Report: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Millwall |
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Stadium: Galpharm Stadium
Coca Cola League One Game
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Kickoff: 3.00pm
Date: Sunday, 8th March 2009
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Town conceded another last minute goal for the third time in a week as Millwall’s James Henry scored in added time to all but end Huddersfield Town’s surge to the play-offs. Henry, on-loan from Reading, calmly slotted the ball home after an inviting cross from sub Scott Barron from a counter attack to condemn Town to their first defeat at the Galpharm Stadium since November.
After trailing to a Marc Laird strike on 70 minutes, Town hit back within five minutes through Gary Roberts’ 10th of the season in a game where the Terriers never really got going.
Manager Lee Clark had to make changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Colchester on Tuesday night, Ian Craney came in for the suspended Jim Goodwin while Lionel Ainsworth replaced Danny Cadamarteri who has suffered another recurrence of his calf knock.
It was Millwall who started the brightest, Town were so awful in the first half they couldn’t pass a simple ball, the Lions almost went ahead with 11 minutes gone. Henry’s dangerous cross was nodded onto the crossbar by Town defender Andy Butler before being cleared to safety.
Former Leyton Orient striker Gary Alexander blazed a chance over the bar so too did Henry after a good Millwall build up.
The only real chance the Terriers came up with in the first half came from Anthony Pilkington, neat interplay from Robbie Williams and Roberts set free Pilkington who fired a shot inches wide with 32 minutes gone on the clock.
The Town fans in the 13,196 jeered as the players went off the pitch at half time unhappy with a dyer first half performance.
The Town players responded after the restart, Craney feeding Pilkington whose shot deflected off a Millwall defender and into the arms of goalkeeper David Forde.
Within 8 minutes of second half, Town had the best chance to go ahead when Ainsworth outpaced Abdou after a long pass up field from Roberts, but one-on-one with the keeper Ainsworth failed to hit the target putting a low shot wide of the post.
Substitute Booth brought on for Lukas Jutkiewicz, headed wide from a Roberts cross, captain Chris Lucketti headed straight at the Lions keeper Forde from a corner and received a cut face for his troubles.
Town were made to pay as Millwall went ahead on 70 minutes, David Martin picked out Laird just inside the box and the midfielder coolly slotted the ball past Alex Smithies and into the net.
Town went searching for an equalizer and got one within 5 minutes of the Lions going ahead, Pilkington, the only Town player who looked interested, made another jinxing run down the right and put in a superb cross where Roberts tapped in his 10th goal of the season at the far post.
The visitors had only won two of the last eight league matches, piled on the pressure after the Town equalizer, Smithies once again coming to the rescue brilliantly tipping an Alexander’s close-ranger header onto the crossbar.
The referee Oliver Langford was the worst referee seen at the Galpharm with some bizarre decisions against Town with frustrated the Town fans and manager Lee Clark.
Millwall could have gone ahead with a minute left, a neat break from the Lions saw Alexander beating Smithies, who had come racing out from his goal, luckily for Smithies the ball trickled wide. It was only a matter of time before Millwall struck the fatal blow and they dually delivered in added on time.
From a Town corner Millwall hit on the break, Barron raced down the right and slipped the ball for James Henry inside the box who neatly dispatched the ball home to give Millwall all three points.
Probably the worst performance under Lee Clark since taking over in November. Lacklustre performance we would have been lucky to even get a point out of that game. Surely now the play-off charge is over and the plan must be now to have a clear-out in the summer and build for next season.
Sean’s Star Man - Anthony Pilkington The only player to me that looked interested, playing well of late. A superb cross to set up Roberts for the goal.
Teams:
Town: Smithies, Holdsworth, Butler, Lucketti, Williams, Ainsworth (Jevons 85), Collins, Craney, Pilkington (T Clarke 82), Jutkiewicz (Booth 50), Roberts.
Subs not used: Eastwood, Werling
Millwall: Forde, Duffy (Barron 76), Frampton, Bolder, Whitbread, Craig, Martin, Laird, Alexander, Abdou, Henry.
Subs not used: Pidgeley, Harris, Fuseini, Grimes
Attendance: 13,196 (away 316)
Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)
Match Report brought to you by,
Sean Makin, www.Terrier-Bytes.com
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