Ben Wiles shines as Huddersfield Town beat Man United's Under-21s to progress in EFL Trophy

Huddersfield Town progressed to the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy with a 4-1 victory over Manchester United Under-21s at the John Smith’s Stadium last night.

Goals from Ben Wiles, Rhys Healey, David Kasumu and Tom Lees saw the Terriers secure their place in the round of 32 following their final group stage game.

Town leapfrogged their opponents to finish second in Northern Group F with six points from three matches, while the Premier League academy were knocked out of the competition after registering one point fewer from their three games.

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Michael Duff opted to make four changes from the 2-2 draw at Crawley Town on Saturday, as Michal Helik, Ollie Turton, Tom Iorpenda and Healey came into the team for Lees, Brodie Spencer, Kasumu and Callum Marshall.

Town almost took the lead within the opening 20 seconds of the match, as Mickel Miller had a strike from the edge of the box that was saved by Dermot Mee, before Healey found the side netting with the rebound.

The visitors had their first effort shortly after when Ethan Williams drove forward from halfway and took aim from outside the box, but his effort went over the bar.

Herbie Kane again forced Mee into action when the midfielder’s cross from a short corner was parried away by the United stopper, while Healey also fired a free-kick straight into the wall and Tommy Rowe dragged an effort wide for the away side.

Town were forced into an early change as Iorpenda picked up an injury 20 minutes in and was unable to continue, with Kasumu his replacement.

The hosts took the lead shortly before the half-hour mark, as Turton picked out Wiles in a central position, and the midfielder drilled his effort from outside the box into the left-hand side of the goal to net for the sixth time this campaign.

Town took control of the contest in the minutes following the opener but they couldn’t create the chances to back it up, with Bojan Radulovic unable to turn Miller’s cross towards goal in a rare opportunity in that period.

However, it was the visitors who drew themselves level three minutes before the break. United worked the ball down the right-hand side and Ethan Ennis reached the byline, before the forward’s cross was deftly turned home by Victor Musa from close range.

The Terriers spurned a good opportunity moments later as Turton was played in on goal with a ball over the top, but the wing-back couldn’t get a clean connection on his strike and his effort went over the bar, as the sides went in level at the interval.

The hosts had the game’s few chances in the minutes following the restart, as Radulovic’s header from Miller’s cross didn’t fall favourably for Healey, while Town’s wing-back also had a strong claim for a penalty turned down shortly before the hour mark.

Tyler Fredricson then did well to turn Helik’s cross over his own crossbar, but the Terriers went on to retake the lead midway through the second half. Wiles was found on the right-hand side, and the midfielder’s pinpoint cross was headed home by Healey from close range for his second goal in as many matches.

It was the Terriers who continued to create opportunities after the second goal, but Kane, Danny Ward and Wiles all fired efforts over the bar.

Ward also sent a strike wide in the closing stages, before Kasumu added a third for Town with a finish from inside the box on the stroke of injury-time.

Lees then headed home the Terriers' fourth from a corner deep into stoppage time to round off the convincing victory and send Town into the knockout stages.

Town: Chapman, Pearson, Helik (C) (Lees 65), Wiles, Radulovic (Ward 66), Healey (Ladapo 73), Miller, Kane, Turton, Lonwijk, Iorpenda (Kasumu 20). Unused subs: Maxwell, Hurl, Headley.

Man United U21s: Mee, Malacia (Amass 45), Kone (McAllister 42), Rowe, Ennis, Fredricson (C), Ogunneye (Moorhouse 76), Kingdon, Williams (Missin 65), Fitzgerald (Mather 76), Musa. Unused subs: Graczyk, Jackson.