Report - Huddersfield Town 0-0 Bristol Rovers |
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Stadium: Galpharm Stadium
Coca Cola League One Game
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Kickoff: 7:45pm
Date: Wednesday, 20th January 2010
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A lacklustre performance by Town left manager Lee Clark frustrated as Bristol Rovers held Town to a goalless draw on a cold Tuesday night at the Galpharm Stadium.
Town were looking for their forth straight home win but chances were few and far between as Rovers held firm against Town’s attacking threat.
It is only for the sixth time this season that Town have failed to hit the net. Both sides did have limited chances but both respective keepers made vital saves.
Town manager Clark made one change to the team that beat Southend United the previous Saturday, on-loan Manchester United midfielder Danny Drinkwater was given a chance instead of Tom Clarke in midfield. New signing defender Krystian Pearce was on the bench.
Drinkwater’s free-kick resulted in Town skipper Peter Clarke firing a volley wide of the goal, Rovers on-loan Danish goalkeeper Mikkel Anderson denied Town with 18th minutes gone with a smart double save.
On-loan from Reading, the Danish keeper saved Drinkwater’s smart volley after good work from Pilkington, then superbly tipped wide Jordon Rhodes’ looping header on the rebound.
It was clear that Rovers boss Paul Trollope had a clear game plan to frustrated Town, packing men behind the ball and not letting Town play their usual passing game.
Jordon Rhodes had a good chance with 30 minutes gone but dwindled on the ball allowing the Bristol defence to clear and Gary Roberts nearly put Town in front with a 20-yard low drive that missed the post by inches with Anderson scrambling across his goal.
Rovers attacking threat had been very rare throughout the first half but could have caught Town out right on half-time. An offside shout against Jo Kuffour wasn’t given by the linesman allowing Mark Wright through on goal with Town’s defence asleep, one-on-one with Alex Smithies, the young goalkeeper got a hand to Wright’s shot but the ball looped towards goal but luckily for Town Antony Kay was there to get rid of the danger.
As the second half began, Lee Clark wasn’t happy with Town’s sluggish attack and replaced top-scorer Jordan Rhodes and his strike partner Lee Novak with Theo Robinson and Robbie Simpson with less than an hour of the game gone.
Robinson should have put Town in the lead just minutes after coming on when Pilkington beat his man for pace down the right and whipped in a great cross but Robinson failed to connect at the far post and the danger was clear.
Rovers’ goalkeeper Anderson produced the save of the match with 78 minutes gone on the clock. Pilkington floated in a free-kick into the Rovers box which Peter Clarke flicked goal wards only to see Anderson smartly tip round the post.
Minutes later at the other end it was Alex Smithies to the rescue again as the Town defence switched off, Chris Line burst into the box but Smithies managed to tip his effort against the right-hand upright and away to safety. To be fair the Town defence had a pretty good game.
It could have got worse had not Lee Peltier got in a vital block on Daryl Duffy. Shouts for a penalty late on for Town were denied by the referee but it was a lacklustre performance by Town and will surely have to pick their game up if they want to achieve promotion.
Sean’s Star Man - Alex Smithies
Didn’t know who else to give it to between Smithies and Peltier, so given it Smithies due to save at the end when Rovers could have nicked it.
Teams:
Town: Smithies, Peltier, P. Clarke, N Clarke, Willaims, Pilkington, Kay, Drinkwater, Roberts (Collins 77), Novak (Robinson 55), Rhodes (Simpson 58)
Subs not used: Eastwood, T Clarke, Pearce, Skarz
Rovers: Anderson, Regan, Lescott, Lines, Coles, Anthony, Wright, Campbell, Williams (Duffy 79), Kuffour, Hughes.
Subs not used: Elliott, Reece, Swallow, Clough, Richards, Evans
Referee: Russell Booth (Notts)
Attendance: 12,624
Match Report brought to you by,
Sean Makin, www.Terrier-Bytes.com
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