norwich.

He said: “We were all over the place during the first 20 minutes and it was the worst performance in the six games I’ve had as manager.

“We gave them a 2-0 start and, then, it’s uphill all the way.

“We showed more commitment in the second half, without really showing any quality.

“The lads looked tired and it took them a long time to get going and we travelled to Norwich and back at the weekend, but I don’t want to make excuses because we were awful during that first 20 minutes.

“They were running all over us and were on the front foot when we weren’t.

“We needed a goal in the second half and I’ve seen Dominic Iorfa’s challenge and it was a penalty, so we got away with one there as well. We played as poorly tonight, as we did well at Norwich on Saturday.

“It wasn’t good enough for a group of players who played against one of the best teams in the league at the weekend and should have got a win.”