Daryl Murphy headed home a late winner as the Blues came from behind to beat Huddersfield 2-1 at Portman Road. The Terriers were deservedly ahead at the break via Danny Ward, skipper James Vaughan having had a penalty saved at Town for the second successive season, but David McGoldrick equalised soon after the restart then Murphy won it in the 89th minute.

Mick McCarthy made two changes to the team which beat Blackburn 3-1 on Tuesday with Ryan Tunnicliffe and Daryl Murphy returning in place of Stephen Hunt and Carlos Edwards as he switched his side to a 4-3-3 formation with McGoldrick behind Murphy and Frank Nouble.

Huddersfield, who switched to 4-4-2 from their more usual 3-5-2 system, left former Blue Jon Stead out of their 18.

After a minute’s applause celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela, Town kicked off facing the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Blues right-back Luke Chambers hit the first shot of the game across the face of goal in the fourth minute, then a minute later Hyam sent Murphy away down the left but his low cross towards Nouble was cut out.

There was danger at the other end soon afterwards when former Canary James Vaughan seized on a poor Chambers backpass but Gerken was out quickly to clear with his feet.

However, it was the Blues who were looking more threatening in the early stages. On seven McGoldrick headed a Cresswell cross from the right just wide after a corner had been played back out to the left-back by Tunnicliffe.

Four minutes later, the Terriers probably should have gone ahead but Vaughan directed his header past Gerken’s post from Clayton’s freekick on the right.

On 15 Murphy sent Nouble away down the left but no one else had got far enough forward to take advantage of his cross.

McGoldrick hit a 20-yard shot into Huddersfield keeper Alex Smithies’s arms on 16, then a minute later Murphy cut in front the right and hit a low effort which Smithies claimed.

The Irishman ought to have put the Blues in front a minute later when he chased down a Cresswell long ball, out-muscled Paul Dixon before taking the ball into the area. Murphy should have shot but turned inside the defender and his touch allowed the keeper to claim.

Huddersfield midfielder Oliver Norwood shot over from 25 yards on 21, then Gerken parried Danny Ward’s shot from a tight angle on the left.

The visitors were handed a golden opportunity to go in front in the 24th minute when referee Gary Sutton awarded them a very debatable penalty.

Town’s Tommy Smith headed a cross from the left into the air and as Christophe Berra waited for the ball to drop Vaughan ran into him and was knocked over. If it was a foul at all a Town freekick seemed a more likely outcome but it just seemed to be an accidental collision as two players went for the ball.

Vaughan took the kick himself, taking a pause in his run-up before he hit a low effort to Gerken’s left which, fortunately for the Blues, the keeper got down well to claim. It was Vaughan’s second penalty miss at Portman Road in two seasons, Scott Loach having saved from the spot in last season’s corresponding fixture.

McGoldrick shot wide for the Blues with the Terriers now having most of the possession but with the Blues looking dangerous whenever they broke forward.

But on 34 the visitors went in front. Adam Hammill brought the ball in from the left along the byline before cutting it back to Vaughan, who stabbed it back into Ward’s path and he slammed home from 12 yards.

Skuse shot not far over from 30 yards in the 39th minute but overall Huddersfield had been on top since the goal with too many Town passes going astray, particularly in the final third.

The Terriers were close to adding to their lead in the 43rd minute when Hammill, who played for Blues boss McCarthy at Wolves, unleashed a fearsome strike from 25 yards on the left but the ball cannoned off the underside of the bar before being cleared.

Town almost levelled as the fourth official’s board went up to signal one minute of injury time. After Huddersfield had uncharacteristically given the ball away, Nouble brought it forward before feeding McGoldrick. The Blues top scorer tricked his way past a defender and into the area but shot wide.

However, the goal would have flattered the Blues at that stage with the visitors deserving their half-time lead.

Town started the stronger of the two sides, but failed to make the most of their early opportunities. The Terriers got on top and having missed the very generous penalty deserved their goal when it came.

As on Tuesday night against Blackburn, the Blues scored soon after the restart. In the fifth minute Skuse played an inch-perfect ball between the two Huddersfield centre-halves to McGoldrick, who took a touch before smashing a low shot to Smithies’s left and into the net from the edge of the box.

McGoldrick’s eighth goal of the season handed the momentum back to Town and they weren’t far from going in front in the 53rd minute. Murphy did well down the left and cut the ball across but ahead of Hyam and behind Nouble.

Two minutes later, Cresswell crossed from the left, the ball was cleared to the edge of the area, from where Chambers hammered a powerful strike not far over.

Gerken saved a low Clayton 20-yard freekick in the 59th minute, then Murphy shot high and wide from the right.

Terriers sub Sean Scannell almost put his side back in front in the 68th minute when he brought the ball forward on the left before hitting a shot through a crowd of players. His low strike deflected off Berra but Gerken reacted quickly to divert it past the post. Moments later, Jay Tabb replaced Skuse, who had undergone treatment earlier in the half.

The impetus had swung back to the visitors and in the 70th minute Gerken was forced into action again as Norwood struck a powerful effort from the right.

Tunnicliffe blocked from Norwood in the 77th minute with Huddersfield continuing to look the more likely winners. Two minutes later McCarthy handed a debut to loan signing Jordan Graham in place of Nouble.

Neither side was able to create too much in a scrappy spell and a draw looked on the cards until the 88th minute when the Blues were awarded a freekick midway inside the Huddersfield half to the right after Joel Lynch had fouled Murphy.

Cresswell curled the freekick to the far post, Anthony Gerrard inadvertently nodded back across his own six-yard area and Murphy headed back past Smithies and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.

As the Blues looked to see out injury time, Tyrone Mings replaced McGoldrick and after Graham had shown a glimpse of his skills by sublimely pulling the ball out of the air with his toe, referee Sutton blew the final whistle to confirm Town’s third win on the bounce.

As against Blackburn on Tuesday, the visitors had looked the more likely winners at the break but another early second half goal saw the Blues get back on top.

However, Huddersfield were made of stiffer stuff and came back into it and looked the more likely victors but like Town in the first half, failed to capitalise when they were in charge and were made to pay when Murphy headed in the Blues’ late winner.

Town’s third win in three games and their first against the Terriers in 13 years sees them stay in ninth but only two points from the play-offs.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Skuse (Tabb 68), Hyam, Tunnicliffe, Murphy, McGoldrick (Mings 90), Nouble (Graham 79). Subs: Loach, Hunt, Anderson, Edwards.

Huddersfield: Smithies, Lynch, Gerrard, Smith, Dixon, Norwood, Hogg (Holmes 90), Clayton, Hammill, Ward (Scannell 60), Vaughan (c). Subs: Bennett, Woods, Gobern, Wallace, Bunn. Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire). Att: 15,386 (Huddersfield: 515).

Photo: Action Images

hancockingoal added 18:12 - Dec 7 We have done and we will play better and lose! But I am happy to take the three points, these things do even themselves out over the course of the season. I was surprised that Hunt didn't play, but as he is on a pay as you play contract, can we afford to pay him two times in a week?
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Jimmy86 added 18:12 - Dec 7 Should read werent at our best, but ground out a vital 3 points
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blueboy1981 added 18:16 - Dec 7 Never going to be an easy one this - Huddersfield are no mugs. Great result which is the important thing - in games like this performance is of secondary importance. This is just how Saturday evenings as an ITFC fan should be. Happy Days - one and all.
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blueboy1981 added 18:21 - Dec 7 ........ definitely need to be more effective and dominant in midfield though - almost weekly we seen to come up against opposing 'midfields' that dominate us . Get this bit right and we really could be steaming on.
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ericclacton added 18:26 - Dec 7 Loads left early missed the winner.
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blueboy1981 added 18:27 - Dec 7 BillBlue - ....... there's one here who totally agrees with you - how you get minus's for a perfectly logical, correct and truthful post - only the said button pressers will ever know. And I not at all sure I want to know how that kind of brain works to be honest. A good post from you as always.
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StowTractorBoy added 18:28 - Dec 7 Whichever way you look at it if you are a Town fan that was a fantastic result, as we were not at our best but we worked hard and we dug in and showed the team spirit that currently exists in the squad. Hopefully Mr Gerken will get some praise for that performance today but man of the match for me was Cresswell who was immense. Many will say we did not play well and to be fair we didn't but in the Championship many games have to be toughed out and we did it today. Hammil was a pain in the backside again today as he always seems to be against us but we got the win and that's all that matters to me. The Referee was awful and how he saw the Berra challenge as a penalty bemused most around me. Justice was done and we can enjoy the rest of the weekend - just a pity that lot up the road won but we can't have everything.

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blueboy1981 added 18:30 - Dec 7 .......... and the queue gets longer all the time - waiting to offer Jack the contract, that is doubtful we will - or indeed HAVE.
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chippyblue added 18:31 - Dec 7 Great win today " makes my Saturday night so much better" get the beers out !!! COYB
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 18:43 - Dec 7 MM said on radio that Marriott has signed new contract.
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solemio added 18:48 - Dec 7 I think that BillBlue's down arrows may be due to most people thinking that maybe MM and TC are likely to be almost as good judges in this instance as BillBlue. Also when Town have just secured three hard-fought points, and 9 in 8 days, perhaps immediately after the game is not the time to be making that sort of point.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 18:53 - Dec 7 BillBlue - i agree with your match comments but dont really understand the comparison between Marriott and Graham. One is a striker and the other is a right midfielder/winger so dont see why playing JG would be seen as a knock towards Marriott? Think we now have a 24 hour recall which is good cos we may well need him over the Xmas period if one of our front three get a knock.

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bennyitfc added 19:01 - Dec 7 We're becoming the sort of side we used to fear. Points from losing positions. Very satisfying.
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Ebantiass added 19:03 - Dec 7 Delighted with the three hard earned points. Huddelsfield were on a possible our wins on the trot and came ull o conidence. To win when not playing well bodes well for the team and hopeullyor the future of ITFC. Big Mick and terry sem to have got the guys believeing and fighting to the last minute. Competetion for places in the starting eleven will only better our team. COYBs

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AbujaBlue added 19:13 - Dec 7 Back from the game and chuffed that we managed to grab all 3 points. This was not a pretty game, and at times VERY frustrating. I don't know what it is with us and headers, but they just seem to be aimless to here, there and everywhere. In contrast Barnsley made their headers with precision. But considering they should never have had a penalty (and even if they scored it should have been disallowed because of the staggered run), we showed just enough to get the win. McGoldrick had a good game and we are lucky to have him, and Murphy worked hard and was fantastic in the air. Nouble - so so this game. It is great to have Cresswell back, but was not that impressed with Tunnifcliffe and Hyam today. Bring on Forest!

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runaround added 19:16 - Dec 7 What an excellent result which puts us right on the tails of the top 6. Whilst we were never really dominant we worked hard, defended really well & created opportunities. The midfield was not as good as Tuesday for me, but front 3 worked & ran their socks off, back 4 very solid & Gerken was much more solid. For first time in ages I have belief we maybe able to challenge, long may that continut

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hossblue added 19:16 - Dec 7 Best game played for us today by Gerkin my man of the match .Thought Chambers didnt get alot of help down the right side leaving him exposed at times.Well pleased with win.
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TractorBoy666 added 19:24 - Dec 7 When was the last we sang a song about us going up?? Great atmosphere after Murph's goal when really I thought the only winner was going to be Huddersfield after the pressure they put us under. So delighted with another win, 3/3! Forest will be a big test next week, but we'll be all going into full of optimism. One thing, the people around moaning about Hyam every game, please stop moaning. One time a ball ran past behind Hyam when it was put into the box and the moaners were off again! Apart from that, pleasing win and Graham has a good touch on him that's for sure, so calm to head the ball back to Gerken near the end! COYB

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jas0999 added 19:38 - Dec 7 Excellent win. Well done to all. First half was inconsistent from us, but actually thought we deserved to be level. Second half we edged and thought we deserved the win. Gerken was excellent and certainly better than Loach. Defence did well. Midfield is still lacking in my opinion. Strike force did their job! Overall delighted!
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Surco72 added 19:41 - Dec 7 Just got back and hats off MM another 3 points and 12 from 15 ,in this league that is great .Made the journey a lot better and the beer will taste great ,happy days . Roll on christmas with Santa Mick
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ArnieM added 19:43 - Dec 7 Town are becoming a very resilient team. A good side, , theysay, is a side that can pick up points when not playing ar their best. Well Town are a developing side under MM/TC. Our time is coming again. We just need a couple of additions to yhe team now. Not sure why some fans on here are concerned about Jack and his contract. Mick said tonight thT he'd been offered new deal and HAD SIGNED! So chill.....and enjoy Town gradual assent up the table. COYB'S

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HALLSJ added 19:46 - Dec 7 Fantastic, expected this to be tough. Huddersfield just beat Burnley in their three consecutive wins. Take a point at Forest
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RegencyBlue added 20:09 - Dec 7 Overall I thought we played better than Tuesday night in that we looked more of a threat going forward at times. What I would say though is that we give the ball away far too easily and put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. Our midfield still needs work for me, we need someone who can put their foot on the ball, slow it down, keep possession and find a decent pass. In short we need a modern day Magilton!

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BillBlue added 20:16 - Dec 7 Blueboy - thanks for your support. I think the down arrow pushers are those who do not think clearly beyond a win, what other people say or those who do not have a mind of their own. Then of course there is solemio who doesn't think it the right time to ask a question. What arrant nonsense that is. Surely it is the exactly right time to ask such a question, when everybody is bouyant and not depressed as we would have been at this time last year. Anyway, Phil, wouldn't it be a better guide to give the number of up and down arrows because I continuously seem to be pressing up arrows against a voume of downs and vice-versa and it would be nice to know that you are not entirely alone in your opinion?

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ian_marshall added 20:19 - Dec 7 Well done boys! I would love town to be at home to man city in 2m draw, any preferences?
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