Kyle Dempsey endears himself to the home faithful
By the end of his bustling 88 minutes' worth of action, Huddersfield Town supporters made their feelings known by responding positively to Kyle Dempsey, who received a hero's exit as he departed the scene.
He was afforded a hero's exit having shown the sort of energy, tenacity and technical qualities Town fans want to see in their midfielders and, while there was the occasional sign of naivety, he showed remarkable adventure on and off the ball.
The gusto with which he went into several challenges reflected his inherent rugby league spirit and resolve as the home supporters were able to catch their first proper chance to see what the much-coveted talent has to offer.
One misplaced pass in the first half ultimately led to the visitors having a goal ruled out for offside, but it was the only slight on an otherwise encouraging home bow.
That mistake was the result of taking risks with some of his passing and one attempt to find Sean Scannell with a raking ball in the first half drew applause, as did a jinking run in the second as he announced his arrival in style.
Jason Davidson looks the part at left-back
It may be too early to land on too many definitive conclusions, but Town's Australian recruit seems as if he will solve what had been a problem position for Chris Powell.
Having plied his trade as a left-back, the manager expects the very best from players who follow suit in his teams and in Jason Davidson, he has a left-back who can offer quality in both halves of the field.
Despite having just become a father and only returning to the country in the intervening days between Saturday's defeat at Rochdale and this midweek clash, the 24-year-old stood out above most.
He offered Town a good balance on that side of the field, showing poise in possession, an attacking inclination and defensive solidity when required.
His career at the John Smith's Stadium may be in its infant stages, but already Davidson - like fellow new boy Dempsey - is proving a shrewd acquisition.
Jordy Hiwula needs an extended central trial
Having featured off the bench at Grimsby and then Rochdale in differing positions, Jordy Hiwula has certainly had a challenging adjustment period since joining the club.
The former Manchester City forward showed some neat link-up play alongside Harry Bunn in a 3-5-2 setup at Blundell Park, but the duo didn't seem to click while he was thrust into the action last weekend in difficult circumstances as Town chased the game.
So he will have been delighted to feature from the start against Deportivo, although there may have been reservations over his position on the pitch.
Despite being employed in a left-wing role while on loan at Walsall last season, Hiwula looked isolated at times on that flank and looked keen to move nearer to Nahki Wells, who himself was forced to feed off scraps against a visiting side who were so efficient in their use of the ball.
It would be a shame if he wasn't offered the chance to line up alongside Wells in the final pre-season friendly at Barnsley because he looks like the sort of player who could thrive with a partner and bring the best out of the Bermudian who, while valiant, looked slightly limited on his own.
Murray Wallace deserves some praise
He has taken on a slightly unfair scapegoat status for many poor defensive performances since breaking into the first team, but last night Murray Wallace offered proof that he may have a role to play in 2015/16.
Again, at this stage of the season it is impossible to make concrete judgments on players and the team in general, but it felt significant that the Scot should be the only player to receive a full 90-minute runout against the La Liga outfit.
He dealt well with everything he had to and linked up well with two central defensive partners in Mark Hudson and Joel Lynch, while his use of the ball - often a subject for criticism - was also neat and effective.
Powell made four changes from the team that lost to Rochdale, with Davidson replacing Martin Cranie as expected, but the other three alterations were intriguing and indicate Powell may have some thinking still to do on his opening-day XI.
Hiwula and Dempsey came in for Harry Bunn and Joe Lolley, while Wallace replaced Lynch as the left-sided central defender and will have offered Powell some food for thought.
Town can keep clean sheets!
This was a very welcome runout for Town, as Powell indicated post-match, and proving capable of shutting out a side packed with talented players should not be under-estimated.
It felt a far cry from the woeful weekend first-half performance at Spotland that led to the manager giving his charges a few choice words, as they kept the travelling Spanish side largely quiet in attack.
The Spaniards' penchant for recycling the ball and building attacks up slowly appeared to suit Town, who were more dynamic in their movement, with only half-chances really conceded.
Rochdale's direct nature was coupled with some naive and amateurish defending but Powell's men were more compact as a unit from 1 to 11 as they secured a second clean sheet of pre-season.
The final pre-season test at Barnsley will offer Town the chance to dust off the cobwebs once and for all but they will go into it buoyed by keeping out a side who will pit their wits against some of Europe's heaviest hitters this season.
