Ben Pringle’s first Town goal after 19 minutes has given the Blues an unlikely half-time lead at Huddersfield.

Kevin Foley replaced Luke Hyam in an otherwise unchanged Town side, the midfielder having come off during Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Hull with a hamstring injury.

Youngsters James Blanchfield, who was offered a professional contract earlier this week, and Andre Dozzell travelled with the squad for experience but weren’t included in the matchday 18.

The Blues started with Pringle on the right and Freddie Sears on the left with Foley joining Jonathan Douglas in the centre of midfield and Brett Pitman and Daryl Murphy up front.

Huddersfield created the game’s first opening in the fifth minute, Jason Davidson whipping over a cross from the left for Kyle Dempsey, who powered a header back across the face of goal and wide when he should have scored.

On six Nahki Wells, who had a trial with Town as a teenager, looped an effort over Bartosz Bialkowski’s bar from distance with the Terriers starting the game well on top.

The home side again should have gone in front in the 10th minute when Wells broke through on goal behind Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith. The New Zealand international just about did enough to delay the Bermudian’s shot and when it finally came keeper Bialkowski had advanced off his line and blocked.

The West Yorkshiremen continued to dominate and on the quarter-hour Karim Matmour cut the ball across to Harry Bunn on the edge of the box but the ex-Manchester City youngster blazed over.

It had been all Huddersfield but on 19 the Blues, for whom Pringle and Sears had initially swapped flanks before Pitman moved wide on the left of a five-man midfield with the on-loan Fulham man moving inside, went ahead with their first shot of the game.

Foley challenged in the air midway inside the Terriers’ half and Pringle hooked the loose ball down the right for Murphy to chase. Joel Lynch sought to see the ball out of play but lost out to the Irishman, who sent over a deep cross to Pringle, who took a touch before smashing his first Town goal into the net off a defender.

The home side immediately looked to get back on terms but Wells under-hit his shot from the left of the area and Bialkowski claimed.

Wells continued to present the Terriers’ main threat and on 21 Bialkowski did well to push away the striker’s volley to his right.

Two minutes later, Bermuda international hit another effort wide of the Town keeper’s right post after intercepting a Luke Chambers pass.

The Blues stemmed the tide in terms of clear-cut opportunities after the midway point in the first period, although with the home side continuing to have most of the ball and with the Town backline defending desperately at times.

On 39 the Blues had a chance to add to their lead from a Pringle freekick on the right but Murphy headed over.

Seconds before the end of the scheduled 45 minutes, Town created a third opportunity with their best move of the half.

Jonathan Douglas fed Pringle, who moved the ball on to Sears breaking down the left. The former Colchester man played in the overlapping Jonas Knudsen but Murphy turned the Dane’s low cross wide at the near post.

Referee Darren Bond ended the half soon afterwards with the Blues having managed to maintain their against-the-run-of-play 1-0 lead at the break.

Huddersfield dominated the first 20 minutes or so and had plenty of opportunities to go in front. But a combination of poor finishing, Bialkowski saves and desperate Town defending prevented them from not only taking the lead but from sealing the three points.

The Blues hadn’t managed a shot on goal when Pringle netted his goal after tenacious work from Murphy had forced Lynch into a mistake.

Town were more in the game after that - with willing runner Sears the main outlet - although with the home side still having most of the ball, albeit without seriously threatening Bialkowski’s goal further.

Huddersfield: Steer, Smith, Davidson, Whitehead, Hudson (c), Hogg, Matmour, Bunn, Wells, Dempsey, Lynch. Murphy, Paterson, Cranie, Husband, Holmes, Manu, Bojaj.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Knudsen, Pringle, Foley, Douglas, Sears, Pitman, Murphy. Subs: Gerken, Digby, Bru, Touré, Tabb, Maitland-Niles, Varney.

Photo: Action Images

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