Championship leaders Huddersfield recorded their first win at Portman Road for 20 years as Christopher Schindler’s second-half header saw the Terriers to a 1-0 victory. The Blues, beaten at home for the first time in the league this season and now without a goal in four matches, never looked like getting back into the game after the German centre-half had put the visitors in front from a 58th minute corner.
Boss Mick McCarthy named the same XI which drew 0-0 with Brighton on Tuesday, while Luke Varney returned to the bench with Andre Dozzell the man to drop out of the 18.
Huddersfield were the first side to threaten, Sean Scannell winning an early corner down the Terriers’ right. From Chris Löwe's flag-kick Jonathan Hogg won a free header, but nodded the ball into the ground and to Blues keeper Bartosz Bialkowski.
Town began to make some impact as an attacking force in the 11th minute when Leon Best turned away from his man but his pass into the path of Kevin Bru to his left was cut out.
On 15 Emmanuel won a freekick five yards outside the area following a corner, which Lawrence curled just wide of Terriers’ keeper Danny Ward’s left post.
The game had been a fairly evenly-balanced but tame affair of few chances at both ends, but on 29 the visitors went close to going in front.
After Aaron Mooy’s shot had been blocked, Emmanuel only cleared as far as Kachunga, whose effort cannoned off the post.
The loose ball fell to Nahki Wells on the left of the area from where the Bermudian hit a shot across Bialkowski, who did well to save down to his left.
For Town, Knudsen lashed a 36th minute freekick over after Lawrence laid it to him, Best having been fouled by visitors’ skipper Mark Hudson.
Four minutes later, skipper Luke Chambers headed a corner from the left against Huddersfield defender Chris Shindler. The ball was eventually half-cleared to Knudsen, but his return ball was too far in front of Best, who was more involved than against Brighton on Tuesday, and keeper Ward claimed.
Town’s best chance of the half came in the 42nd minute when Grant Ward ran on to Best’s flick and found himself in the clear. The former Spurs man took a touch but failed to make a clean contact with his shot and the ball flew across goal and well wide.
Just before the break Bru headed a corner from the right towards goal but Terriers keeper Ward was able to claim comfortably.
Referee Chris Kavanagh brought the half to a close soon afterwards with the scoreline not an unfair reflection of the first 45 minutes.
As against the Seagulls on Tuesday, it had been a game with little in it and few chances. The visitors came closest when Kachunga hit the post and then Wells saw his subsequent effort saved, while Ward will feel he should have put the Blues in front from his chance.
Huddersfield switched Dean Whitehead for the more attacking Rajiv Van La Parra ahead of the second half.
Terriers midfielder Hogg picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 50th minute for tripping Lawrence as the on-loan Leicester man broke forward.
On 52 Best forced an error from Schindler after a long ball had been played down the right. The former Newcastle man fed Bru but the Mauritius international shot weakly to Ward. As the Huddersfield keeper looked to clear from his hands Douglas impeded him and was booked.
A minute later, a Terriers cross from the left reached their right-back Tommy Smith, whose shot flew over off Knudsen, then on 55 Bru found some space in the box but looked to pass when he should have shot.
A minute later the midfielder was replaced along with Grant Ward with boos greeting the decision to withdraw the right winger. Freddie Sears, who joined Best up front, and Teddy Bishop took over.
The visitors took the lead in the 58th minute after Chambers and Bialkowski between then needlessly conceded a corner. Mooy whipped over the ball and Schindler got ahead of his man to flick a powerful header past Bialkowski.
Boosted by the goal, the West Yorkshiremen took the game to Town and on 62 Scannell saw a shot blocked by Berra. A minute later, Wells headed into Bialkowski’s arms from a cross from the right.
On 66 Sears hit a shot at goal which Ward claimed, the Blues’ first strike on target of the afternoon, leading to applause and then chants of ‘We’ve had a shot’ from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
Five minutes later, Michael Hefele took over from goalscorer Schindler, who had picked up a knock.
The Blues had rarely looked like getting back on terms but on 81 Best reached Knudsen’s cross from the left and the loose ball caused some panic in the Huddersfield defence but wouldn’t fall for a Town player and Ward claimed.
A minute later, Douglas won the ball down the left and found space but the Irishman took too long over his cross and eventually hit it well beyond Sears.
Three minutes from the end of normal time Varney replaced Lawrence, moments before Terriers sub Hefele headed a cross from the right over.
Town desperately looked for an equaliser in seven minutes of injury time, Berra seeing a shot blocked, then Varney curling an effort high and wide.
The visitors saw out the remaining minutes, two corners on the Town left were the two most dangerous moments, to retain their place at the top of the table.
The final whistle was greeted by boos and then chants of ‘What a load of rubbish’ from sections of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
As so often in recent weeks Town were in what was another match of few chances at 0-0, but once they were behind they were unable to take the game to the opposition, who played the more composed football throughout, and create opportunities.
Sears’s strike was their only shot on target of the afternoon, while Ward’s first-half opportunity was their best chance of the game.
The result sees Town, with owner Marcus Evans watching from his executive box in the East of England Co-op Stand, drop to 16th in the Championship ahead of the international break.
Town: Bialkowski, Emmanuel, Chambers (c), Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Bru (Sears 57), Ward (Bishop 57), Lawrence (Varney 87), Best. Unused: Gerken, Digby, Grant, Kenlock.
Huddersfield: Ward, Smith, Whitehead (Van La Parra 46), Hudson (c), Hogg, Scannell, Kachunga, Mooy, Löwe, Wells, Schindler (Hefele 71). Unused: Coleman, Holmes-Dennis, Cranie, Payne, Palmer. Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire). Att: 16,146 (Huddersfield: 803).