Match Report: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Stevenage

Huddersfield Town story posted by Sean Makin on 08/10/2011
Huddersfield Town recorded back-to-back wins in the league having managed to hold on to the victory as they rode their luck against Stevenage at the Galpharm Stadium.Match Report: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Stevenage

The Terriers weren't at their best and the visitors were making life more difficult for the home side and Town were fortunate to secure all three points when John Mousinho missed from the penalty spot in the dying minutes.

Gary Roberts had put Town on their way just before the break but Scott Laird equalized for Stevenage midway through the second half. Despite Stevenage making it difficult for Town to break down , Lee Novak put The Terriers back in front on 76 minutes before Stevenage missed a penalty two minutes before the end.

Town boss Lee Clark made seven changes from the side that lost on penalties to Bradford City in the JPT in midweek. Ian Bennett returned in goal, Antony Kay returned to the starting line up in place of the injured Liam Cooper. Calum Woods returned in place of Gary Naysmith, Danny Ward and Donal McDermott were both dropped to the bench.

Town started brightly with Lee Novak going close from a Tommy Miller cross and Alan Lee heading over the bar after a good run and cross Jack Hunt.

Gary Roberts went close twice to putting Town in the leader. The winger had a shot that flashed past the post and a minute later he turned Lawrie Wilson inside out before hitting a shot with the outside of his boot that flew across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

Stevenage seemed to grow in confidence as the game went on but Hunt's pace was causing them problems and the right back drilled an effort just over the bar with 33 minutes played.

The visitors weren't happy with Damien Johnson's challenge on Scott Laird as the midfielder lunged in on the Stevenage player. The Stevenage players surrounded the referee but the official gave Johnson the benefit of the doubt and produced a yellow card. Even though Johnson won the ball on any other day it could have been a red card.

With half-time looming The Terriers finally broke Stevenage's rearguard with a cool finish from Gary Roberts. Scott Arfield's superb ball put Roberts through on goal and the winger steadied himself to slot the ball into the bottom corner.

Into the second half and Town were fortunate not to be pegged back in the 53rd minute. A mix-up between Bennett and Kay allowed Craig Reid to steal and the striker picked out Mousinho, who had an open goal to aim at, but fortunate for Town Woods cleared Mousinho's effort off the line.

The visitors did get an equalizer on 67 minutes courtesy of winger Laird. Mousinho stole the ball from Miller and played the ball down the left to Laird, the winger had space to rifle a shot with the outside of his foot which hit the inside of the post and into the net.

Town fans were obviously frustrated at conceding an equalizer and made their voices heard when on 72 minutes the goal scorer Roberts was replaced by Danny Ward which baffled some in the Town crowd.

The Terriers pushed on in search of retaking the lead and they did on 76 minutes with a slice of luck. Anton Robinson on as a sub for Arfield seemed to be short of ideas on the edge of the Stevenage box, turning one way then another before hitting a low shot that rebounded off the post and into the path of Novak to slot in his 9th of the season.

Danny Ward nearly widened the gap minutes later but it seemed as though Town were to through away another lead for the second home game running. With three minutes to go a long ball from the Stevenage half caught the Town defence cold and Kay was judged to have brought down Byron Harrison in the Town box.
The defender received a yellow when on another day he might have seen a red but the Stevenage player made a right meal of the challenge but luck was on Town's side as Mousinho blazed high over the bar.

In the dying seconds of the match when the referee seemed intent on playing about another ten minutes instead of the forth official's four minutes added on, Alan Lee was booked for swinging an arm out at Phil Edwards when chasing the ball. Again on another day the striker might have seen red but once again the Stevenage player made a right meal of it.

Things got heated at the end when a member of the Stevenage coaching staff refused to shake hands with Lee Clark and it has been reported that words were exchanged during the course of the match. Stevenage's time wasting tactics and over-exaggeration of challenges might have been the trick.

Sean's Star Man - Calum Woods
Another solid performance by the defender and could be the signing of the season. Saved Town's bacon when he blocked an effort on the line early in the second half and rarely put a foot wrong all game.

Teams:

Town: Bennett, Woods, Kay, Clarke, Hunt, Roberts (Ward 72), Miller, Johnson, Arfield (Robinson 63), Lee, Novak.
Subs not used: Colgan, Naysmith, McDermott.

Stevenage: Day, Henry, Roberts, Charles, Laird. Wilson, Edwards, Mousinho, Long (Beardsley 37), Bostwich (Ashton 46), Reid (Harrison 77).
Subs not used: Julian, Shroot.

Attendance: 10,949
Referee: Steve Rushton.

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