Lots of Leeds United fans have been reacting on social media after Under 23s talent Niall Huggins smashed the club’s senior record for goals scored from a direct free-kick.
Huggins was in action for Carlos Corberan’s junior Whites side on Monday as they faced Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the Professional Development League, and would score our first of the day in a 2-2 draw.
Ciaran Brannan had opened the scoring for the Owls 12 minutes before Huggins would draw United level, when the 19-year-old’s delivery went straight through the host’s penalty area and into the back of the net.
Liam Shaw soon struck to restore Sheffield Wednesday’s advantage, but he would then turn the ball into his own goal and ensure that we maintained our unbeaten run that has now stretched to ten league games.
The result also saw the Whites move to within six points of North Division leaders Nottingham Forest and three points of second-placed Burnley, as Corberan strives to retain the title following last term’s successes.
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Maintaining an unbeaten run that dates back to October was not the only thing Corberan witnessed on Monday, though, as Huggins’ goal is somewhat of a rare occurrence with United in recent years.
While some U23s players have found the net from a direct free-kick – Mateusz Bogusz did such with style last season – no first-team player has placed a dead ball into the back of the net since Pablo Hernandez against Burton Albion on December 26, 2017, according to LUFC Data.
Kalvin Phillips has taken five shots from set-pieces for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds this Championship term, while Hernandez has taken three, Ezgjan Alioski two, and Patrick Bamford, Barry Douglas and Adam Forshaw have each taken one, per Sofa Score.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to LUFC Data pointing out that no senior player has scored from a direct set-piece in more than two years after Huggins’ effort at Sheffield Wednesday for the U23s…
Rediculous but yet we were up there in the championship. Let’s see Kevin do it
— Nigel Rosendale 💙💛 (@nr100ap) February 3, 2020
soft goal but he had a really good game. look fwd to seeing more from him
— Mike Humphries (@_mikehumphries) February 4, 2020
What is the goalkeeper doing there 😂😂😂
— Simon Chapman (@s1m0chap) February 3, 2020
That’s absolutely shocking, 2 years!!!
— MMLUFC (@Michael46041497) February 3, 2020
pick that one out
— neil blackman (@natt1matt) February 3, 2020
They defend like us
— Mark Gorman (@gormanuk) February 3, 2020
Get in!
— Mark P Makey (@markpmakey) February 3, 2020
Why was Kiko in goal for them?
— Morphoolu (@Morphoolu) February 3, 2020
In other Leeds United news, a Sky Sports pundit has ripped into a £10m Leeds man after a wasteful display against Wigan Athletic on Saturday.