Huddersfield Town end pre-season with Blackburn draw as attention turns to the Carabao Cup

Town drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers

Huddersfield Town rounded off their pre-season schedule with a 1-1 draw against Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers at Accu Stadium on Saturday.

Marcus Harness gave the Terriers the lead five minutes before half-time, while Jake Garrett earned Rovers a draw with an equaliser 18 minutes from time.

Martin Drury named three changes from his side’s previous friendly against Middlesbrough, with Lynden Gooch, Derensili Sanches Fernandes and Ashley Fletcher coming into the team for Bali Mumba, Marcus McGuane and Joe Taylor.

The visitors had the first chance of the contest, as Rovers’ skipper Todd Cantwell broke into Town’s box before his strike was kept out by Matty Young.

Dapo Afolayan was next to have an opportunity for the away side after the winger was picked out by Ryan Alebiosu, but Ilias Bronkhorst got back to make the block.

Cantwell had another strike kept out by Young, before Harness had Town’s first attempt at the midway point of the first half but the attacking midfielder sent his effort over the bar.

Harness fired off target again for Town in the minutes that followed, before Gooch forced Rovers’ stopper Balazs Toth into a save shortly after the half-hour mark.

Town made the breakthrough five minutes before the break, as skipper Ryan Ledson sent Harness in behind Blackburn’s defence and the attacking midfielder found the bottom corner to put the Terriers in front, with the hosts taking their lead into the interval.

Sanches Fernandes had Town’s first opening of the second half around ten minutes following the restart, with the winger intercepting a pass from a visiting defender before having his strike saved by Toth.

Andri Gudjohnsen tested Young with a looping header at the other end, but the Terriers’ stopper tipped the effort over the bar.

Rovers went on to level 18 minutes from time, as midfielder Garrett took aim from distance and found the top corner.

Taylor almost put the Terriers back in front moments later, with the substitute hitting the crossbar with his strike after being picked out by Harness.

Sean Roughan also struck the woodwork in the closing stages as the defender headed onto the post from a free-kick, as Town had to settle for a draw in their final pre-season outing.

Town recorded three victories, one draw and three defeats across their seven matches in pre-season, with Drury’s side now set to return to competitive action against Preston North End this weekend in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

The Terriers will then get their League One campaign underway on Saturday August 15, with the visit of AFC Wimbledon to Accu Stadium.

Town: Young, Balker, Whatmough, Roughan, Bronkhorst (Sorensen 85), Ledson (C), Kasumu (Mumba 82), Gooch, Sanches Fernandes (McGuane 70), Harness (Sway 82), Fletcher (Taylor 70). Unused subs: Alnwick, Tzanev, Low, Brierley, Iorpenda, Evans, Neil.

Blackburn: Toth, Alebiosu, Atcheson (Carter 58), McLoughlin, Ribeiro (Pickering 58), Forshaw (Garrett 58), Montgomery (Henriksson 80), Morishita, Cantwell (C), Afolayan (Fevrier 58), Ohashi (Gudjohnsen 58). Unused subs: Pears, Goddard, Pratt.