SIMON GRAYSON watched his former employers claim the West Yorkshire bragging rights and admitted: “We lost too many individual battles, simple as that.”
Sacked by Leeds in February, the Town manager said he was “hugely disappointed” after Neil Warnock picked up three points at his former stomping ground, where there was a tickets-issued gate of 20,372.
“It’s a local derby. You want to play as well as you can do, impose yourself on the game and show the spirit and desire required,” added Grayson.
“For 20 minutes we did that, and got off to a good start with a goal (by Chris Atkinson in the 12th minute). We passed it around well and had most of the possession and play.
“But then we stopped doing those good things, and after their equaliser, we were on the back foot.
“As the game went on, we didn’t have that spark going forward. We didn’t do enough in terms of passing and creating chances.
“Leeds were sharper and won more individual battles, and we didn’t defend as well as we can do.”
It’s two successive defeats for Town after the 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough last Tuesday, and just one point from 12.
And Grayson, whose side have lost their last two home games, added: “We have got players who can be match winners, and I have got a good group, but they have let themselves down over the last couple of games.”
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Grayson admitted Warnock had the last laugh after Adam Clayton, allowed to leave Leeds and join Town during the close-season, ran to the visitors’ dug-out and sank to his knees in celebration after putting away the 43rd-minute penalty which levelled the game at 2-2.
“You have to be respectful to people,” said the Town chief.
Warnock, who shook hands with Clayton at the final whistle, responded: “I don’t mind celebrations like that. I’d have done the same if I was playing.
“And of course I celebrated at the end – but under my breath.”
He added: “Huddersfield dominated the opening stages, but we got back into it then and I thought: ‘Okay, let’s play now’ and after that we were very good.
“We dominated the second half and played some good football.
“The boys have been on fire all week and we hoped they wouldn’t leave it on the training ground.”
