Match ends, Huddersfield Town 1, Luton Town 0.
HuddersfieldHuddersfield Town1LutonLuton Town0
Jordan Rhodes scored a late winner to send Huddersfield Town into the Championship play-off final with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Luton Town.
The visitors dominated the first half, but Harry Cornick shot straight at Terriers goalkeeper Lee Nicholls from just six yards out.
Cornick was thwarted by Nicholls again after the break.
However, Rhodes converted an 82nd-minute free-kick from fellow sub Sorba Thomas at the back post.
Huddersfield will play Nottingham Forest or Sheffield United, who meet at the City Ground in their second leg on Tuesday, in the final at Wembley on Sunday, 29 May.
The West Yorkshire side had two seasons in the Premier League between 2017 and 2019 and their fans spilled on to the pitch as the final whistle went.
Town rode their luck in a game where they struggled to find their fluent best, but their campaign will now end at English football's grandest stage - and the chance to return to the top flight.
The two sides had drawn 1-1 in an even first leg on Friday, but it was Luton who enjoyed the better of things at the John Smith's Stadium.
Nathan Jones' men, who had finished seven points and three places behind Town, will certainly look back and regret their first-half profligacy, with Cornick's 11th-minute shot at Nicholls the best of a number of chances they carved out.
Carlos Corberan's hosts improved in the second half and, after Nicholls had saved well from Cornick's fierce strike, they should have had a penalty when Hatters goalkeeper Matt Ingram took out full-back Harry Toffolo.
With extra time looming, Town snatched victory when Wales international Thomas, only recently back from a knee injury and not fit enough to start the game, whipped over a teasing free-kick that Rhodes slid in from close range after escaping his marker Amari'i Bell.
The goal deflated Luton and they were unable to create a meaningful opportunity in the final minutes as Huddersfield saw the game out in relative comfort.
All Rhodes lead to Wembley
It has been a remarkable season for Huddersfield, who finished 20th in the Championship a year ago and suffered a 5-1 defeat by Fulham in their first home game of the season.
Despite working with a limited budget, boss Corberan - previously an assistant to Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds - has masterminded a complete turnaround in their fortunes thanks to astute signings and quality coaching.
Goalkeeper Nicholls, signed on a free from MK Dons, has been outstanding all season, while Thomas - who now has 15 assists - joined from non-league Boreham Wood in January 2021.
Rhodes had scored 73 goals in 124 league appearances in his first spell with the Terriers between 2008 and 2012, but the last five years have been difficult for him, culminating in being a member of the Sheffield Wednesday team relegated to League One last season.
The 32-year-old returned to Town on a free in the summer and, having been brought on before half-time when 14-goal top scorer Danny Ward was forced off with an injury, showed that his predatory instincts remain with a clinical finish.
A step too far for the Hatters
Like Huddersfield, Luton have enjoyed a fantastic campaign.
Hatters boss Jones won the Championship manager of the season award for guiding the club into the second tier play-off places, eight years after they were a non-league team.
A long injury list left them short on numbers for the play-off semi-final. Top scorer Elijah Adebayo was only fit enough to be thrown on as a late substitute and goalkeeper Ingram was an emergency loan from Hull City, but they still put in a terrific performance across the two legs.
This season is the sixth successive campaign that the Bedfordshire side have improved on their previous finish.
If they can do this in 2022-23 then they could well find themselves in the Premier League for the first time.
Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It was a difficult and tough game. I cannot tell you that I was enjoying it, it was a hard game to manage. They were better and more comfortable than us in the first half.
"I think the concentration in the backline and the goalkeeper was massive. Jordan Rhodes had a great contribution, not just with his goal.
"I'm really, really excited and motivated to take the team to Wembley. I think it is important that the players celebrate now because this was the target we had. From tomorrow we have a different target."
Luton manager Nathan Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"I'm really disappointed but that's overshadowed by the pride I have for the club and how we have gone about it. We were outstanding tonight.
"We were the better team, we had the better chances, more corners, we just couldn't find the opening.
"Tactically we were superb, we were aggressive, we pressed - people say they're the best tactical side in the league, they're not.
"It's quite easy to sit in and be pragmatic, we don't. We go after everyone and how we went about our work, I am so proud of our group - it's a magnificent group."
Line-ups
Huddersfield
Formation 3-5-2
- 21Nicholls
- 32Lees
- 6Hogg
- 26Colwill
- 2Ávila
- 19HolmesSubstituted forSarrat 86'minutes
- 37Russell
- 8O'Brien
- 3Toffolo
- 24SinaniSubstituted forThomasat 61'minutes
- 25WardSubstituted forRhodesat 41'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Anjorin
- 9Rhodes
- 14Ruffels
- 16Thomas
- 18Blackman
- 23Sarr
- 48Eiting
Luton
Formation 3-5-2
- 27Ingram
- 16BurkeSubstituted forMendes Gomesat 86'minutes
- 5Bradley
- 4NaismithBooked at 64mins
- 2Bree
- 22Campbell
- 12Snodgrass
- 18ClarkBooked at 59mins
- 29Bell
- 7CornickSubstituted forAdebayoat 90'minutes
- 9HyltonSubstituted forJeromeat 65'minutesBooked at 81mins
Substitutes
- 3Potts
- 11Adebayo
- 14Mendes Gomes
- 15Lockyer
- 20Kioso
- 21Isted
- 35Jerome
- Referee:
- Peter Bankes
- Attendance:
- 23,407
Match Stats
Home TeamHuddersfieldAway TeamLuton
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away6
- Corners
- Home3
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 1, Luton Town 0.
Post update
Offside, Luton Town. Matt Ingram tries a through ball, but Elijah Adebayo is caught offside.
Post update
Foul by Pipa (Huddersfield Town).
Post update
Carlos Mendes Gomes (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Luton Town. Elijah Adebayo replaces Harry Cornick.
Post update
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Amari'i Bell.
Post update
Lewis O'Brien (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Allan Campbell (Luton Town).
Post update
Attempt missed. Pipa (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jonathan Hogg.
Substitution
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Naby Sarr replaces Duane Holmes.
Substitution
Substitution, Luton Town. Carlos Mendes Gomes replaces Reece Burke.
Post update
Offside, Luton Town. Jordan Clark tries a through ball, but Cameron Jerome is caught offside.
Post update
Foul by Jonathan Russell (Huddersfield Town).
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Robert Snodgrass (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!
Goal! Huddersfield Town 1, Luton Town 0. Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sorba Thomas with a cross following a set piece situation.
Post update
Jonathan Hogg (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by James Bree (Luton Town).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Harry Toffolo (Huddersfield Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Booking
Cameron Jerome (Luton Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Comments
Join the conversation
Had Adebayo been on then I think it would've been different, equally we're missing so many players across the pitch that I'm just relieved this wasn't a relegation scrap.
It's all if & buts - football can be a cruel game & tonight was one of those nights. Congrats HTFC.
LTFC are doing this with a tiny budget, a sum that is small for Div.1. Some of you seem mighty offended by this. Ok, we get 10k crowds, well that's what the ground holds. And you know what, we got those crowds when we were non-league.
Some of you need to grow up.
Well done Huddersfield and unlucky Luton.
Officials not good enough, the championship
needs VAR quickly. There were so many wrong decisions for such an important game.
That said well played Huddersfield!!!!
Marcelo Bielsa said he valued Carlos Corberans opinion higher than anybody else.
Done a brilliant job.
Well deserved.
Commiserations to Luton.
Huddersfield have a fantastic stadium that doesn’t charge too much like other clubs & decent fans that are most welcoming. All the best in the final.
He also says that Luton had better chances - in that case perhaps get some players who can do something with them
Corners, chances, constant attacking, etc mean nothing if you don't score
Well done Huddersfield, good luck in the final.
He's deluded. I would suggest he doesn't do interviews for 24hrs post matches.
As a fan im only sad for the players who have given their all this season & renewed interest & vigour in our club/town, they should be incredibly proud of themselves & take that forward into next season.
What a ride eh....
Good luck for next season*, from a Stockport Hatter.
*Hope you keep him!