Caltex Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy has inspired Huddersfield Town to a crucial win over Wolverhampton Wanderers to breath life into their Premier League survival hopes.
Mooy started on the bench at the John Smith’s Stadium but came on with 13 minutes left with the scores locked at 0-0.
And he had an immediate impact on the match, dragging a shot just wide of the post a couple of minutes after entering the fray before masterminding the Terriers’ winner.
In the first minute of stoppage-time, Mooy’s teasing cross from the right caused havoc in the Wolves box, with Steve Mounie eventually bundling the ball over the line after Karlan Grant’s initial shot was blocked.
It sparked jubilant scenes inside John Smith’s Stadium as Huddersfield recorded just their third win of the campaign to keep their faint hopes of survival alive.
The news wasn’t so good for Mooy’s Caltex Socceroos teammate Mat Ryan, whose Brighton and Hove Albion lost 2-1 at Leicester City.
Ryan could do little to prevent the home side’s goal from Demarai Gray and Jamie Vardy in either half.
A goal from Davy Propper midway through the second half looked to have got Brighton back into the match but Leicester held on for the win in front of new boss Brendan Rodgers who was watching from the stands.
It sets up a huge all-Aussie clash between Mooy's Huddersfield Town and Ryan's Brighton in a match that will have huge ramifications on the race for survival.
In the Championship, Massimo Luongo set-up QPR’s winning goal as his side upset promotion-chasing Leeds United at Loftus Road.
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It was Luongo’s cut-back early in the second half that was delightfully flicked-in by Luke Freeman at the near post as QPR prevailed 1-0.
In an all-action 90-minute display from the Aussie playmaker, Luongo was inches away from doubling the lead when his powerful volley fizzed just over the bar.
Meanwhile, Jackson Irvine also played a full game in Hull City’s midfield as goals to Jarrod Bowen and Marc Pugh handed the Tigers a 2-1 win over Millwall.
