Emile Smith Rowe came off the bench to score a goal for Huddersfield Town on Friday night, one that could yet prove vital for them and others.
Huddersfield Town faced promotion-chasers West Bromwich Albion on Friday, and despite his eventual winning goal, Smith Rowe initially dropped to the bench.
The midfielder is regularly rotating in and out of the team with Huddersfield, as head coach Danny Cowley tries to manage his fitness. However, he always features as a substitute if he doesn’t start. He ended up coming on in the 71st minute this time.
At that point, the scores were delicately poised at 1-1, but Smith Rowe managed to give Huddersfield an unlikely lead. He made a run in between the defenders, taking an excellent first touch to set himself before guiding the ball past the goalkeeper.
A. HUGE. GOAL#htafc
— Huddersfield Town (@htafc) July 17, 2020
For Huddersfield, the goal put them one step closer to staying up. They’re six points clear of the bottom three, with the teams below them all with two games to go, so it’s almost guaranteed at this point.
They weren’t the only ones to enjoy the goal, though. Leeds United ended up achieving promotion as a result of the win, so their fans celebrated it just as avidly.
On the other side of things, it’s a huge dent in West Brom’s automatic promotion hopes. The situation is now out of their hands, with Brentford able to secure a top-two finish by winning their final two games.
Another big moment in the 19-year-old’s career, ahead of his return to Arsenal this summer.