Goals from Nahki Wells and James Vaughan have given Huddersfield a 2-0 lead over the Blues at half-time at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Town boss Mick McCarthy made two changes with Richard Chaplow and Chris Wood coming into the team for Teddy Bishop and Freddie Sears, who dropped to the bench alongside Jonny Williams but there was no place for David McGoldrick.

The Blues threatened for the first time in the third minute when Chaplow crossed from the right and the ball reached Tabb at the far post, Huddersfield defender Tommy Smith - one of three centre-halves - cleared his header on goal off the line.

The home side went in front via their first serious chance. Left-back Zeki Fryers, in for Tyrone Mings, who was serving the second game of his ban, tried to play the ball inside to Christophe Berra but instead fed one-time Town trialist Nahki Wells, who cut into the middle and curled a left-foot shot from the edge of the area beyond the diving Bartosz Bialkowski’s right hand.

Having gone in front the Terriers, without a win in their last seven, gained greater belief and soon after Wells might have done better from James Vaughan’s cut-back from the left but he scraped his shot out for a throw.

Sean Scannell claimed a penalty when he clashed with Fryers as he broke beyond the on-loan Palace man but referee Tony Harrington, probably correctly, felt he’d made a lot of not much contact.

Huddersfield continued to look the more dangerous side and on 21 Vaughan went close to making it 2-0 when Christophe Berra headed a cross from deep on the left up in the air but the former Norwich man’s overhead-kick flew straight at Bialkowski. A foot or so either side of the keeper and he would have doubled his team’s lead.

A minute later the Blues weren’t far from getting back on terms. Varney flicked on a long ball sending Daryl Murphy in on goal to the right of the area. Town’s 23-goal top scorer took the ball around keeper Alex Smithies but Terriers defender Smith got back to clear off the line.

It was a missed chance the Blues would rue on the half hour when the home side doubled their lead.

Jacob Butterfield chipped a cross to the far post from deep on the right to Vaughan at the far post from where he nodded an inch-perfect header over Bialkowski, under the bar and into the corner of the net.

After Oscar Gobern had shot well over for Huddersfield, Berra picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Scannell with the home side still well on top against a lacklustre Town side which had never really recovered from going a goal behind.

On 40 Bialkowski was off his line quickly to clear ahead of Vaughan after Varney had under-hit a backpass from halfway. Two minutes later, Town’s Tommy Smith was booked for a foul on Vaughan.

Town never looked like pulling a goal back before the half was brought to a close by referee Harrington’s whistle.

The Blues, as poor as at any time this season, could have had few complaints about the half-time scoreline, the Terriers having been well on top having gone in front.

Front two Wells and Vaughan had given the Town backline as difficult an afternoon as they’ve had this season, while at the Blues had rarely threatened, although Tabb may feel he should have done better with his early chance and Murphy might have opted to shoot rather than take the ball past the keeper when he had his opportunity.

Manager Mick McCarthy opted to make two changes ahead of the second half with Teddy Bishop and Freddie Sears replacing Chaplow and Wood.

Huddersfield: Smithies, Scannell, James, Hudson (c), Smith, Lynch, Coady, Gobern, Butterfield, Wells, Vaughan. Subs: Allinson, Edgar, Wallace, Lolley, Holmes, Carroll, Majewski.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Fryers, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Chaplow (Bishop 46), Varney, Tabb, Murphy, Wood (Sears 46). Subs: Gerken, Clarke, Anderson, Williams, S Hunt. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland).

Photo: Action Images

jas0999 added 16:12 - Apr 6 Very poor. Pleased to get back into it, but according to SSN, we should be further behind. Let's hope we get back into it and win as Huddersfield had won once in eleven.
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miltonsnephew added 16:14 - Apr 6 Such a shame, this should of been the one we picked up our next 3 points. Seems like they play the same game as us and MM two changes haven't been the answer. Seems like maybe Joniesta isn't 100% and we've been found out. I hope for a better 45mins. The 2 subs are a good move but I do feel they should of started. Must of been niggles/or not 100%. Woods has been such a disappointment hope he scores the decisive goal in the championship play off final. And now our only route to the promise land.

2

tractorboybig added 16:29 - Apr 6 strange comments. The play offs at this time are as far away as the last 8 years.# New manager needed.
3

steedy28 added 16:43 - Apr 6 tractorboybig-If you think we need a new manager, you clearly know nothing about football.#Idiot
0

cartman1972 added 16:52 - Apr 6 Team are s#ite, no endeavour, whenever a team around us slips up we fail to get a result. Wood has looked awful.
1

paulm3paw added 16:58 - Apr 6 I give up. "Get it down and play football " long ball crxp
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oldtimer added 17:01 - Apr 6 Just about the end of this season I fear. Poor display today and that was one of the games we needed a result from. So. Next season going to be fast adventurous pacy stuff or more hoofball?? Enjoy the rest of the season everyone
1

Geoff added 17:03 - Apr 6 Out played by Huddersfield it says it all. Time for a big change no ambition no fight just not good enough premier league ground needs investment on the pitch to many loan players scrooge evans and MM tactics to blame.
3

senduntd added 17:05 - Apr 6 What are wa doing? We bring on 2 ball players and continue with hoofing the ball down field l , Don' blame Sears, Williams or Bishop we must get the ball down to give them a chance. Long ball division 2 stuff.
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TheSelkirk added 17:17 - Apr 6 Well, that seems to be that. Another summer of waiting and hoping that "next season" will bring us some success. As much as anything else, if we are still down in the Championship next season, I sincerely hope that we can bring in, or bring on, some quality players capable of playing some quality football. I really do detest this reputation we have gained for hoof ball and the fact that it is impossible to argue against it. PLEASE give us all something to be proud of next season !

1

NoelTheDub added 17:19 - Apr 6 Why for gods sake MM did you not go for the jugular today.Playing a poor team in bad form and you put out a team that had no pace up top no width no creativity we have all that on the bench or left at home or playing for others.Thanks for our best season but you have strangled all football out of our famous club give me mid table playing football instead of this false hope that we are good enough for playoffs or promotion.

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dannyrr added 17:23 - Apr 6 That was awful and embarrassing. If we didn't hoof the ball we passed it back to the opposition. We made nothing in the first half and neither did Huddersfield but managed to get two goals. I don't know what the tactics were but there was no creativity in the first half. Varney woods and Murphy got nothing in the first half and the ball wasn't being won in midfield. The back four looked so nervous today and on many occasions fryer put the ball out of play instead of leaving it to go. On many occasions Huddersfield were getting past three players and when they won the ball either gave it back or hoofed it to nowhere. A disappointing game and result. Can't make the excuse of not having enough time between games as Huddersfield only had two days between their games. A long miserable trip back to Ipswich and the playoffs getting further away. The next kicking will be wolves winning later today to push us further down the table.

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tractorboybig added 09:32 - Apr 7 steedy 28. we are where we are cause of pricks like you?
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