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Huddersfield 2-1 Town - Match Report
Monday, 6th Apr 2015 17:14

Town’s play-off aspirations suffered a significant blow as they were beaten 2-1 at Huddersfield. Nahki Wells and James Vaughan gave the Terriers a two-goal half-time lead and despite Luke Varney netting three minutes after the break the Blues were unable to get back on terms.

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, wearing their orange away kit, threatened for the first time in the third minute when Chaplow crossed from the right and the ball reached Jay Tabb at the far post, Huddersfield defender Tommy Smith - one of their three centre-halves - cleared his effort 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 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, previously without a win in seven, gained greater belief and soon after Wells might have done better from James Vaughan’s cut-back from the left but scraped his shot out for a throw.

Sean Scannell, who was giving Fryers a difficult afternoon, claimed a penalty when he clashed with the loanee left-back as he broke beyond him but referee Tony Harrington, probably correctly, felt he’d made a lot of not much contact.

Huddersfield continued to look much 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 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.

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

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

Three minutes after the restart, the Blues pulled a goal back. Tabb crossed from the left and Varney flicked his first Town goal into the corner of the net across Smithies.

The early goal woke the previously quiet Town following behind the goal and almost immediately the Blues went close again. Berra headed Tabb’s left-sided corner back across the area from deep but Smithies grabbed the ball ahead of Smith.

There was a big scare for the Blues on 51 when Wells escaped on the right of the box but shot off skipper Luke Chambers and into the side-netting.

From the resultant corner the Terriers would have regained their two-goal lead but for a remarkable double save from Bialkowski, who somehow blocked from Hudson at close range and then Vaughan after he seized on the loose ball.

Just after the hour mark Bishop skipped away from two Huddersfield players in the middle of the field before feeding Sears, who cut in and hit a shot which was too close to Smithies.

Jonny Williams made his long-awaited return to action in the 67th minute, taking over from Tabb. The on-loan Palace midfielder’s most recent game was the final match of his previous spell with the Blues - the 1-0 home victory over Watford when he suffered his groin injury - back in November.

The Blues had been better after the break with Bishop adding some creativity and Sears more of a threat but without ever putting the home side under any major pressure.

On 78 Butterfield hit a 20-yard strike which Bialkowski saved to his left then Berra did well to get ahead of Wells as he ran onto a ball from the left.

From the resultant corner, Bialkowski failed to claim but Wells shot over from a tight angle on the right.

Smith curled a shot wide for Town on 87 but the home defence were still looking comfortable as the fourth official’s board announced four additional minutes.

Despite Berra having been sent forward to join the attack the Terriers were able to see out the final moments with little drama and referee Harrington’s whistle confirmed the Blues’ defeat.

After the dismal first half, Town improved after the break having pulled back the early goal but they never really got on top and rarely threatened to get back on terms with Smithies not forced into a serious save.

Half-time subs Sears and Bishop made something of an impact before fading, while Williams fleetingly showed his class but unsurprisingly after so long out looked a touch rusty, but even so Huddersfield had the better chances and would have won by more but for Bialkowski’s excellent double save.

The result sees the Blues stay seventh - for the moment with Wolves in action at home to Leeds later this evening - but now a point behind Brentford who drop to sixth after drawing 2-2 at home to Nottingham Forest and three points off Derby in fifth, who have a significantly better goal difference.

Huddersfield: Smithies, Scannell (Wallace 90), James, Hudson (c), Smith, Lynch, Coady, Gobern, Butterfield, Wells (Edgar 83), Vaughan (Lolley 90). Unused: Allinson, Holmes, Carroll, Majewski.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Fryers, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Chaplow (Bishop 46), Varney, Tabb (Williams 67), Murphy, Wood (Sears 46). Unused: Gerken, Clarke, Anderson, S Hunt. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland).


Photo: Action Images



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Chicago_Blue added 17:17 - Apr 6
Baffling starting 11. Match winners on the bench (or not even making it to the bench).
11

Ipswichlove added 17:17 - Apr 6
Question 1. How is Fryers in a Premier league team squad?
Question 2. Why is MICK so Stubborn?
Question 3. Why didn't Sears and bishop not start?
Question 4: will we get playoffs?
Question 5. What happended with Berra today
15

IpswichFan26 added 17:18 - Apr 6
Not great. Not great at all. Must win the next 2 home games and hope results heavily go in our favour. It was a gamble starting Wood instead of Sears and unfortunately it never worked. Gotta try and stay positive, we still have a big chance of reaching the playoffs.
3

TractorBoy666 added 17:19 - Apr 6
So disappointing, with a match that we should be looking to win. Play offs are now looking to be slipping away while there's Brentford who were absolutely battering Forest, and there's us who could have been 4-1 down after we got back to 2-1 according to Ian Dowie??? Wood has been awful since coming in, and him and murphy are too alike up front. The next two are up must wins or I can see the season being over but hey we love the championship don't we!
5

oldtimer added 17:19 - Apr 6
Yet another abject failure
A miracle needed for that not to be the end of a very ordinary season
10

Juggsy added 17:19 - Apr 6
Very poor
7

leroygibbs added 17:20 - Apr 6
I have held my tongue long enough but feel now is the time to have my say. Our best chance in years of pushing for an automatic promotion place, but with no significant investment, a clueless manager who has taken us as far as he can, and playing a prehistoric long ball game. Good bye McCarthy, thanks for keeping us up last year, but now is the time to plan for next season, bring in a young manager who can get the best out of our players, and play football the Ipswich. Another season of false hope and ultimately disappointment!!!
17

classof81 added 17:20 - Apr 6
So disappointing. I don't like to criticise Mick but I think this result is down to his negative team selection. Bishop is one of the few players who can keep the ball on the floor, run at players and create and Sears is our only player with pace. Bringing in Wood and Chaplow just spelt out route one and defensive tactics, which is okay when we have to grind out a result against a technically better team than us (Watford, where it worked perfectly). But with all due respect this is Huddersfield, a game that, on the basis that we are 10 places above them, should be beating.
Still in a decent enough position to make the playoffs. Would be criminal if we do miss out given our position during certain times this season. COYB.
26

Leather24 added 17:21 - Apr 6
Embarassing, if we started with a more positive team we would have won. MM has been great for us but he will never play the attacking football that we need to get out of this league.
23

Warkys_Tash added 17:21 - Apr 6
Disaster. Terrible result. Town chucking this season away.
29

pablo123 added 17:22 - Apr 6
What an absolute load of ruubbish !! All this way to watch that sh#te , it was terrible , no guts , no fight and no quality whatsoever !!! Forget it
17

titanicclown added 17:24 - Apr 6
Hard to stay positive on days like this. Playing two 6'3 strikers with no wingers or creative midfielders is hard to understand (or forgive). Still no time to give up. Forget it and go again boys. Still enough points to play for - just!
8

roytheboy added 17:25 - Apr 6
Fryers is not for me, I know we had to use him today but I would not be disappointed if he never played for us again, I feel the same way about Woods, why start him in front of Sears ? it seems crazy to me, Sears has been brilliant for us, why doesn't Mick start with his best players ? what has happened to Murphy's goal scoring form ? is it that he needs Mc'Goldrick up front with him ? and incidentally where the hell is Mc'Goldrick ?
6

pablo123 added 17:27 - Apr 6
Mark warburton , get the deal done for next season PLEEEEEEEASE !!!
15

classof81 added 17:27 - Apr 6
Very surprising to see Varney turning out as a better signing than Wood too!
10

runaround added 17:27 - Apr 6
A very poor result and by the sound of the commentary, an awful performance. Chances of top 6 are fading & we have to win these 2 home games or that will be that.
Although even if we finish 7th or 8th it will be an improvement on last season, considering where we were for much of the season it will be a real disappointment
14

TimmyH added 17:27 - Apr 6
Really disappointing result and with 5 games left another like this and I fear we'll miss the play-offs.

It's easy to say in hindsight but the starting 11 again looked uninspiring with a midfield of Varney, Tabb and Chaplow, where is the creativity? whose going to supply the crosses or pace out wide?. I feel too many times McCarthy this year has got it wrong (thinking Leeds/Reading in particular) and he has to come up with a plan B and that means a different looking attacking team, what ever happened to Anderson? although not my favourite he at least he can cross and come up with some assists (remember the game he had last year at Huddersfield). Today plain and simple MM got it wrong and rested players who shouldn't have been and should have added some further flair.

Could be down to 8th this evening depending on the Wolves game...poor!
13

Letchworth_Blue added 17:29 - Apr 6
We were bloody awful today. Our backline cannot deal with any pace whatsoever, Huddersfield skinned us alive. Murphy did nothing all game, Wood was shi te and Fryers was embarrassing. Even when Bishop and Williams came on they faced a static clueless line in front. If we play like this again forget the playoffs. Only consolation is I'm staying over tonight so can hit the bar now!
21

blueherts added 17:30 - Apr 6
I will not give up till we are mathmatically out of it - and the play offs are a lottery - if we make them now great - and with fixtures coming up - Derby vs Brentford , it is still possible .
BUT ... Having no real cover for Mings , with Parr injured , was tough
Wood has been average - to be polite - so why he started today? and I do not get when Sears has been our one real threat in recent weeks with DM , quite understandably , not as effective .
Williams and Bishop - our two best footballers were left on bench and maybe the DIDs saga is more complicated
Anyway - we should not be losing to Huddersfield and as much as I have backed MM for where we are and could have been - today was a big OFF day
As I say though - we can still do it and maybe Leeds will help us !!
4

pablo123 added 17:31 - Apr 6
Dont care if we dont go up straight away , i just wanna watch real football again not antiquated long ball crap !!! Mark warburton will deliver this in time , and is available . so please get it done ME before hes snapped up
7

bostonusablue added 17:32 - Apr 6
A manager who has only one game plan. A chairman who won't invest in the team. But worst of all, the style of football we play is absolutely terrible. I've supported Town for many years and have watched some crap, but this is the worst for entertainment.

To say we were second in the league at Christmas in a position of strength, to be outside of the play-offs now is a joke. Losing points to teams at the lower end of the league has probably cost us automatic promotion and a chance at the play-offs based on current form.

We've loat points to the following teams: Huddersfield, Bolton, Wigan, Brighton, Cardiff, Rotherham, Leeds and Reading.
Just. Not. Good. Enough.
22

dagenhamtown added 17:33 - Apr 6
a chairman who should be ashamed that his lack of backing at the right time was non excistent.Our style of football is long ball why would any decent midfield player dare think about a move to us bypass that area completeley. Prem i dont think we are even close to that standard miles away yes its nice to be there financially as well but hey bourmouth destroyed us that says it all. in some ways if we are doomed to yet another year of champ football then in some ways i hope season tickets drop and mr evans u are to blame in my opinion completeley shambolic lack of ambition .
9

Bluetone added 17:33 - Apr 6
Surely even those who think the sun shines out of McCarthy's bum must be having doubts.
8

jocasaja added 17:34 - Apr 6
Where is Mcgoldrick ??
6

NoelTheDub added 17:34 - Apr 6
Mick what was your thinking today with that team selection especially v a team that is struggling.This false position we are in is only glossing over how poor a footballing team we are and your refusal to play anybody that likes to pass a bloody ball is unforgivable at our famous club.Thanks for steading our sinking club but if this is our future we are only going one way and thats backwards as we are by a mile the worst footballing team in all four leagues.
12


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