Report - Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town story posted by Sean Makin on 03/12/2013
Oliver Norwood's stunning strike was enough to give Huddersfield Town a third successive win and their first victory at Bolton since 1968.Report - Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Huddersfield Town

Norwood's 30 yard strike was the only goal of the game, his second in 2 games, and condemned Wanderers to back-to-back defeats.

Both teams had chances but Alex Smithies in the Town goal pulled off some impressive saves to deny the home side.

The win moves Town up to the dizzy heights of 10th in the Championship and leaves underachieving Bolton in 18th place which lead to former Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba taking to Twitter to lambast the boardroom as "a bunch of idiots" and the playing staff as having "too many average players".

With Adam Clayton suspended and Martin Paterson out with a hamstring injury both Keith Southern and Danny Ward started, the only two changes from the Town side that beat Burnley three days earlier.

The first half was even Stevens with Robert Hall looking dangerous for the home side with his pace and quick feet.

After a defensive mix-up Andre Moritz was denied from close range by the on-rushing Smithies and from the resulting corner the 23-year goalkeeper superbly saved Matt Mills' diving header.

At the other end former Wanderer Danny Ward, who made two substitute appearances for Wanderers before leaving for Town in 2011, hit the outside of the post with a shot on the turn and Paul Dixon drove a shot harmlessly wide after running at the Bolton defence.

Robert Hall tested Smithies and the goalkeeper palmed away a shot from former Town loanee Jermaine Beckford.

Bolton's Zac Knight and Matt Mills were dominating in the air but James Vaughan managed to find space to flick a header that flew not too far wide after being picked out by Norwood.

Ward received a dead leg and was replaced by Sean Scannell just before the break and the former Crystal Palace winger hit a tame shot that flew wide within a minute of the second half.

Goal action was few and far between in the second half but the Town defence more than matched Bolton's attacks with Southern and Anthony Gerrard throwing their bodies to deny The Trotters.

It took something special to open the scoring and Oliver Norwood provided just that on 71 minutes. Minutes earlier the midfielder forced Andy Lonergan into a save at full stretch from Adam Hammill's corner but the Bolton stopper could do nothing about Norwood's next effort, a 25 yard piledriver that bulged the net.

Bolton pilled on pressure in search of an equalizer but found Joel Lynch and Gerrard in good form. The two best chances fell to Beckford who headed wide from Kevin McNaughton's cross and then fired harmlessly wide when in a good position.

Sean's Star Man – Alex Smithies
Produced some top draw saves to keep Town in the game at 0-0.

Teams:
Bolton: Lonergan, McNaughton, Mills, Knight, Ream, Kamara (Mason 75), Spearing, Danns, Hall (Lee 56), Moritz (Ngog 60), Beckford.
Subs not used: Lee-Barrett, Baptiste, Pratley, Wheater.

Town: Smithies, Smith, Gerrard, Lynch, Hogg, Southern (Gobern 62), Dixon, Hammill, Norwood, Ward (Scannell 45), Vaughan.
Subs not used: Bennett, Woods, Stead, Wallace, Holmes.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham
Attendance: 15,452.

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