Huddersfield Fans Verdict: Royals Stroll To Victory

I mentioned it in my match report on Saturday evening, but it’s a nice feeling winning a game comfortably, isn't it?

From the first whistle against Huddersfield we appeared to be in control. We looked like we could bat away anything the visitors threw at us with ease, and if we needed to shift up a couple of gears we could.

There wasn’t that simmering feeling of dread every time we looked under pressure which has been a constant for as long as I can remember. There was a feel-good factor around the ground, boosted by the extra tickets given to schools, and that translated onto the pitch. It was a merry day.

Here’s how the fans reacted to the best bits...

Another win

As you can tell, I’m pretty delighted to have witnessed a comfortable win without any drama or hiccups, and the rest of the fanbase are too by the looks of things.

How many times have we lost games like that in recent seasons? Where the opposition is average at best, but we’ve still crumbled and missed an opportunity to get three points. It just shows what momentum and confidence can do.

At no point during that game did I ever think we were going to lose - which is a pretty surreal feeling to have watching Reading. The fans were delighted to see another +3 added to the tally...

Nesta Guinness-Walker

Hopes were dented a little just before kick-off when Baba Rahman wasn't on the team sheet because of injury. It would’ve been easy for Paul Ince to play Junior Hoilett at LWB in his place, but he showed his faith in NGW, who duly repaid it with an impressive performance.

The left back has come under some fire in recent weeks, but was really good against Huddersfield and showed signs that he can cut it at this level after a difficult start.

He was defensively sound and looked a real threat going forward, particularly in the first half. The fans were keen to show their praise too...

Yakou Meite

It’s been a torrid 18 months or so for Yaks. Last season was pretty much wiped out through injury, which continued into the start of this campaign. As he’s worked his way back into the matchday squad it's been difficult for him to find a way into the starting eleven.

However, it was wonderful to see him back among the goals on Saturday. Although it was one of the scrappiest goals you’ll ever see and all he had to do was tap it in from a yard, you could see how much it meant to him through his celebration.

He’s a fans favourite, as you can tell by the Loyal Royals’ reaction after the game...

Conclusion

All in all, a simply lovely afternoon spent at the SCL Stadium. The feeling is really good around the club at the moment, and long may it continue. Fans, players, staff - the entire club moving in the same direction and with the same mindset.

I don’t expect our time at the top end of the table to last all that long, but let’s enjoy it while we’re there and make the most of it.

URZ