Huddersfield Town 2011-2012
L A I C E P S N O I T O M O R P
Going up, up,UP! 20-page souvenir review of season
Story of the season
Pages 2-3
Hoyle’s ’brave decision’ Pages 4-5
Fans at Wembley, parade Pages 6-9
Every match report
Pages 10-19
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
IT’S A SEASON Promotion built on Rhodes’ 40 goals No.40
No.30
v MK Dons
v Exeter
IT was drama all the way as Town won By DOUG THOMSON McDermott (Manchester City), Danny Ward day at Hillsborough, when 28,600 watched, (Bolton) and Tommy Miller (Sheffield Wed- has to go down as the match of the season. promotion by the tightest margin in Deputy Sports Editor nesday). their 104-year history. Having already chalked up back-to-back Clark had also brought in centre-back Liam Forty goals from hot shot Jordan Rhodes, February 14 showdown with Sheffield
eight signings, six loan arrivals and one managerial change were among the key numbers en route to a place in the Championship after the club’s third successive play-off campaign came down to an amazing penalty shoot-out which went to 22 kicks. Who could ever have predicted that a goalkeeper would put away the shot which took Town back up to the second tier after an 11-year absence? Step forward Alex Smithies, the homegrown hero who will go down in club folklore after being put on the spot – quite literally! Only in Simon Grayson’s side because veteran Ian Bennett was denied a Wembley showdown with his former club Sheffield United due to a hand injury, Smithies kept a clean sheet in a League I play-off final which remained goalless after extra time, then saved two shoot-out spot kicks before scoring one himself as Town won 8-7 on penalties. The excitement and emotion was immense as the blue-and-white half of a 52,100 crowd partied long and hard. And for 22-year-old Smithies, what a finish to a campaign which began with the recurrence of an injury nightmare during a friendly. It took two operations to sort out a knee problem which kept the stopper out until the
United. It also proved to be a memorable Valentine’s Day for Lee Clark – for the wrong reasons. Town lost 1-0, and even though his side were fourth in the table and had earlier in the season set a new Football League record of 43 games unbeaten, bettering the mark of Brian Clough’s Euro-conquering Nottingham Forest side of the late Seventies, Clark was axed by concerned chairman Dean Hoyle, who feared the club he has supported since childhood would miss out on promotion once again. Hoyle put his faith in the proven track record of Grayson, himself sacked by Town’s arch-rivals Leeds on February 1. The 42-year-old had previously led both Blackpool and the Elland Road club out of League I, and can now boast a hat trick after 19 matches at Town’s helm. Last Saturday’s final was the 54th game of the season for the club, who went into the opening match at home to Bury having sold star winger Anthony Pilkington to Norwich and full-back Lee Peltier to Leicester and fielding new arrivals Calum Woods (Dunfermline), Oscar Gobern (Southampton), Anton Robinson (Bournemouth), Donal
Cooper on loan from Hull and reclaimed experienced Plymouth midfielder Damien Johnson, who had impressed the previous season before being sidelined by a knee injury. Later arrivals were Falkirk duo Kallum Higginbotham and Murray Wallace, the latter being loaned back for the rest of the season, while Clark recruited Cardiff striker Jon Parkin, Leeds defender Alex Bruce and Reading centre-back Sean Morrison on loan, with Grayson landing Stoke’s Uruguayan international Diego Arismendi on temporary terms. That Bury showdown finished 1-1, the first of 18 draws in 46 league games for Town, who finished fourth, nine points behind the Sheffield United side beaten in the play-off final. Fans always feared Town’s difficulty in clinching wins would be costly when it came to earning automatic promotion (they threw away a three-goal advantage in the return stalemate at Bury), and so it proved as Charlton, the side who ended Town’s long unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory at The Valley in November, and Sheffield Wednesday claimed the top two places. The pre-Christmas clash with Wednes-
hat tricks against Exeter and Preston as well as catching the eye with five goals in Scotland Under 21s’ double header against Luxembourg and Austria, Rhodes (right) scored all four goals as Town, having been 2-0 up then 4-2 down, clinched a last-gasp draw. His dad Andy Rhodes, Wednesday’s goalkeeping coach, must have wondered whether to laugh or cry! The 22-year-old, who won his first full Scotland cap against Cyprus in November, wasn’t finished when it came to hefty hauls, for he weighed in with five as Town romped to a 6-0 Friday-night success at Wycombe in front of the Sky cameras in January, then notched another hat trick in the 3-1 at Leyton Orient in April. His final season’s tally was the highest in all four English divisions and third-best in Town’s history after Dave Mangnall’s 42 in 1931-32 and Sammy Taylor’s 41 in 1919-20. In total, Rhodes now has 85 goals for the club, the eighth-best tally of all time. Lee Novak provided support with 17, his best return so far, while at the other end, Bennett made the headlines by saving two penalties during the 2-2 draw at Scunthorpe in October, while Jack Hunt (inset) proved himself the club’s best defensive prospect.
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
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TO REMEMBER Jack’s the lad in the lead
HIGHLY-RATED Jack Hunt played more games than anyone else in Town’s promotion campaign. The exciting right-back, who came through the club’s academy system, featured in 50 of the club’s 54 games, including the League I play-off final at Wembley. He also scored one of his three goals for the campaign in the play-off semi-final first leg against MK Dons. Dependable striker Lee Novak was next in the list with 49 appearances, and he bagged 17 goals alongside Jordan Rhodes.
TOWN TALLY LEAGUE
NAME 1 Alex Smithies.............. 2 Calum Woods ............. 3 Gary Naysmith............ 4 Joey Gudjonnson........ 5 Peter Clarke................ 6 Jamie McCombe......... 7 Gary Roberts.............. 8 Antony Kay ................. 9 Danny Cadamarteri .... 10 Oscar Gobern........... 11 Danny Ward.............. 12 Tom Clarke ............... 13 Ian Bennett ............... 14 Damien Johnson....... 15 Liam Cooper ............. 16 Scott Arfield .............. 17 Jordan Rhodes ......... 18 Tommy Miller ............ 19 Alan Lee ................... 20 Diego Arismendi ....... (20 Donal McDermott .... 21 Lee Novak ................ 22 Anton Robinson ........ 24 Jon Parkin................. 25 Nick Colgan .............. 26 Lloyd Allinson ........... 27 Kall Higginbotham .... 28 Nathan Clarke........... 29 Liam Ridehalgh......... 30 James Spencer......... 31 Chris Atkinson .......... 32 Jack Hunt.................. 33 Matt Crooks .............. 34 Aidan Chippendale ... 35 Greg Pearson ........... (44 Alex Bruce ............... 44 Sean Morrison ..........
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
By MEL BOOTH Sports Editor mel.booth@examiner.co.uk
FORMER Town player Kieran O’Regan says Town already have a lot of quality in the squad as they begin planning for life in the Championship.
The respected pundit and ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder (pictured) – who played 199 games for the Leeds Road club – firmly believes Town are now back where they belong. And he feels young stars such as Wembley heroes Alex Smithies, Jack Hunt, Calum Woods, Jordan Rhodes, Lee Novak and Danny Ward – plus others – can prosper at Championship level. “Wembley was a great occasion and a great result for everyone associated with Huddersfield Town,” said O’Regan, who was part of BBC Radio Leeds’ commentary team along with Paul Ogden, new sports editor Gareth Jones and Adam Pope. “We all felt the other side of it over at Old Trafford last year when everybody expected us to go up and the players and supporters ended up distraught. “It’s great for them that it turned out so brilliantly this time, because no-one wanted to go through that again and no-one wanted to see Peter Clarke in floods of tears and struggling with his emotions. “I see he’s described Saturday as the very top highlight of his career and that’s wonderful for Peter, who always wears his heart on his sleeve and gives it absolutely everything for the team. “He’ll be ready for the Championship and I think we’ve got a good bunch of lads in the squad. “They have got a lot of quality about them. I’m not saying we always see it on a weekly basis, but I’ll tell you what, they’ve got a lot of talent.” While Smithies took the glory at Wembley with two saves in the shoot-out and the decisive kick before Steve Simonsen missed for Sheffield United, O’Regan believes Town owe a massive debt of thanks to 40-year-old keeper Ian Bennett. “What a fantastic keeper Ian Bennett is and he’s been outstanding all season – so what a brilliant call from him to say he wasn’t fit enough to play at Wembley,” said O’Regan, who played in Town’s first play-off campaign of 1991-92, when they lost out to Peterborough in the semi-finals. “That must have been very tough, but by doing it so early he gave Alex the proper time to be able to prepare and to know that he was definitely playing (Nick Colgan was the keeper on the bench). “And Alex Smithies is quality, no doubt about it. I don’t think we give him enough credit for how good he is, he is a young lad just back from a horrible injury and he has great ability. “I just knew when it came to the penalty shoot-out that Alex was going to produce something – and he did. “You have to have sympathy with Steve Simonsen because, in the match, he made some terrific saves from Peter Clarke and Alan Lee and, for it to come down to him was really cruel. “But Alex kept his nerve and did the business and I think Town probably deserved it anyway having created the better chances in the game. “I didn’t think it was going to work out that way when we missed the first three penalties, but it was incredible to win promotion in the way that we did and I’m so delighted for Dean Hoyle, because he has been vindicated in the decisions he has made, he has been very loyal to the club and done an awful
Watch out ... Town’s got talent
by KIERAN O’REGAN (ex-Town, now radio pundit) lot for the place and it’s fantastic for him to now be planning for a great season in the Championship.” O’Regan says the feelgood factor will last all summer and supporters can’t wait for the fixtures to be announced on Monday, June 18 – or for the Championship season to start on August 18. “It means everything to the club and to the town, because the whole community and local business will benefit as well,” he explained. “The football will be in an exciting division and the attendances from home fans and those travelling from away will be bigger – and Town belong in the Championship, no doubt. “We’ve said all weekend that people would much rather be going to Wolverhampton than Walsall and Middlesbrough instead of Hartlepool, and you can go all around the country making similar choices between League I and the Championship. “The supporters showed how much it means to them by turning up in their numbers like they did at Wembley. “They gave magnificent support up and down the country all last season and for them to have their day in the sun at Wembley – and to see their team lift the trophy – was just brilliant. “It’s not easy for people and families when times are economically tough, because it’s expensive to go to places like Wembley, but they have shown their commitment all season and been outstanding really. This is fantastic for them.”
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■ HEROES: Sean Morrison (No15) and Peter Clarke celebrate the promotion success at Wembley with goalkeeper Alex Smithies
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
SACKING CLARK TOOK REAL GUTS Dean’s decision so courageous
■ GOING UP: chairman Dean Hoyle celebrates with skipper Peter Clarke at Wembley
by DAVID TAYLOR (former Town chairman) F O R M E R c h a i r m a n D av i d Ta y l o r By MEL BOOTH described Dean Hoyle’s decision to oust Sports Editor Lee Clark as “the most courageous ever mel.booth@examiner.co.uk taken” at Huddersfield Town. when Lee Clark was sacked. Clark guided Town to two successive League I play-off campaigns – losing out to Millwall in the 2010 semi-finals and Peterborough in last season’s final – and also steered them to a Football League record of 43 matches unbeaten during the season just finished. He also signed the vast majority of the players who got Town promoted. Hoyle, however, decided to part company with the former Newcastle and Fulham player in February – ironically after a home defeat to Sheffield United and with Town fourth in the League I standings. “It seems to have been overlooked by the general media but the most courageous decision ever taken by a chairman was that of Dean Hoyle to sack Lee Clark,” said Taylor, a lifelong fan who never misses a game and proudly took his seat at Wembley. “I have clients all over the country and all over the world who have Town as their ‘second team’ and they were totally amazed
“They just couldn’t understand it because the team were well placed and they’d gone so many matches unbeaten and lost only three in 50-odd. “I told them that in my opinion it was a matter of confidence in whether he could get the team up. I certainly wasn’t confident, unfortunately, and I think the chairman and the board of directors shared that view. “Simon Grayson took the players that Lee Clark had brought in and made them into a team capable of beating MK Dons and Sheffield United. “They were Lee Clark’s players but, more importantly, it was Simon Grayson’s guidance that got us up. “So as I say, it was a very, very courageous decision made by Dean and I’m delighted for him that he’s now the chairman of a Championship club.”
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■ BACKING: Miller
‘Thank Lee for team spirit’ COACH Ian Miller says the new management team under Simon Grayson were fortunate to take over a team doing well in the League I standings and with plenty of talent on board. For that, he says previous boss Lee Clark deserves masses of credit. “I spoke to Lee when I got the job and I also texted him after the final at Wembley,” said Miller. “What he did was get a fantastic spirit among the players and they have been a joy to work with. “Sometimes the players who are not in the team can be a problem, but that’s not the case here. There are no bad apples, and even the lads who don’t make the bench are fantastically supportive. “That’s all helped us win promotion. The final was very close, but I thought we were the better side. The only problem when it goes to penalties is that you need the Gods with you and, thankfully, they were smiling on us. “That’s brilliant for everyone involved and it’s something for the fans to enjoy and to remember. They are the heartbeat of the club and it’s certainly true at Huddersfield Town.”
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
Town fans
One of the greatest
■ COLOUR CODE: Lorna Pearson, Ian Lodge and Helena Kontowtt
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■ BIG DAY OUT: Evelyn, Martin and Stewart Wardrop with Bev and 11-month-old Tyler Woollhouse (JH260512Afans-01)
■ CLOSE TO GREATNESS: Huddersfield Town fans beneath the Bobby Moore statue
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
at Wembley
Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
7
days for Town fans Pictures: JULIAN HUGHES
■ SUPER DAY TO REMEMBER: Ben and Max Lomas
■ DARE TO BARE: Dale Senior and Sharon Green
■ SUPPORT: Huddersfield Town fans at Wembley
■ COME ON TOWN: Claire, Emma and Tony Robery with Ben and Chris Howitt
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
Town fans
■ PARKING THE BUS: Town’s open-top tour pulls in the fans on Monday evening
Thanks for
■ OOH TO BE A TERRIER: Fans brought flags and signs to Monday’s celebration - including one woman who had amended last year’s play-off motto
.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
...the homecoming
Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
■ LOCAL HERO: Keeper Alex Smithies (above) with the npower Trophy. Left: skipper Peter Clarke and, below, goal ace Jordan Rhodes Pictures: Andrew Catchpool
a brilliant season
15,000 fans welcome back squad
■ GREAT VIEW: Staff even hung out of windows as fans young and old turned out for the return of the victorious Town squad
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Thursday, May 31, 2012
10 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012 TOWN 1- 1 Bury Roberts. Att: 12,053
TOWN were denied an opening-day win by Ryan Lowe’s 76th-minute strike – but no-one could really argue with the outcome. Lee Clark’s new-look side (four debutants in the starting XI and another arrival coming off the bench) never fired on all cylinders. That said, it looked as if Gary Roberts’ 65th-minute strike – side-footed home from a cross by substitute Lee Novak, who certainly livened Town up – might be enough to clinch the three points. But Scouse striker Lowe, whose 27 goals helped Bury win promotion the previous season, was allowed enough space at the near post to force home a long throw from the right and earn his side their first League I point. It was a deserved reward for persistent Bury, who just a minute earlier had watched in frustration as David Worrall’s shot was cleared off the line by home captain Peter Clarke. They set the early tempo, with two efforts in the opening minute. And even though it took them until the 27th to force Ian Bennett into a meaningful save (from Andy Bishop), they restricted Town to just one real effort on target in the first half, Tommy Miller’s low stoppage-time drive which was saved by Cameron Belford. New boy Miller had gone on as a 29th-minute replacement for hamstring injury victim Anton Robinson, and the enforced change did nothing to help the fluency of a Town side which set up with Danny Ward up top alongside Jordan Rhodes, but ready to rotate with Roberts and Donal McDermott. Like several members of the side, McDermott showed tantalising glimpses of the talent which attracted Clark. But Town struggled to penetrate a Bury defence led by Galpharm old boy Efe Sodje, who defied his 38 years with an impressive performance. The closest the home side came from three free-kicks within shooting range in the first half was the 25th-minute drive by Roberts which was deflected over the top. At the other end, Town breathed a sigh of relief when referee Graham Scott dismissed Bury’s penalty claims after Mark Cullen tumbled under Clarke’s 10th-minute challenge. Then Lowe’s stoppage-time free-kick, after Antony Kay was ruled to have fouled Mike Jones, took a deflection off the wall and flew only inches over. Jones had a low shot saved by Bennett soon after the break before Novak’s 52nd-minute introduction for McDermott sparked Town into life. The Geordie had turned the previous week’s friendly at Rotherham, and it looked like he was repeating the trick when Town went ahead. Rhodes, who worked hard throughout, dispossessed Jones and freed Novak down the right. And when the centre evaded Sodje and right-back Phil Picken, Roberts, having registered 12 times the previous season, gleefully steered home his first this time around. Things were suddenly looking brighter, and Ward might have forced a second from another Novak assist, but Belford held onto the shot. Bury stuck to their task, however, and after Clarke denied Worrall as he shot from Lowe’s pass (Calum Woods was also back to cover the goal), Lowe made no mistake from six yards out, much to the delight of the 1,366 travelling fans in a 12,053 crowd. Town might have snatched an 89th-minute winner when Woods’ cross was diverted towards his own goal by Bury centre-back Mark Hughes, but Belford clawed the ball away.
Rochdale 2-2 TOWN Novak, Ward. Att: 5,074
TOWN were left kicking themselves as they were held to a second successive Saturday stalemate. Lee Clark’s side have now equalled the club’s record run of 27 consecutive league games unbeaten, set back in 1925. But this felt a bit like a defeat after Rochdale claimed their second equaliser in the 89th minute to wipe out what should have been a routine win. Town had great opportunities to create a two-goal cushion when they were both 1-0 and 2-1 to the good thanks to goals by Lee Novak and Danny Ward. But a kind ricochet allowed Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro to level at the end of the first half, then the home side seized on a mistake by Gary Roberts to clinch a point. Rather than clear his lines, the winger tried to chest down the ball, only to lose control and allow Gary Jones possession. The Dale skipper picked out Ashley Grimes with a precision pass and the former Manchester United
AUGUST midfielder shot past Ian Bennett. It was a major blow, because Town had worked hard to deny Steve Eyre’s side genuine opportunities while creating a succession of their own. Clark made just one change after the midweek Carling Cup victory at Port Vale, with captain Peter Clarke replacing Liam Cooper at centre-back. That meant Lee Novak kept the central frontline berth in a 4-3-3, with Jordan Rhodes, back from Scotland Under 21 duty, on the bench. The Geordie striker, on the mark twice at Vale Park, responded with gusto, setting a great example with his high-energy approach. Novak scored his side’s first, set up their second and won a succession of headers against former Town loanee Neal Trotman and his fellow centre-back Marcus Holness. He was backed up by the midfield bite of Tommy Miller, Oscar Gobern and Scott Arfield, while Clarke and Jamie McCombe worked hard to combat the powerful Akpa Akpro. Right-back Jack Hunt was another to catch the eye with his solid defending and adventurous attacking, while left-back Gary Naysmith came agonisingly close to a first Town goal. The seasoned Scot played a nice one-two with Novak – who else? – to surge into the area in the 34th minute, and steered the ball past sprawling keeper Jake Kean. He looked set to convert until fellow left-back Jake Widdowson made a vital tackle, but even then, Novak and Arfield had follow-up shots, only for Kean and Stephen Darby, on the line, to block. Town were one up by that stage, with Novak finishing a flowing 15th-minute move started by keeper Ian Bennett’s quick throw-out to Naysmith. His through ball was chested down by Novak, who then met Arfield’s return pass and coolly directed his shot past Kean for his third of the season. Town had made a busy opening and were good value for their advantage, and Miller came close with a 19th-minute header from a Roberts free-kick. Gobern, covering plenty of ground, put a long-distance effort wide before picking up a 35th-minute booking for an innocuous-looking tackle on Jones. Dale had done little to trouble Bennett, but made the most of some good fortune to get back into the game in the 44th minute. Naysmith got in a block challenge as Jones sent the ball to the edge of the area, but it spun straight into the path of Akpa Akpro, who shot home from inside the area. It was tough on Town, but they continued to press in the second half, and after Roberts stung the fingers of Kean with a well-struck 57th-minute drive, substitute Ward put them back in front in the 69th. His close-range finish from Novak’s low cross was followed up by a fine Gobern effort from the edge of the area which Kean did well to push over. But Grimes had the last word to spell frustration for Town.
Hartlepool 0-0 TOWN Att: 5,506
TOWN set a new club record of 28 successive league games unbeaten but, having kept a welcome clean sheet, were unable to force a winner. This was the result the bookies would have predicted, given both sides had drawn their previous two League I games, and it was the right outcome, with clear-cut chances scarce. Town were boosted by blanking the opposition for the first time in 11 matches. Lee Clark made just one change to his starting side after the 2-2 draw at Rochdale, leaving out Donal McDermott for the first time and bringing in Danny Ward. It was the former Bolton man’s first start since the opening-day 1-1 stalemate at home to Bury. While Town were playing their third match in succession on the road, it was Hartlepool’s third running at home. Mick Wadsworth, the former Town manager, was forced to leave out experienced ex-Newcastle wide man Nolberto Solano (hamstring) and midfielders Antony Sweeney (groin) and Craig Liddle (cheekbone). But striker Colin Larkin came in for a first appearance of the campaign after recovering from an ankle injury. Larkin was to the fore as the home side made the early running, bringing a save from Ian Bennett with a looping shot from Evan Horwood’s corner, then running onto an upfield punt from keeper Scott Flinders, only to mis-control as he attempted to bring the ball down. The 587 travelling Town fans behind the goal Pools were attacking were again able to breath a sigh of relief when Gary Naysmith got in a crucial challenge as Colin Nish
Report from EVERY
Clark’s team played their part as Town had to be both robust and inventive to hold sway against an impressive Colchester outfit. Big, pacy and comfortable on the ball, John Ward’s side won’t make it easy for anyone this season and Town had League 1 end of August to draw on all their reserves of resolve and ability to take the points. They were not found wanting. With Rhodes and Novak always looking to have the pace and ingenuity to put Colchester under pressure, all Town needed was to get behind the back four and supply the right ball – just as the rampaging Jack Hunt did in the third minute to tee up Rhodes’ first of the season. With Ward running at the bewildered Brian Wilson and substitute Andrew Bond in the second period (he replaced the out of sorts Gary Roberts), Town had that menace and the rest of his colleagues were happy to join the fun. Ward headed just wide within a minute of the re-start, then Novak’s slicing run ended with Kemal Izzet clearing from near the line. With the fans backing Town to the hilt, there was no relenting in the pressure and even skipper Peter Clarke – who in the seventh minute had an effort cleared off the Colchester line by Magnus Okuonghae – burst into the box to force Mark Cousins into a desperate save. Town now had a grip on the game and they blew open the safe door to victory with two splendid goals in five minutes. Rhodes, having shown his prowess from close range with the opener before being denied with an incredible save from a close range header, turned inside from the left flank on 59 minutes and put Town level. Colchester responded, just as they had done in the first half through Kayode Odejayi (4) and Michail Antonio (26), by creating a great chance for substitute Ben Coker, but Ian Bennett produced the sort of one-handed diving save we have become used to. It was a vital moment, because instead of going behind again, Town found themselves in front barely three minutes later as Donal McDermott and Rhodes charged through. Ward produced Town’s first effort in combined to provide Novak with a chance on the right of the eighth minute, but his low shot was blocked. the box. With Cousins advancing from his line, the He then gave away a 14th-minute free-kick with a foul on in-form Geordie frontman made no mistake with his lob Horwood but Nish was too high with an ambitious bid for a fourth goal in as many appearances. from 35 yards out. Town created chances after that, showed bags of Former Pools man Tommy Miller set up a decent character and ability and got a standing ovation. 27th-minute chance for Ward, but having worked the ball onto his favoured left foot, the ball was sent wide from TOWN 3-0 Wycombe the edge of the penalty area. Lee (2), Roberts. Att: 9,664 Meanwhile, Oscar Gobern made a vital clearing header when Neil Austin sent in a free-kick from the left ALAN LEE ended GCSE week with an A-star following a handball by Jack Hunt. performance as Town passed a significant examination of Town were working diligently to prise open the Pools their own with plenty to be happy about. defence, but both Miller and Gobern fired shots well off Workmanlike Wycombe employed a 4-5-1 formation hell target. bent on strangling the life out of Town’s effervescent Right-back Hunt then combined neatly with Scott approach and making frustration the order of the day. Arfield and sent in a testing delivery, but former Barnsley But when the major questions were asked, Town found man Flinders held the ball confidently under pressure all the right answers – extending their unbeaten league from Lee Novak. run to 30 matches. Ward won Town’s first corner – hotly disputed by the Passing and probing against two solid defensive banks of home fans in a 5,506 crowd – in the 43rd minute, only for red shirts, Lee Clark’s side had to be mentally strong and Gary Roberts’ flag kick to be hacked clear. patient for the best part of an hour as their possession and territorial dominance earned nothing more than a Town made a 54th-minute change, with Jordan Rhodes handful of glimpses at goal. replacing Ward, but the immediate action was at the other end as Larkin broke clear from halfway to drill in a That all changed, however, on 55 minutes, when Gary Roberts was sent on to provide more crossing threat and low shot which Bennett smothered, then shot high and Lee was employed to use his head in more ways than one. wide from Andy Monkhouse’s cross. The manager’s decision proved spot on and was rewarded Arfield tested Flinders with a well-struck 68th-minute inside 40 seconds as Roberts’ back heel to Gary shot before Pools wasted the clearest-cut chance of the Naysmith was followed by a teasing cross which, as match so far, Nish shooting wide with the goal gaping defenders closed in, Lee flicked so high and accurately after the ball fell into his path following Peter Clarke’s that keeper Nikki Bull was left floundering in the side challenge on Ritchie Humphreys. netting. McDermott replaced Novak in Town’s second change in It was his first league goal for the club and Lee’s delight the 71st minute. was plain for all to see. And the busy visitors forced two corners in quick The fans, too, who had remained extremely patient as succession soon after, although neither brought a they could see Town were toiling to break down breakthrough. Wycombe’s uncompromising set-up, suddenly exploded Town were moving the ball around well, however, and into life with an Alan Lee chant to the tune of the Boney Miller put a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards out . M song ‘Daddy Cool.’ Lee responded with a sledgehammer performance of TOWN 3-2 Colchester centre-forward foraging and his teammates rallied round to provide him with a stunning second in the 71st minute. Rhodes (2), Novak. Att: 9,302 This time right-back Jack Hunt – a strong contender for top man – came up with the assist after a clever one-two LEE NOVAK put the seal on a Town fightback packed with Tommy Miller left him in a pocket of space near the with all the galvanising determination which bodes well box. for the rest of the season. While his previous storming runs had ultimately been Three successive League I draws had cranked up thwarted, Hunt was not to be denied again as he placed a expectation levels and, when Lee Clark’s side went into pinpoint cross to which Lee added an Exocet of a header. half time trailing 2-1, the tension was tangible. The cross was akin to those which Malcolm Brown But his battling side played with pride, passion and supplied with such regular quality over so many years purpose – roared on magnificently by a home contingent who appreciated the desire – and having forced themselves and served only to underline what a talent young Hunt is emerging to be. level with Jordan Rhodes’ cracking second goal of the Town’s third goal came 18 minutes from time after more match, went on to clinch a significant victory. hard work from striker Jordan Rhodes brought an untidy Not only did it extend the club-record run of unbeaten League matches to 29, it put them just a point behind the tackle and a free-kick opportunity for someone with a precision left foot. top six and set the platform for a Carling Cup challenge Step forward Roberts, whose curling drive whisked at Cardiff ahead of another home game against between defenders, missed Jamie McCombe’s flailing Wycombe. boot and Rhodes’ attentions at the back post and nestled While half-time substitute Danny Ward was the livewire nicely in the corner. catalyst for the excellent turnaround, every member of
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
league match
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
SEPTEMBER
ldham 1-1 TOWN
Att: 6,213
ME the end of the season it is to be hoped that the wn camp don’t end up bemoaning two points lost. ile the Pennine derby meeting at Boundary Park was a gh and at times tetchy affair there was no doubt that wn created enough clear cut chances to have put this me to bed – and that was before the home side were uced to 10 men. nything the Latics loss of Bradley Diallo to a straight card for his late challenge on Oscar Gobern with 13 nutes remaining probably only served to harden the me side’s resolve and make it even tougher for the tors to snatch a winner. ere was no doubt that the Oldham bench plainly felt Town midfielder had made a drama out of the dent and he was manhandled on his way off the field he was substituted by striker Alan Lee. wever, while the home side worked hard and had some y encouraging spells, it was Lee Clark’s men who had edge and they should have taken the three points. it took time for that pattern to emerge as Town – who rted with Lee Novak as a lone striker and with Lloyd inson as reserve keeper due to Nick Colgan suffering a k injury – were woefully slow out of the blocks. dham ripped into action and it was no surprise when y took the lead after six minutes with their newcomers viously very eager to impress. allo, making his first full appearance for the Latics, igated the goal with a neat run on the left that saw m escape Jack Hunt and Danny Ward and the cross was fectly placed for debutant striker Shefki Kuqi to power header beyond Ian Bennett’s grasp from eight yards. e journeyman Finnish international, whose last port of prior to Boundary Park was Premier League wcastle United, was very busy and his running allowed uben Reid to burst through and forced Bennett into a od save soon after. wn snapped out of their early trance and by the quarter ur the work of Gary Roberts and Danny Ward had rted to ask a few questions of the Oldham defence. 16 minutes they were back on terms when a Roberts d led to a corner and the wingman’s delivery from the piece arrived around the six yard box where stand-in pper Antony Kay was the first to react and the Town tral defender’s left-foot shot found the net via the post. ed to a spell of Town dominance. The best of their nces saw Ward force a save from Latics keeper Alex ak and Roberts failed to get a firm enough touch on ball with the goal gaping as he rushed in on a deep ss from Gary Naysmith. ile Filipe Morais did test Bennett with a drive, dham were being forced to chance their arm from ance, while Town were looking far more dangerous. e second half started much as the first as Town again med to struggle to switch on. it was then that a simmering midfield battle began to me to the boil as James Wesolowski was cautioned for a challenge on Gobern, who two minutes later went in book himself for a clumsy tackle on Tom Adeyemi. berts made way for Donal McDermott and his usion only served to further spice things up. e former Manchester City man looked sharp and yed a hand in freeing Ward to cross for Novak who s only just denied by Cisak. Dermott was then caught by a high boot from Morais d the Town player’s reaction – falling to the ground tching his head – clearly did not impress the home fans he home bench. on 77 minutes when Diallo’s challenge left Gobern in a p, the home camp’s anger at their player being shown raight red card was further inflamed by what they inly perceived as play acting by the visitors. ven the temperature of the contest it was probably pful that Gobern instantly gave way for striker Lee and change almost produced instant results for Town. m the first ball directed towards Lee the Irishman trolled the ball and adjusted perfectly to hook in a t that crashed against the Oldham woodwork. wever, the home side decided that was enough warning d – with a man down – decided that they would take at they had already got and ensured there were to be more clear cut opportunities for their rivals.
OWN 2-0 Tranmere
erts, Arfield. Att: 10,199
ARY ROBERTS and Scott Arfield provided the finesse d Alan Lee the force as Town chalked up a third aight home win to go fifth in League I. werful frontman Lee has really come to the fore in ent weeks, and further established himself as a cult hero ong Town fans with this muscular performance. nny Ward, forced off early after taking a knock to the kle, Calum Woods, who needed three stitches in a head und, and Tranmere old boy Antony Kay, who had a th dislodged, all sported more obvious evidence that s was a hard-fought victory. t it was Lee who soaked up the bulk of the physical
Thursday, May 31, 2012
MK Dons 1-1 TOWN League 1 end of September
■ SHEFFIELD UTD V TOWN: Oscar Gobern scores Town's third goal punishment meted out by the Tranmere defence, allowing his teammates to grab the goal-den glory. The Irishman went both toe to toe and head to head with rugged Jamaican defender Ian Goodison, who played despite being kept off the training ground by a stomach muscle injury. It can’t have been comfortable for the combatants, but it was great to watch the two seasoned pros slug it out. Lee, making his first league start since February, really deserved a goal to reward his endeavours, and would have had one had keeper Owain fon Williams not pulled off a great save to tip his 44th-minute header over. The Welshman also denied Jordan Rhodes as he put in a low shot early in the second half, Roberts, as he drilled in a curling 66th-minute free-kick, and substitute Lee Novak, who tried his best to force the ball home. But the Scotsman wasn’t to be denied his first goal of the season, his beautifully-placed 79th-minute shot from Novak’s low cross coming just at the right time to quash Tranmere’s growing push for a leveller. Roberts’ fourth of the campaign came in the 24th minute, and it’s interesting that both goals were by players who started the game on the bench, showing the options and strength boss Lee Clark has amassed. Roberts, who had been on the field for only 14 minutes, had already delivered a couple of teasing balls into the box before counting with a goal to which Lee made a huge contribution. He won the free-kick which Jack Hunt floated in, and it was his pressure which meant Goodison could only clear as far as the lurking Roberts, who unleashed a sizzling left-foot volley which left the helpless fon Williams grasping thin air. It was a crucial breakthrough and forced a Tranmere side including Town old boy Lucas Akins to press out. Town were thankful Adam McGurk could only manage a fresh-air shot from Akins’ 36th-minute long throw. But the home side, with Woods impressing at left-back and Kay and Jamie McCombe combining effectively in central defence, were pretty solid, and had chances to extend their lead. McCombe’s 27th-minute header from Roberts corner was cleared off the line by Goodison and Kay nodded just wide from another flag kick in the 31st minute, before fon Williams foiled Lee as he met another Roberts delivery. Town were back on the attack at the start of the second half, and after Rhodes’ shot was saved, Hunt drilled a 20-yard effort narrowly over. Tranmere, who had claims for a penalty when Akins went down under Woods’ 64th-minute challenge waved away by referee Chris Sarginson, had a good spell midway through the half, when Ian Bennett made solid stops to deny John Welsh and Max Power. But Town were still threatening, and after Roberts came close with his free-kick, Novak was narrowly wide after Lee flicked on Hunt’s cross, before Lee headed over. Busy Novak was left beating the ground in frustration when fon Williams denied him, but having been freed by Roberts’ pass down the left, had the satisfaction of teeing up Arfield, who picked his spot to clinch the points.
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11
Sheffield United 0-3 TOWN Novak (2), Gobern. Att: 17,373
LEE NOVAK led the way as Town smashed Sheffield United’s unbeaten record. Novak notched twice and Oscar Gobern grabbed the other goal and Lee Clark’s side downed the League I leaders with a determined and well-organised display. And while Town’s support was limited as fans boycotted the game in protest at the high admission charge, the thousand-plus who did stump up the £28.50 charge must have savoured every moment. Lee Clark made four changes to his starting side as Town made their first appearance at Bramall Lane in more than a decade. Unusually for an away game, he set up with two up front, Lee Novak getting the nod ahead of Jordan Rhodes to partner Alan Lee. Damien Johnson was handed a first start since returning from knee surgery while Oscar Gobern returned to central midfield after sitting out the 2-0 home win over Tranmere. Scott Arfield was on the right, with Anton Robinson, Tommy Miller and Donal McDermott the men to drop out as Danny Ward proved his recovery from the ankle knock which forced him out. The rivals exchanged headed efforts in the opening two minutes, with United’s Chris Porter putting the ball just wide and Novak, set up by Ward, bringing a save from Steve Simonsen. Town stopper Ian Bennett, who spent four years with the Blades before joining Town, then had to be alert when Richard Cresswell cut in from the left. It was end to end in the early stages and after Gobern shot wide from Lee’s knock-down, United’s Lee Williamson floated a teasing 15th minute effort on to the roof of Bennett’s net. Town fans behind the goal breathed a sigh of relief, and five minutes later they were on their feet as Novak put their side ahead in front of the United supporters. Ward unleashed a trademark long range left-foot shot which Simonsen could only parry and the alert Geordie reacted first to slide in a low shot into the net. A leveller looked certain in the 35th minute but Chris Porter somehow managed to send his shot wide. And if the Blades fans were disappointed by that they were stunned when Town then struck twice in three minutes. First Jack Hunt’s free kick was headed on by Lee and while the ball was cleared, it was returned first time by Arfield for Novak to turn in his second. Town’s fans were still celebrating that goal when Gobern made it three with his first for the club when he headed in the back post from Ward’s corner from the right. Town claimed a fourth from another Ward corner soon after, but referee Graham Salisbury ruled Novak’s effort did not cross the line before it was scrambled clear. United made two half-time changes and one of their substitutes, striker Ched Evans, got the chance to make an immediate impression, but Bennett saved.
Arfield. Att: 8,243
GOALKEEPER David Martin stood between Town and three points at Stadium:MK. While Town have now not lost in 34 league games – a record outside the top flight in England – and they remain in third place in League I, no doubt manager Lee Clark would have preferred a win that would have kept the pressure right on leading pair Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United. Martin was the home hero as he saved Lee Novak’s penalty four minutes from time as the contest came to a chaotic and controversial end. Novak, with seven goals this season, seemed the perfect choice to tie up a 2-1 victory for the visitors but his effort lacked power and Martin got down well to save, after a stunning bust-up that had seen the Dons reduced to 10 men as defender Gary McKenzie was sent from the field by referee Chris Foy after tangling with Alan Lee. They say there are two sides to every story and certainly there was a fair amount of disagreement in the two camps as to what had happened. Dons boss Karl Robinson thought McKenzie had been fouled and then man-handled by Lee before reacting, while Town boss Clark said that in his mind the referee’s assistant had given a foul on Lee before the melee and so it was a straightforward penalty award. In the end all that mattered was that Town failed to take their opportunity from 12 yards and they were unable to kill off depleted opponents in the dying minutes. However, the closing stages of the contest were in stark contrast to the rest of a match that saw both sides enjoy periods of control while producing some top quality and entertaining football. On 36 minutes it was no surprise at all when Town opened up MK on the right flank and from Hunt’s cross Lee got up to head at goal and, when the ball came back off a post, there was midfielder Scott Arfield to bury the rebound in the corner of the goal. There can be no doubt that there was some straight talking done in the home dressing at half-time as the Dons returned to the field looking more determined. A fine solo run and shot from former Manchester United junior Luke Chadwick set the tone and by the 64th minute the Dons were back on terms when Town’s defence failed to react sharply enough following a corner and skipper Lewington pounced to batter a loose ball into the net from eight yards.
TOWN 2-2 Leyton Orient Lee, Hunt. Att:10,513
JAMIE McCOMBE’S sending off proved pivotal as victory slipped from Town’s grasp in the space of six agonising minutes. Without ever hitting top gear, Lee Clark’s side were nevertheless firmly in the driving seat thanks to Alan Lee’s 22nd-minute header and Jack Hunt’s 70th-minute sizzler. But McCombe was shown a straight red after jostling with George Porter, who ended up on the floor, as Orient prepared to take an 84th-minute corner. When the set-piece was finally delivered by Dean Cox, substitute Kevin Lisbie headed home. Then a minute into the five added on by Shropshire referee Rob Lewis, Lisbie set up centre-back Ben Chorley, who levelled with a low shot from just outside the penalty area. At least Town took a point, and stretched their unbeaten run to 35, the second-best in Football League history. But what felt like a defeat meant that instead of going second, they fell to eighth in the League I standings. While McCombe claimed he had been grabbed in the most sensitive of areas, there’s little doubt he raised his hands and felled Porter with an outstretched leg, and whistler Lewis, who had a good view, showed no hesitation. As well as the criticism of manager Clark, the big centre-back was hit with a three-match ban and maximum fine. The dismissal meant a Town league bow for Liam Cooper, on loan from Hull, but it’s not a match he, or his teammates, will recall fondly. That’s a shame for Hunt, because the 20-year-old right back had a fine game, defending solidly and raiding down his wing with gusto. It was his incisive run, past Cox and between Chorley and left-back Elliot Omosuzi, which paved the way for the opener, planted into the net by Lee, whose aerial power was obvious. That’s three goals for the season for the 33-year-old and three for the club for Hunt, who latched onto a square ball from Damien Johnson and lashed home a right-foot shot. While Oscar Gobern rattled the bar with a rasping 20-yard shot after playing a neat one-two with Scott Arfield in the 10th minute, Town didn’t create a huge number of clear-cut chances, but were still worth their advantage. What a shame they couldn’t hold on for three points.
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Report from EVERY
12 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012 Brentford 0-4 TOWN Rhodes (2), Novak, Roberts. Att: 6,101
TOWN turned up the heat on their rivals at the top of League I with a slick display in sweltering West London. Lee Clark’s side swept aside their hosts with a display which, in temperatures in the high 20s, bore testament to their fitness levels as well as footballing skills. Recalled Jordan Rhodes notched twice while Lee Novak and Gary Roberts got the others as Town chalked up their biggest away win since Stockport were hit for six without reply in April 2010. What made it all the more impressive was that Brentford started the day a point and two places above Town. They finished it looking distinctly dejected as the travelling supporters gave their team a standing ovation. They had looked on in delight as any chance of a home comeback following Rhodes’ first-half opener was crushed by three goals in 10 glorious minutes – right in front of them. As well as scoring four, Town hit the woodwork three times, and limited Brentford to just two efforts on goal. Ian Bennett was equal to both, parrying Frenchman Toumani Diagouraga’s 72nd-minute shot, then saving Niall McGinn’s follow-up. That set the tone for the team as a whole, because every member played a part in a win which was as pleasing as the recent 3-0 success at Sheffield United. Captain Peter Clarke, relishing his return after seven games on the sidelines, first through injury then the form of others, led the way with a determined display, and twice came close to a breakthrough goal. After a week of debate about whether Clarke or Liam Cooper would come in for suspended centre-back Jamie McCombe, both ended up on the field as Town were forced into a 13th-minute change when Calum Woods went off with a tight hamstring. By that stage, Town were a goal up after Rhodes rose to meet Tommy Miller’s pinpoint centre and nod in from the edge of the six-yard box in the 36th minute. The Bees were never allowed to build up any momentum, with Damien Johnson playing a key role. Meanwhile his fellow central midfielder Miller was catching the eye with his distribution and after Rhodes rattled the bar after he combined with Roberts, the former Sheffield Wednesday man produced a peach of a pass in the 69th minute to free substitute and top scorer Lee Novak, who netted his eighth of the campaign. Any chance of a comeback was ended seven minutes later when Rhodes headed his second of the game and sixth of the season from Novak’s neat cross. A hat trick looked on the cards when Rhodes rattled in a low drive in the 78th minute, but the ball hit Lee’s left-hand post and bounced back into play – only for Roberts to shoot home from the rebound and seal a memorable win.
TOWN 2-1 Stevenage Roberts, Novak. Att: 10,949
IT WAS more steel than samba – but determined Town showed they have what it takes to tough it out. Lee Clark’s side had a major let-off when John Mousinho fired an 88th-minute penalty over the bar. But on the balance of play, Town deserved a win sealed by Lee Novak’s ninth goal of the season. Scott Laird had earlier cancelled out Gary Roberts’ sixth of the campaign, slotted home in the 44th minute of a first half dominated by the home team. Town had stacks of possession without creating too many clear-cut chances until Roberts struck. The goal had its origins in a Stevenage free-kick deep in their own half and punted straight into touch. From Hunt’s throw-in, the ball was worked to Scott Arfield who spilt the visitors defence with a lovely low through ball straight into Roberts’ path. In one on one with Day, the winger held his nerve to stroke home a low shot. Having reshuffled towards the end of the first period – the bustling Chris Beardsley replaced Stacy Long after 37 minutes – Stevenage boss Graham Westley made another change at half-time, replacing Michael Bostwick with John Ashton after Alan Lee had dominated. Town were still the stronger side in the opening stages of the second half, however, and Arfield’s inviting low cross in the 53rd minute looked odds on to bring a goal, only for the ball to take a deflection and narrowly evade Lee. Laird shot over in the 57th minute, but kept the ball low in the 67th, latching onto Mousinho’s nicely-weighted pass and beating Ian Bennett with drive which went in off the Town man’s left-hand post. The drummer among the 243-strong travelling support (there were Town fans had the other section of the Pink Link Stand) went into overdrive, but was silenced in the 76th minute. Anton Robinson, off the bench in place of the industrious Arfield, worked his way in from the byline and drilled in a low left-foot shot. The ball rebounded back off the right-hand post, and top scorer Novak, making his 100th Town appearance since arriving from Gateshead in 2009, was the quickest to react.
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clearance, allowing the Town man to roll the ball home. Town found rhythm and Alan Lee shot over before Rhodes finally doubled the lead when he headed in off the right-hand post. There was a touch of quality when the hat-trick strike did come along in the 57th minute, with Rhodes meeting Arfield’s cross and deceiving Clark Carlisle. Tsoumou converted Hume’s cross from close range in the 61st minute, but Preston were well beaten.
League 1 end of October
Scunthorpe 2-2 TOWN Miller, Rhodes. Att: 5,858
TOWN were thwarted by Chris Dagnall’s leveller – just when red-hot Jordan Rhodes looked to have earned victory with his ninth goal in four games. An exciting match which featured two penalty saves by Town’s super stopper Ian Bennett came to a breathless conclusion. Rhodes volleyed home in the 87th minute to put Town 2-1 up, only for Dagnall to break through and slide home a low shot less than 60 seconds later. Scunthorpe had led through Oliver Norwood’s sizzling 10th-minute strike, but Tommy Miller equalised with his first league goal for the club, fired in 15 minutes later. Bennett’s spot-kick heroics came from Dagnall and Michael O’Connor, and it was a real shame the 40-year-old’s two super saves didn’t contribute to three points. Town had the backing of more than 2,000 fans at Glanford Park, and they saw striker Alan Lee make his 500th career appearance at club level while the equally experienced Gary Naysmith was handed a first league outing in nine games at left-back in place of suspended Calum Woods. Other than that it was the same side which started the 4-0 win at Exeter and 3-1 home victory over Preston. Scunthorpe were seeking only a third league win of the campaign and went into the match on the back of goalless draws at Brentford and MK Dons. With Josh Lillis, son of former Town favourite Mark, and on-loan Manchester United man Sam Johnstone both injured, former Northern Counties East League keeper Sam Slocombe made a second start. Both sets of players were caught in a downpour during the warm-up which left the pitch greasy. The rain had eased by kick-off, and in an even opening phase, Scunthorpe’s Andy Barcham and Town’s Gary Roberts, from a free-kick, shot over.
■ EXETER V TOWN: Rhodes grabs his second goal
Exeter 0-4 TOWN Lee, Rhodes (3). Att:4,244
EXETER even tried changing their goalkeeper at half-time – but it was to no avail. Rampant Town went second in League I by registering four goals for the second away game running, with both Artur Krysiak and Lenny Pidgeley beaten twice. In-form Jordan Rhodes rightly took the plaudits with a well-taken fourth career hat trick, taking his tally to 10 in four games after his double for Town at Brentford and five in two appearances for Scotland Under 21s. But while Rhodes shone on his 100th career league start, Town produced a really solid all-round show, with keeper Ian Bennett marking his first game since turning 40, and 50th Town outing, with a clean sheet. The handsome win stretched Town’s unbeaten league run to 38 games and meant they matched their best unbeaten start to a season of 13 games in Division II (now the Championship) in 1962-63. Town didn’t have it all their own way against Paul Tisdale’s basement battlers, who pushed forward at the start of the second half, when they had a Daniel Nardiello strike ruled out for offside. But with Damien Johnson, Tommy Miller and Scott Arfield working well, they had control of midfield for the vast majority of the game, and once again, some of the team’s crisp passing phases were a pleasure to watch. The opening goal in the eighth minute was a great example. Captain Peter Clarke stumbled as he brought the ball out of defence, but recovered well to play in Arfield. He sent overlapping Jack Hunt away down the right and the cross fell perfectly for Alan Lee to net his fourth goal of the season and seventh for the club. The big man was a big menace to the home side for the entire 59 minutes he was on the pitch – Lee Novak was the man to replace him – and centre-back Troy Archibald-Henville had a game to quickly forget. Lee had a goalbound shot deflected just wide on 21 minutes before becoming the architect of Town’s second goal and Rhodes’ first of the day in the 26th. Home pair James Dunne and Danny Coles got in a muddle and Lee lost his marker Archibald-Henville to chest down an angled pass and loft the ball into the path of Rhodes, who slotted home a right-foot shot. Exeter tried to respond, but Clarke got in a fine block to thwart Nardiello before Bennett pulled off a brilliant reaction save as busy Spaniard Guillem Bauza slammed in a close-range shot in the 30th minute. Then former Barnsley man Nardiello headed over from Steve Tully’s cross. But it was Town who ended the first half on the offensive as Lee grazed the bar with a header from Gary Roberts’ cross then laid the ball off for Miller to test Polish stopper Krysiak. One-time Bradford keeper Pidgeley spent his first 10 minutes on the pitch watching action at the other end as Tisdale’s side tried to get back into it. But while Nardiello’s effort was chalked off with Jake Taylor the man ruled offside, Nardiello shot wide, Bauza’s
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header from Taylor’s cross was saved by Bennett and Calum Woods blocked Tully’s drive before making a superb penalty-area tackle on the advancing Dunne. Tisdale brought on attacking midfielder Liam Sercombe in place of right-back Tully, but with 65 minutes gone, Exeter were three behind as Novak controlled Woods’ throw and laid the ball back for Rhodes to shoot home left-footed. Bennett dived to deny Nardiello and ensure Exeter were blanked before Rhodes wrapped things up in the 89th minute with a cushioned header from substitute Danny Ward’s centre.
Yeovil 0-1 TOWN
TOWN 3-1 Preston
Robinson. Att: 3,486
Rhodes (3). Att: 15,269
HOW fitting that Les Massie was looking on as Jordan Rhodes continued his red-hot scoring streak with another hat trick. That’s two in successive games for Town and three in four outings after his treble for Scotland Under 21s in Luxembourg. It’s 13 in five matches for club and country, 12 for Town this season and 57 overall in domestic football since his switch from Ipswich in the summer of 2009. Massie netted 108 in his 10 years as a first teamer at Leeds Road between 1956 and 1966 but never won a cap for his native Scotland, largely due to the top tartan talent which existed in that period. Given current boss Craig Levein’s more limited options, Rhodes must be a good shout to become Town’s first full Scotland international since Denis Law, who won six caps while with the club in the late Fifties (Joe Harper’s two outings in 1967 were in unofficial tour games). England Under 21 scout Ian Butterworth was also present, and while he might well be disappointed Oldhamborn Rhodes has chosen to play for Scotland under the five-years’ schooling rule, he will surely have taken note of Jack Hunt’s bright display. The right-back linked neatly with midfielder Scott Arfield throughout and delivered a cracking ball in for Rhodes to head his second in the 42nd minute. At 40, Ian Bennett is beyond any chance of international action, but the keeper again showed his dependability by pulling off a couple of fine saves at key moments. He had to arch backwards to get a telescopic hand to Iain Hume’s deflected shot two minutes after Rhodes’ early opener, then dived to his right to keep out a fizzing 76th-minute free-kick from substitute Keammar Daley which would have made it 3-2 and set up a big finale. Preston will probably argue that the scoreline failed to reflect the pattern of a high-tempo and entertaining Roses duel, but Town took the bulk of the chances they created to clinch a fourth successive league victory and create a new club record of 14 league games unbeaten from the start of a season, bettering the mark of 1962-63. Preston conceded in only the fourth minute. Ex-Everton keeper Iain Turner was caught in two minds as he came out to try and deal with a lofted through ball under pressure from Rhodes and ended up fluffing his
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ANTON ROBINSON will long remember his first goal for Huddersfield Town – because it could be a long time before he scores a more important one. Only 11 minutes of a gruelling test remained at Huish Park when Yeovil’s brave resistance was finally punctured by his simple six-yard tap-in. It rewarded Town for bag-loads of honest hard graft on a day when they were far from their best, and the sense of relief when he side-footed home Lee Novak’s bundled assist was tangible among the travelling ranks. When the final whistle sounded, Town’s 300-strong support gave a loud rendition of ‘Going up, up, up!’ and manager Lee Clark made sure everyone – including himself – went to thank the fans for their loyal backing and fortitude through a trying 90 minutes. Yeovil may be bottom of the table, but many of their own fans in a crowd of 3,486 stayed behind to applaud their valiant efforts to avoid a sixth home defeat of the season – one in which they endured the agony of hitting the Town woodwork twice. Both instances were remarkable escapes for Town and underlined how important the result was on a day when four of the top six won. The deadlock still hadn’t been broken when, on 71 minutes, Town failed to clear a free-kick from their left and, after Gavin Massey, Oli Johnson and Darren Purse had all challenged to put the ball back in the danger area, Dominic Blizzard crashed a shot against the bar before Ed Upson volleyed the rebound wide when he should have scored. Then, after Robinson had given Town the lead, they were almost undone immediately as Luke Ayling sent Massey into the box down the right and his pull-back was turned against Ian Bennett’s near post by Johnson. At that stage manager Clark – whose vocal chords had already been stretched – was raging on the touchline because he knew how precious the three points would be. Clark spoke to his players beforehand about ignoring any speculation relating to his own future and the links to the vacant Leicester City managerial post but, in a match watched by the FA chairman David Bernstein, they were desperately slow to get into any sort of pattern. Arfield spotted a gap to create the goal, curling a shot towards the far post which Stech beat away, but Novak managed to flick it back towards goal and Robinson was in exactly the right place to apply the finishing touch.
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
league match TOWN 1-1 Walsall Novak. Att: 11,615
TOWN equalled Nottingham Forest’s best-ever Football League unbeaten run of 42 matches. But they should have done it with a win rather than a draw as Walsall were allowed back into a frustrating game just when it seemed three points were on the way courtesy of Lee Novak’s 10th goal of the campaign. Town had four times as many shots on target as their visitors (12 to three) but struggled to penetrate a defence well marshalled by Andy Butler. The Galpharm old boy was left on his backside just two minutes in as Jordan Rhodes bustled onto Lee Novak’s hooked pass. But Hungarian goalkeeper Jimmy Grof, in for the suspended Jimmy Walker, was equal to the low shot from Town’s 13-goal top scorer – and the pattern for the afternoon was set. There was plenty to admire about the approach work of a home team showing two changes from the side which started the 1-0 win at Yeovil (Novak for suspended Alan Lee and Gary Roberts for injured Danny Ward). But chances went begging as Walsall, who strung five across midfield, put up the shutters and tried to strike on the counter. Novak and Scott Arfield had put headers wide and Roberts a shot over the top by the time Lee Clark’s side came agonisingly close to a breakthrough three times in two minutes. First Butler blocked from the busy Arfield, then from the resultant corner flighted in by Roberts, Grof tipped Liam Cooper’s header over. Roberts swung in another flag kick, and this time Rhodes’ header was parried on the line. Town had a let-off when Walsall staged their first genuine attack in the 27th minute, Jon Macken kicking an upright in annoyance after scuffing his shot from Richard Taundry’s cross. But normal service was soon resumed as Town pressed forward again, and Arfield swept a low drive across the face of goal and wide before Cooper met another Roberts corner with a forceful header, only to be foiled by a combination of Grof and Taundry. Grof saved from Rhodes soon after, then Novak, set up by a sweet pass from his co-striker, looked on in anguish as his goalbound effort was deflected. The roles were reversed in the 40th minute as Novak played in Rhodes, and a goal looked on the cards as the marksman took aim, only to fire straight at the keeper. Damien Johnson had a shot saved and Rhodes dipped one over before, early in the second half, heading too high from a Roberts free-kick, awarded for a foul on the energetic Jack Hunt which brought Alex Nicholls a yellow card. The Midlanders looked livelier for the introduction of Paterson, whose 60th-minute shot was well held by Ian Bennett. But it took another block, this time by Lee Beevers, to thwart Arfield before Town finally went ahead in the 67th minute. Roberts found space on the left by taking a short corner to Arfield and receiving the return pass, and his teasing low cross was prodded home at the near post by Novak. Tommy Miller had a shot blocked as Town sought a second, but it Walsall who registered. One-time Town trialist left-back Mat Sadler picked out Paterson, who held off Johnson’s attempted challenge and beat Bennett with a well-struck curler. Rhodes was only just off target as he shot low from Arfield’s pass while Town had Bennett to thank for a one-handed save which prevented another Walsall substitute, Will Grigg, putting his side ahead with a 90th-minute lob after getting goalside of Cooper. When Hunt went down under Grigg’s stoppage-time tackle, a penalty looked possible, but referee Scott Mathieson instead booked the Town defender for diving.
TOWN 2-1 Notts Co Rhodes (2). Att: 12,508
JORDAN RHODES added to his goal tally – and price tag – with a deadly double as Town created Football League history. This was the 25th win of an unbeaten League run which now comprises 43 League I matches, and it was one of the most satisfying. Lee Clark’s side had to overcome both a stubborn Notts County side and the setback of having Alan Lee sent off with half an hour still to play. But a telling substitution (Anton Robinson for Gary Roberts) and a slick finish from a man playing with real confidence ensured fingernails stayed firmly intact. Town came within seconds of keeping a clean sheet – there was only time to take the kick-off following Neal
Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
NOVEMBER
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That was testament to focus and industry of a Town side who looked hell-bent on a shut-out after leaking four goals in the FA Cup clash at Swindon. Peter Clarke and Antony Kay worked well alongside each other in central defence, left-back Calum Woods produced a string of telling touches and Tommy Miller and Johnson always looked comfortable in midfield. Now it’s onwards to leaders Charlton, and it’s just a shame we have to wait seven days for the mouth-watering Sky-televised meeting at The Valley.
Charlton 2-0 TOWN Att: 18,029
League 1 end of November
■ HOW ABOUT THAT: Jordan Rhodes gets above Krystian Pearce to head home his first goal in the 2-1 home win against Notts County Bishop’s stoppage-time reply – and that’s a reflection of the workrate and solidity of the side. Lee did his bit before being harshly shown a straight red card by referee Darren Drysdale after a clash with Sam Sodje which appeared no different to most of the others between a combative duo who went head-to-head regularly throughout the hour the Town man was on the pitch. Town, leading through Rhodes’ well-placed header just 26 seconds into the second half, could have been in a hole. But the arrival of Robinson, whose no-nonsense approach added extra steel to the energetic home midfield, and another excellent finish by the frontman everyone is talking about knocked the stuffing out of Notts. The visitors were themselves down to 10 men, with Sodje receiving treatment for the facial injury which was to force him out of the action altogether, when ex-Town man Krystian Pearce’s slip was ruthlessly exploited in the 65th minute. Having hustled the defender into his error, Rhodes advanced on goal, drew Stuart Nelson and beat the keeper with a well-placed shot from 20 yards out. It completed a miserable Galpharm return for Pearce, who was outjumped as Rhodes rose to meet Jack Hunt’s cross and give Town a great start to the second period
after a hard-fought first half which produced few chances. A couple of penalty shouts, both for challenges by Sodje on Rhodes, were the main topic of conversation over the half-time cuppas. But mention might also have been made of Hunt’s rampaging approach. He is becoming almost a full-back and winger rolled into one, with his lung-bursting runs and crosses setting up some great opportunities. Sodje looked to be all over Rhodes as he tried to reach Lee’s nod-on from Hunt’s 20th-minute delivery. Then, having linked with Arfield, Hunt crossed for Lee to test Nelson with a downward header. There appeared to be a push by Sodje on Rhodes as the Town man tracked Damien Johnson’s 29th-minute pass. Then in first-half stoppage time, the striker did well to chase down Pearce’s attempted clearance, with Notts having to rely on Sodje to mop up the danger after Nelson’s kick ricocheted off Rhodes towards goal. The Scotland man finally made his mark on the resumption in a move initiated by Arfield. And Notts, whose only real first-half chance was put wide by Karl Hawley, were pretty much forced to feed off scraps until Bishop counted in the last of the four minutes added on.
TOWN’S mammoth unbeaten record finally ended as Charlton strengthened their grip on the League I leadership. This Sky-televised clash of the promotion rivals had been billed as a showdown between the division’s top marksman Jordan Rhodes (15 goals) and Bradley Wright-Phillips (14). But it was French striker Yann Kermorgant and on-loan QPR midfielder Hogan Ephraim who sunk Town with first-half goals. Now Lee Clark’s side, beaten for the first time in 44 regular league games, are out of the top two for the first time in six weeks. On a crisp, clear night ideal for football under floodlights, Town made just one change to the side which beat Notts County 2-1 last time out, with on-loan Preston striker Jon Parkin coming in for his debut in place of Alan Lee, who was beginning a three-match suspension. The scale of Charlton boss Chris Powell’s rebuilding was shown by the fact that nine of his starting XI, which included debutant Norwich loanee Darel Russell, had arrived at the club since the end of last season. The in-form Addicks were going for a sixth straight league win. Parkin soon provided a frontline outlet as, after a minute’s applause in memory of Gary Speed, Town matched their hosts stride for stride in the opening stages. Charlton were tested in the 10th minute by two corners in quick succession, both won by Scott Arfield and delivered by Gary Roberts. Charlton’s first real attack came in the 17th minute when Kermorgant played in fellow striker Wright-Phillips who broke down the right and cut inside to test Ian Bennett. Within minutes, Arfield brought a similar stooping save from Ben Hamer when he picked up another Roberts corner and shot from 20 yards out. Given Town’s lively start, it was disappointing in the extreme when they went behind to a set-piece goal in the 23rd minute. Jack Hunt fouled Ephraim 30 yards out and from Danny Green’s free-kick, Kermorgant beat Antony Kay to flick a back-header past the helpless Bennett. Manager Lee Clark’s frustration was compounded soon after when Roberts’ flighted free-kick from a similar distance went harmlessly wide. Town kept plugging away, and Tommy Miller fired wide after Parkin headed down Calum Woods’ throw-in before Roberts’ awkward cross-cum-shot was smothered by Hamer at the base of his right-hand post. But the home side’s controversial second goal in the 41st minute meant they were facing a big task to salvage something from the game. Town claimed Damien Johnson had been fouled by Green before the ball went for a throw, but referee Roger East was unimpressed. Then as Kermorgant picked up possession, he flicked the ball into the path of Wright-Phillips. He wriggled past Peter Clarke’s attempted challenge and while Bennett did well to block his shot, the ball fell kindly for Ephraim, who drilled it in to the delight of the home fans. Clark made two changes for the second half, bringing on Danny Ward for Roberts and Anton Robinson for Miller, but that didn’t stop Charlton coming close to a third when Kermorgant headed against the bar from Green’s long throw. Then Bennett had to be alert to beat away Kermorgant’s free-kick, awarded after he tumbled under the combined challenge of Hunt and Kay. Town had the away contingent on their feet on the hour when Ward’s curling cross scraped the top of the bar, and the winger’s 62nd-minute free-kick had the Charlton defence scrambling once again. But as play swung to the opposite end, Green came close with an angled long-ranger which Bennett stretched to save. Clark’s side, urged on by their vocal fans, kept pushing for a way back into the game. Parkin came close with a shot on the turn which Hamer could only parry against the right-hand post before he saved Robinson’s effort from the edge of the penalty area.
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Thursday, May 31, 2012
14 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012 TOWN 0-1 Bournemouth Att: 11,676
Having set a new Football League record of 43 matches unbeaten, Town have now lost two on the trot. And this was even more disappointing than the 2-0 defeat at leaders Charlton. Lee Clark’s side lacked not only lustre, but tempo, energy, composure and chances. There was only one real effort on target, a 64th-minute shot from Jordan Rhodes which was calmly plucked out of the air by keeper Darryl Flahavan. And to make matters even worse, Town lost right-back Jack Hunt to an ankle injury which looks set to keep him out of next Saturday’s derby at Sheffield Wednesday and possibly the festive fixtures. The challenge now is for Clark’s men to hit back at Hillsborough after marking the third anniversary of the manager’s arrival with one of the worst performances under his command. Few take losing football matches harder than the Galpharm boss, who was virtually tearing his hair out as his team huffed and puffed but seldom looked likely to salvage even a point. Captain and centre-back Peter Clarke was pushed up front in a desperate late measure, but it was to no avail as Town lost a home league game for the first time since Hartlepool won 1-0 last Boxing Day. It was the same scoreline on Saturday, but the margin could well have been greater as Bournemouth clinched a first win over Town in 20 attempts. Efan Ekoku was the goal ace at Leeds Road back in January 1993, and it was Harry Arter who did the damage almost 19 years on. The midfielder notched in the 19th minute, shooting home low from eight yards after the lively Wes Thomas held off Clarke’s challenge out on the right and after having his first cross blocked by debutant Alex Bruce, the on-loan Leeds centre-back, picked out the lurking Arter at the second attempt. Scouts were once again out in force, and many will have noted the fact that while Bournemouth have lined up a deal to make the 24-year-old Crawley striker’s loan move permanent, the transfer cannot take place until the window reopens next month. While Thomas caught the eye, so too did Arter, the brother-in-law of Tottenham and England ace Scott Parker, and Shaun Cooper, who played in front of the back four and helped starve Rhodes and home debutant Jon Parkin, the on-loan Cardiff frontman, of possession. Bournemouth’s workrate was such that when a Town player did get the ball, his options were quickly limited. That meant an all-too-comfortable afternoon for centre-backs Adam Barrett, a former Southend teammate of Town skipper Clarke, and Steve Cook, on loan from Brighton. Cook was one of a string of visiting players to come close, shooting over from Scott Malone’s corner in first-half stoppage time. Earlier, Malone had a low shot held by Bennett then caused mayhem by cutting into the Town penalty area, with the home side unable to clear and Thomas eventually laying the ball back to Arter, whose shot was saved. Right-back Simon Francis, on loan from Charlton with a view to a permanent move, headed over from Malone’s 15th-minute corner. Then, soon after Arter’s goal, Clarke made a key clearance from Malone’s teasing cross. Bennett twice had to race out of his area, first to thwart Marc Puigh, then Thomas, while Francis shot into the side-netting before the keeper did well to tip over Malone’s header. Chances were far fewer in the second half, but the damage had been done.
Shefield Wednesday 4-4 TOWN Rhodes (4). Att:28,600
IT MIGHT well be worth asking Sheffield Wednesday’s programme editor for a prediction of the next set of lottery numbers. Their edition for the big Yorkshire derby included an article entitled ‘Comebacks and Throwaways’. Cue a Christmas cracker of a contest – with bells and baubles on – and a reminder of what makes sport so captivating. It was breathtaking stuff as Town led 2-0 within 16 minutes only for Wednesday to hit back with two in three minutes before the half-hour mark. By the 75th minute, the Owls were 4-2 up and seemingly heading for a sixth straight win. But the home fans in a bumper 28,600 crowd who were partying at that point had reckoned without Jordan Rhodes. The strike star who had already beaten Stephen Bywater with two headers then fired in two precise shots, the second of them coming in the sixth minute of time added on. Now Town fans were on their feet with the
Report from EVERY
DECEMBER League 1 end of December
frontman would have put his side ahead on the half hour, had it not been for Danny Whitaker’s fine clearance. The home team broke quickly after Gary Naysmith cleared Smith’s free-kick from halfway, and good work by McDermott and Roberts freed Rhodes, whose low shot had the beating of Lee but not the Chesterfield midfielder, who got back to hook the ball away for a throw-in. The breakthrough wasn’t long in coming, however. Roberts was once again involved in the build-up, but the real architect of the goal was Novak, who got to the byline on the left and split the visiting defence with a low cross. The oncoming Rhodes met the delivery and produced the kind of finish few expected, skilfully back-heeling the ball beyond Lee and into the keeper’s left-hand corner. Town deserved their advantage, and would have gone further ahead had any of their players been able to get a touch to an inviting 40th-minute cross by Roberts, who showed great footwork before playing the ball in low. Then the busy Oscar Gobern had a shot from the edge of the area blocked before his follow-up effort was deflected wide. Having shot over from Novak’s 58th-minute pass, then freed Hunt to put in a cross which Novak glanced wide, McDermott was given a rousing ovation when replaced by Scott Arfield on the hour. But what the home supporters really wanted to see was another goal, and Rhodes almost obliged when he shot just wide from the edge of the area after the industrious Novak contested a header with Gregor Robertson.
TOWN 1-1 Carlisle Rhodes. Att: 11,953
■ IT’S A THRILLER: Gary Roberts puts pressure on the Sheffield Wednesday defence in the sensational draw at Hillsborough in which Jordan Rhodes bagged all four goals Wednesdayites, whose side had conceded only five goals in all their previous nine home league games put together, reflecting on a draw which must have seemed like a defeat. To add icing to the cake, Rhodes’ quartet were all put past a keeper coached by his dad Andy, who remained at the mouth of the tunnel to give his son a heartwarming hug as he finally left the pitch after taking the acclaim of the travelling fans. Time will tell just how precious this point will prove to be – both in terms of the League I table and psychologically. But after two defeats on the trot, the grit and character which staved off a third was impressive and good to see. Boss Lee Clark rung the changes after the 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth, with Gary Naysmith, Oscar Gobern, ex-Owls man Tommy Miller, Lee Novak and Gary Roberts in and Calum Woods, Scott Arfield and Jon Parkin (on the bench), Anton Robinson (left out of the 16) and injured Damien Johnson the men to miss out. Town made probably their best start to a match so far this season. Rhodes had already served warning of what was to come with headers from crosses by Novak and Miller which went just over and just wide before he opened the scoring in the 12th minute, placing the ball in the roof of the net from Roberts’ centre from the left. The lead was doubled within four minutes, with Gobern, Novak and Miller all involved in a slick counter-attack which finished with Roberts crossing for Rhodes to notch at the near post. Amazingly, Rhodes came within inches of a third, with his lofted shot from Naysmith’s neat pass down the left going across the face of goal and narrowly wide. Wednesday hadn’t had a look-in up to press, but after Chris O’Grady came close from David Prutton’s nod-down in the 25th minute, they netted twice in three minutes. First Ben Marshall got the better of Ward to put in a cross from the left which captain Rob Jones headed home at the far post. Then, in the 28th minute, Reda Johnson applied the finishing touch from Marshall’s pull-back after Sanchez Watt’s shot hit the bar and Ian Bennett blocked from O’Grady. Hillsborough was rocking, but Town got to the break without conceding again, although O’Grady hit the side-netting after being put in by Chris Lines. Naysmith tested Bywater with a long-range effort a minute into the second half, and after Alex Bruce escaped with only yellow card after handling as Owls substitute Ryan Lowe broke through, Gobern was only just off target with a header from a Roberts corner. It was evenly-balanced, but Marshall tilted the game towards the home team with a fine solo goal in the 63rd minute when he broke down the left and beat Jack Hunt before cutting in and curling a shot past Bennett . Town had a great chance to level in the 74th minute when Donal McDermott, on as a substitute and looking lively, put in a deep cross which Rhodes laid off to Novak, who
was unable to get a clean connection. And the visitors were made to rue the missed opportunity even more when O’Grady headed home from Lines’ 75th-minute free-kick. Town responded within three minutes when Roberts, having been set free by the busy Gobern, threaded a pass to Rhodes, who registered with a low shot. And after Bennett had foiled Lowe (Jose Semedo put the rebound narrowly wide) and with the Wednesday supporters whistling frantically and Town pushing forward desperately, Rhodes latched onto Clarke’s through ball and swung the same right foot – with the same result.
TOWN 1-0 Chesterfield Rhodes. Att: 13,410
IT WAS typical of Jordan Rhodes to play down the finish which brought Lee Clark his first Boxing Day win as Town boss. But the modest marksman’s 34th-minute strike, back-heeled past wrongfooted keeper Tommy Lee from Lee Novak’s neat cross, showed a man playing with real confidence. It was Rhodes’ 20th goal of the campaign at club level, and a first win in four League I games for Town brought smiles to the faces of the 12,325 home fans in a 13,410 crowd – especially when they learned that Sheffield Wednesday had lost at Walsall. Antony Kay came in for the suspended Peter Clarke – and took the captain’s armband – while Donal McDermott was handed a first start in 15 league games after a lively appearance from the bench against Sheffield Wednesday last time out. Both sides created decent chances in the opening stages as basement side Chesterfield’s frontman Todi Obedayi put an angled effort across the face of goal and narrowly wide after being set up down the left by Dean Morgan before Novak, playing a deep-lying frontline role, burst through and thundered in a low shot which keeper Lee needed two attempts to gather. Spireites striker Jordan Bowery was unable to make the most of a neat pass from left-back Nathan Smith while Gary Roberts failed to get enough power onto Rhodes’ flicked pass to unduly trouble Lee, who then combined with Drew Talbot to foil Rhodes as he darted into the penalty area in the 13th minute. Town’s Ian Bennett had to be alert to collect Morgan’s side-footed shot from 20 yards out, but the home side, playing a neat pass and move game, were slowly but surely turning the screw. Former Chesterfield loan pair Jack Hunt and McDermott were combining tellingly down the right, and Rhodes was just inches off connecting with a teasing cross. Novak’s 27th-minute drive was deflected for the first corner of the game, taken by Roberts and met powerfully by Rhodes, only for his header to go wide. The lively
TOMMY MILLER hailed Danny Cadamarteri’s return to the Town team after the wideman produced an exciting display in the frustrating 1-1 draw with Carlisle. Experienced Cadamarteri, in his second spell at the Galpharm after returning from Dundee United last January, took the sponsor’s man-of-the-match honours on his first start of the season and only second appearance. And his contribution was singled out by fellow 32-year-old Miller. He said: “Cads put in a really good shift. He’s been outstanding in training, especially over the last few weeks, and deserved his chance. “It’s hard when you’re not playing week in, week out to keep fit and motivated, but he’s managed to do that and it’s a credit to him. “He’s a bubbly lad who’s always encouraging the others to do well. “Every day he comes into training with a bright smile on his face. He’s definitely a character!” Miller, who set up the equaliser for Jordan Rhodes after Carlisle took an early lead through on-loan Sunderland midfielder Liam Noble, said the Cumbrian visitors were canny in shutting down Town’s normally fluid game. He explained: “They normally play 4-3-3 but went 4-5-1 against us, flooding the midfield to make it hard for us to play our usual game. “But we kept going for the win right until the end. “We created a few chances and were unlucky in front of goal. On another night we might’ve got the three points.” He also claimed Rhodes was denied a last-minute winner by a good save from Adam Collin. “Their keeper got a touch on it with his legs, so credit to him for a great stop,” said Miller, who was making his 23rd Town appearance. On his role in the equaliser, Rhodes’ 21st goal of the season for Town and his sixth in the last three games, Miller said: “I took the ball off their lad (Noble) on the edge of the box and could see Jordan was coming through on the outside. “I managed to slot it through for him and from there he was never going to miss. The lad’s on fire. He’s been unplayable all season. “I was with him at Ipswich and he always had potential. “But his all-round game has improved dramatically. He’s bulked up a bit, but he’s also older and wiser.” Miller though did not want to be drawn on Town’s prospects at the season’s halfway stage. Having gone third after the Carlisle clash, Lee Clark’s side returned to fifth before the trip to Notts County. Third-placed Sheffield Wednesday won 2-0 at Preston while MK Dons, in fourth, drew 3-3 at Brentford. Notts were 10th after a 3-2 loss at Oldham. Miller said: “You always want more points, but we’re still in a good position and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of twists and turns to come over the coming months. “I’m sure we’ll be up there at the end of the season. “But for now we’re concentrating on getting the three points at Notts County.” Carlisle manager Greg Abbott, having seen his side draw for the third mach running, said: “Huddersfield are a strong side and it was a bit of an onslaught at times but you expect that. “We put our fair share into the game and the players put their bodies on the line. “We are looking like a decent outfit and we have given ourselves a platform.”
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Notts County 2-2 TOWN Roberts, Rhodes. Att: 8,914
Things looked good for Lee Clark’s side when hot shot Jordan Rhodes turned creator for Gary Roberts, then claimed his 22nd goal of the campaign, in a sizzling start to the second half. But the home side had the Hughes, Jeff with a penalty and namesake Lee with a hooked shot, to thank as they hit back in the last 18 minutes at Meadow Lane, where 2,352 Town fans in an 8,914 crowd, witnessed a second successive stalemate. Danny Cadamarteri kept his place after a lively return to the team against Carlisle. But there were three changes elsewhere in the wake of the 1-1 home draw, including a first start of the season for Tom Clarke, who came in at centre-back for Antony Kay. Anton Robinson replaced midfielder Tommy Miller, who had a hamstring injury, while up front, Alan Lee was back in the XI at the expense of Lee Novak. Notts had the first effort of the game in the second minute, with striker Lee Hughes shooting on the turn from Neal Bishop’s pass, but the effort was well covered by Ian Bennett in the Town goal despite the shot taking a tricky deflection. When Hughes then returned the favour Oscar Gobern made a well-timed tackle to rob Bishop as he shaped to shoot from just inside the area. Town had won a corner in the third minute, but it wasn’t until the 12th that the travelling fans were brought to their feet again, with Roberts feeding Rhodes with a long pass from the left. The Town leading scorer got goal-side of his marker Haydn Hollis, but couldn’t get a clean connection. Notts were troubled again three minutes later when keeper Stuart Nelson had to stretch to deal with a Rhodes shot from another Roberts centre. By that stage Town right back Jack Hunt had been booked for a foul on Jeff Hughes, and when the Notts winger found himself in space on the edge of the area in the 17th minute, it took a brave block from Tom Clarke to divert his shot off course. Both sides were pushing forward whenever the opportunity arose and Nelson had to spread himself to parry Peter Clarke’s header from a Roberts free-kick following a foul on Lee, who required treatment after taking a blow to the head when clearing from one of a string of four County corners midway through the first half. Old campaigner Lee Hughes was looking lively for the home side, and it needed Gary Naysmith to mop up after the former West Brom frontman flicked the ball passed Bennett in the 25th minute. Peter Clarke was the next to need attention from Town physio Dave Buckby after another Notts attack was repelled in the 28th minute. Lee was starting for the first time since his red card in Town’s 2-1 home win over County on November 19, and Sam Sodje, the man he clashed with that day, was taken off on a stretcher and replaced by ex-Town loan man Krystian Pearce in the 40th minute. As Notts reshuffled Town attacked and when Nelson kicked clear hurriedly as Rhodes chased a through ball down, Cadamarteri had a long range chip cleared. A foul by County’s Alan Sheehan on Roberts 25 yards out produced a free kick opportunity a minute before the break but the Town winger miscued. There was no mistake when he headed Town in front from close range in the 52nd minute, however. Six minutes later, Rhodes was on hand to head home the rebound after Roberts latched onto Robinson’s pass and rattled a shot against the bar. Both sides hit the bar, Town through Lee and County through Alan Judge, before the home side pulled one back with the 72nd-minute penalty by Jeff Hughes. Now Notts had the momentum, and the equaliser arrived in the 84th minute, with Lee Hughes holding off Peter Clarke’s challenge to hook home.
Wycombe 0-6 TOWN Gobern, Rhodes (5). Att: 4,465
THIS wasn’t the kind of contest to keep Sky viewers on the edge of their seats, but it was just what Town needed! “Jordan Rhodes is not for sale” chanted the gleeful travelling fans as the red-hot striker raised his profile, and value, even further with an amazing five-goal haul in front of the TV cameras. It followed last month’s four-goal show at Sheffield Wednesday and means the 21-year-old now has five hat tricks this season and seven in his career. The Scotland ace has now netted in five games running and, with 12 goals in that remarkable spell, has 27 for the season at club level and another six for Scotland Under 21s. Driving midfielder Oscar Gobern got the ball rolling with his second goal in Town colours. And while Rhodes, freshly named as the npower League I player of the month for December, rightly got the plaudits, there was also praise for Lee Novak, who was unselfish in support of his teammate.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
JANUARY
TOWN 3-2 Brentford Lee, McCombe, Rhodes. Att: 10,534
League 1 end of January
■ OFF AND RUNNING: Oscar Gobern heads Town in front in their heavy televised victory at Wycombe in which Jordan Rhodes scored a career-high five goals Big centre-back Jamie McCombe returned in one of four changes to the Town side on duty at Notts County. It was a first league start since his costly sending off against Leyton Orient back on September 24. There was also a recall for wideman Danny Ward, who had missed the previous three games. Midfielder Tommy Miller returned after a hamstring injury while Lee Novak was also back in the XI. The men to drop out, Tom Clarke, Danny Cadamarteri, Anton Robinson and Alan Lee, were all on the bench. Wycombe boss Gary Waddock had threatened to wield the axe in the wake of two successive defeats. But in fact he made just two changes, with defender Grant Basey, recently signed from Peterborough, and midfielder Joel Grant coming in. Wycombe had the first effort on target through 11-goal leading scorer Stuart Beavon, but his fifth-minute shot on the turn was comfortably saved by Ian Bennett, who looked on in delight as he team took the lead five minutes later. Novak brought a smart stop from Nikki Bull with a low drive from the edge of the area, but from the resultant corner taken by Gary Roberts, the keeper was wrongfooted as teammate Danny Foster tried to clear Gobern’s header but only succeeded in deflecting the ball into the net. Wycombe were poor in defence again and were all at sea as Town doubled their lead on 19 minutes. Novak picked out Jack Hunt with a neat pass and the overlapping right-back’s cross was met by Rhodes, who slid the ball home. Once again it was Rhodes who did the damage with the next, latching onto Novak’s through ball. Town were looking dangerous every time they attacked, and Rhodes had a header cleared off the line by Johnson in the 32nd minute before Roberts brought a flying save from Bull with a curling shot four minutes later. Home hopes of a more solid second-half showing were crushed within four minutes of the restart as Rhodes completed his hat trick. Wycome were a touch unlucky as the ball deflected off referee Steve Tanner, allowing Novak to play another telling pass to his frontline partner. Rhodes was onto it in a flash, and while Bull parried his initial effort, he made no mistake from the rebound. To add to Wycombe’s woes, defender Johnson had to come off after he was injured when colliding with his keeper while trying to thwart Rhodes, who made it 5-0 in the 58th minute with a straightforward finish after Ward’s shot was parried. But Rhodes wasn’t finished yet, and when Ward broke clear down the left in the 68th minute, his flicked finish had the fans behind the goal jumping for joy yet again. It was Town’s biggest away win since Stockport were trounced by the same scoreline at Edgeley Park in April 2010 and the second time they have beaten Wycombe 6-0 in a Sky-televised game, the other being at the Galpharm in November 2009.
15
TOWN 1-0 Oldham Ath Lee. Att:13,536
IT was good enough for Arsenal for all those years, and one-nil certainly did the job for Town. Stubborn Oldham might have put the brakes on Jordan Rhodes, who had scored in each of the previous five games and notched 12 in total in the spell. But they couldn’t keep out Alan Lee, who came off the bench to net his fifth goal of the campaign with just four minutes of normal time remaining. The big striker, who proved a handful for the visiting defence after replacing hard-working Lee Novak in the 65th minute, took full advantage of substitute Danny Cadamarteri’s neat cross to fire home from close range. It was a deserved win for Lee Clark’s side, who had been the dominant force against a Latics team. And the three points were enough to put Town back up to third in League I. Keeper Ian Bennett, making his 50th league appearance for the club as part of an unchanged line-up, had a relatively straightforward afternoon. Lee illustrated the team ethic with a headed clearance from Chris Taylor’s late corner, and it would have been tough indeed on Town had Oldham managed to force what would have been a third successive draw between the pair. The Latics’ biggest threat came from set plays and Josh Parker’s long throws, but with Jamie McCombe and skipper Peter Clarke working well together, Town dealt with all that came their way. At the opposite end, Danny Ward was a constant worry for Paul Dickov’s men. Always willing to shoot on sight, he had a long-distance effort held by keeper Alex Cisak in the second minute. And when Ward sidestepped defender Zander Diamond and unleashed another powerful effort eight minutes later, the ex-Accrington stopper could only parry, before pushing a 12th-minute drive for a corner. Oldham’s Parker headed over from Taylor’s 21st-minute cross, and Town were forced into a change in the 23rd, when midfielder Oscar Gobern, feeling the effects of a clash of heads, was replaced by Anton Robinson. The pattern of the game was much the same in the second half as Roberts came close with a shot which was headed off the line by Diamond before Rhodes fired just wide after being set up by the busy Gary Naysmith. When Lee won a dangerous-looking free-kick less than a minute after coming on – former Aberdeen man Diamond committed the foul 20 yards out – Rhodes’ shot was saved. Lee headed just wide from another Hunt cross while Tommy Miller was too high from a corner by Ward, who then came close with a volley. Full credit to Town’s fans in a 13,536 crowd, who heeded the manager’s request to stick with the team for the duration and were able to celebrate when Lee pounced, arriving at the near post to meet Cadamarteri’s cross.
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Tranmere 1-1 TOWN Rhodes. Att: 5,851
TOWN ended up drawing a match they might well have won – but could just as easily have lost! Second best in the first half as Tranmere made a nonsense of their League I position, Lee Clark’s side made a strong start to the second. And when Jordan Rhodes gave them the lead with his 29th goal of the season in the 49th minute, the stage looked set for a fourth successive victory. But Rovers responded with a quickfire leveller, Adam McGurk heading home powerfully from close range, and had the better chances thereafter. It was frustrating that second-placed Town, forced to reshuffle after Danny Ward then Alan Lee went off injured, had to make do with putting one rather than three points between themselves and the two Sheffield sides, who were both in FA Cup action. But the visitors, chasing a fourth consecutive win at Prenton Park, were never at their best as Tranmere took charge of midfield and ensured the impressive Sean Morrison had a busy debut in central defence after moving on loan from Reading. Clark made four changes in the wake of the 3-2 home win over Brentford, with Morrison replacing captain Peter Clarke, Damien Johnson returning to midfield for Tommy Miller, Danny Cadamarteri coming in for the injured Gary Roberts and Lee Novak preferred to Lee. Writing in the match programme, Rovers manager Les Parry bemoaned his side’s inability to take the many chances they are creating, and his point was well illustrated in the opening period. Three times his players contrived to shoot wide when well placed. First, when Johnson blocked McGurk’s 13th-minute shot, John Welsh swung an inviting ball back in only for Mustafa Tiryaki to prod off target from 10 yards out. Then former Barnsley midfielder Martin Devaney was profligate, wasting good work by Tiryaki, who latched onto on-loan Everton man James Wallace’s smart pass, flicked the ball past Morrison and pulled it back neatly to his waiting teammate. Former Town frontman Lucas Akins was next to leave the home faithful with heads in hands as he failed to test Ian Bennett after being teed up by Devaney.
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THE first half hour didn’t make for pleasant viewing. But there was a happy ending as gutsy Town moved up through the gears to conjure a comeback win and return to League I’s automatic promotion places. And there was added encouragement from Hillsborough and Meadow Lane, where promotion rivals Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons were held to draws by Hartlepool and Notts County respectively. But conditions at the Galpharm were made awkward by a swirling wind, and boss Clark was forced to tweak his plans late on after striker Lee Novak was ruled out by an ankle injury picked up in training on the eve of the game. It meant a start for Alan Lee – and what an important contribution the big man was to make as Town earned their second double of the season after crushing Wycombe 6-0 in front of the Sky cameras. Town were up against it after going two down within half an hour. Brentford’s bank of three in midfield, ex-Leeds player Jonathan Douglas, mobile Marcus Bean and forceful Frenchman Toumani Diagouraga, had a firm grip. Gary Alexander put the visitors in front with a 21st-minute penalty. There was worse to come as Alexander doubled his tally and made it 11 goals for the season eight minutes later. Little had been seen of Town as an attacking force, but that was to change in a 15-minute spell either side of half-time. From a Ward corner, Dale Bennett, the right-back on loan from Watford, could only loop an attempted clearing header up into the air and Lee, having grabbed the winner against Oldham, nodded home his 100th league goal. It was hotly disputed by Brentford, who claimed Lee had fouled his namesake between the posts. Town levelled two minutes into the four added onto the first half, with Ward crossing for centre-back Jamie McCombe to head home his first goal of the campaign. The momentum was maintained at the start of the second half, with Roberts hitting the bar for a second time before Rhodes made it 28 for the season with a sublime 50th-minute finish. Both sides used all three permitted substitutions, with Brentford bringing on Bradfordian frontman Clayton Donaldson and also introducing Myles Weston, who shot narrowly wide in the 68th minute, and Harry Forrester. Town replaced Roberts with Danny Cadamarteri, then bolstered their midfield as Anton Robinson took over from Lee. To add extra steel, Tom Clarke came on at right-back with Jack Hunt pushing up for Ward.
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league match
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Thursday, May 31, 2012
16 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012 TOWN 1-1 MK Dons McCombe. Att:12,907
TOWN blew hot and cold against promotion rivals MK Dons in an entertaining clash of passing teams at a freezing Galpharm. Two precious home points slipped away, however, as Lee Clark’s side, who started like a house on fire, didn’t get a break with close late chances for Jack Hunt (who hit the bar) and Scott Arfield, who was inches wide with a low shot. Clark gave a debut to new signing Kallum Higginbotham, slotting the acquisition from Falkirk just behind front-runner Jordan Rhodes. The ploy looked as though it could reap instant dividends as Higginbotham buzzed about to great effect, linking well with the midfield. And with Town operating something close to a basketball-style full court press in the opening minutes the visitors were looking fragile as they were denied the time and space to play their trademark style. Dons boss Karl Robinson included his two loan signings from Newcastle in former Leeds midfielder Alan Smith, booed like a pantomime villain by the Town fans every time he touched the ball, while young James Tavernier had his mettle tested by lively Town winger Danny Cadamarteri. Perhaps Cadamarteri’s performance epitomised Town’s display as he spent the majority of the first half on the front foot and posing MK problems, yet spent much of the second period feeding off scraps and struggling to make as much impact as in the first 45. Early chances saw crosses from Higginbotham and Cadamarteri arrive a little too high for defender Jamie McCombe and then Rhodes to be able to put headers on target, but the best effort of the half from the home side saw midfielder Scott Arfield connect perfectly with a dropping clearance and his effort forced a save from Dons keeper David Martin. As the half wore on Town looked as though they might be denied any reward for their efforts, but as the first period crept into injury time McCombe was a part of another raid and headed home decisively as he met a well-flighted cross from Higginbotham. It can be only assumed that Dons boss Robinson made it very evident to his team in the half-time interval that they were off the pace and off their game as they returned for the second half looking a different proposition. Inside the first six minutes both Town skipper Gary Naysmith and midfielder Tommy Miller collected cautions for rushed challenges which underlined the more assertive approach of the Dons. And on 62 minutes the visitors had their reward with an equaliser that was blessed with more than a little fortune as Stephen Gleeson whipped in a free kick from the touchline and his in-swinging effort managed to elude everyone – including Town keeper Ian Bennett – and find the top corner of the net. By this time Smith was beginning to relish his role as the ‘bad boy’ of the piece and it wouldn’t have been surprising to discover that he had indulged in some Terry Thomas-style moustache stroking and an evil cackle as he launched into McCombe and was shown only a yellow card by Lancashire referee Graham Salisbury in front of the jeering Town fans. Sadly the baying home supporters were allowed only one last round of taunting as Smith was substituted two minutes later, but with his departure the Dons looked a little less aggressive and Town began to work their way back into the contest. The Dons did have the next clear chance as Dean Bowditch played in striker Charlie MacDonald, but his effort was blocked by the combined efforts of central defender Sean Morrison and Bennett. The visitors clearly felt that the hands that stopped the ball had belonged to the centre back and not the keeper, but the referee was unmoved by their appeals and Town began to suggest they might have enough in the tank to take the three points. Sadly chances were few and it was only in the additional four minutes that they really created two clear-cut opportunities. The first fell to Hunt, who broke forward and smashed the ball beyond the fingers of Martin, but the ball came down off the bar and fleeting claims the effort had crossed the line were ignored. Within seconds Town were back at the Dons defence again, but this time Arfield opted to try and thread an effort through and his effort was marginally wide of the right-hand post. With Sheffield Wednesday also beating the freeze but winning at home, the point against the Dons was cold comfort for Town as they surrendered their place in the automatic promotion slots.
FEBRUARY
League 1 end of February
away a fizzing effort from former Barnsley man Nardiello on 27. And while Town continued to have the better of things in the second half, Exeter did have that penalty appeal before Noble put an effort over. Ward was still making a nuisance of himself while Novak came close in the 67th minute, when he took possession from Gobern, cut in from the left and put the ball just over the bar. When Rhodes had his header from McCombe’s flick-on disallowed, it looked as if the wait for a 30th goal might carry on. But his floated 85th-minute finish after Novak neatly laid off Gobern’s delivery was real class.
Stevenage 2-2 TOWN Ward, Novak. Att: 3,059
■ TOWN V MK DONS: Kallum Higginbotham takes them on
TOWN 0-1 Sheffield Utd
TOWN 2-0 Exeter
Att:15,536
McCombe, Rhodes. Att:12,303
TOWN’S hopes of automatic promotion took a knock as Sheffield United claimed the derby spoils with a stubborn show. Jordan Rhodes hit a post and Sean Morrison had a header cleared off the line as chances came and went on a night of frustration for manager Lee Clark and the Galpharm faithful. Clark was sacked the following day. Defender Neill Collins’ early header proved the difference between the Yorkshire rivals as Danny Wilson’s side avenged their 3-0 home defeat by Town in September. It meant a disappointing return to duty for keeper Alex Smithies, who was handed his first start in over 10 months following two knee operations. Clark rung the changes for the 86th league meeting between the sides, Town having won 34 of the previous clashes to United’s 22. Alongside stopper Smithies, widemen Gary Roberts and Danny Ward, midfielder Anton Robinson and striker Alan Lee were also back in the XI following the 1-1 home draw with MK Dons last time out. Sheffield boss Danny Wilson kept faith with Richard Cresswell alongside top scorer Ched Evans up front, with on-loan Brighton striker Will Hoskins again having to make do with a place on the bench. It proved the toughest of starts for Smithies as United took a crucial sixth-minute lead from their second corner of the game. Their two centre-backs combined, with Harry Maguire heading Ryan Flynn’s flag kick from the Sheffield left back across the penalty box for Collins to climb and nod the ball in at the near post. Town had a good chance two minutes later, but Ward’s header from Roberts’ cross was off target. Defender Morrison had his first chance to hurl in a long throw in the 14th minute, but the tactic backfired as the Blades cleared and broke quickly on the counter-attack. Stephen Quinn crossed after good work by Cresswell and Kevin McDonald only for Evans to miscue his attempted shot. Town responded by winning a free-kick 30 yards out from which Ward stung keeper Steve Simonsen’s fingers with a low drive. United remained on the back foot as Town, with Ward looking lively, forced three corners in quick succession. Town were doing the bulk of the attacking and Rhodes went agonisingly close with a shot which hit the right-hand post before Gobern headed wide from a corner. Manager Clark was forced to make a half-time change with Calum Woods going into midfield in place of Gobern, and as Town found their feet United twice went close from Maguire’s free-kick and Quinn’s low shot . But normal service was soon resumed as Town pushed forward in search of an equaliser. United were defending resiliently but Town probably did enough to earn a share of the spoils.
FIFTEEN more results like this and there will be few complaints from the Galpharm faithful! Jamie McCombe grabbed his third goal in five games before Jordan Rhodes joined a select band of strikers to have notched 30 in a season for the club and it was job done in Simon Grayson’s first match at the helm. The new manager stuck with the same starting XI selected by Lee Clark in his last match in charge against Sheffield United as Town chalked up a very welcome first win in four games. But there was a first outing of season for midfielder Joey Gudjonsson as the boss used his substitutes to good effect. The Icelandic international, who was given a rousing reception when he replaced Anton Robinson, was part of a double swap on 64 minutes, with Lee Novak, who came on for Alan Lee, producing a bright cameo performance. Danny Cadamarteri, who played the final stages in place of Gary Roberts, also did his bit as any chance of an Exeter fightback was finally quashed. Town didn’t have it all their own way against the dogged Devonians, who twice came close during a lively opening spell and had a 60th-minute penalty claim turned down when Daniel Nardiello went down under Jack Hunt’s challenge. But they did the bulk of the attacking, with Rhodes having a 71st-minute header ruled out for offside, and a first clean sheet in five matches was an added bonus. While passes sometimes went astray, Grayson’s players showed patience, persistence and a pleasing willingness to express themselves, with Jack Hunt and Danny Ward again forming a potent partnership down the right. Ward was a very willing worker throughout, and having set up Town’s first chance in the fourth minute, when Alan Lee glanced a header wide, got back well to dispossess Jake Taylor as the on-loan Reading man bore down on goal in a 10th-minute counter-attack. Soon after Ward had a shot from the edge of the area blocked, and centre-back Sean Morrison put a cross against the outside of the right-hand post before Hunt put in the 30th-minute centre from which Rhodes brought a fine save from Polish keeper Artur Krysiak with a diving header. The breakthrough goal finally came in the 40th minute. Ward won a free-kick when James Dunne fouled him on the left and flighted the ball in for McCombe to guide home a header. Exeter, who often had all 11 men behind the ball, did have chances. Skipper David Noble drilled a long-range free-kick wide just 90 seconds in while McCombe made a vital block to thwart Nardiello as he shot from Taylor’s pass a minute later. Alex Smithies had to be alert to gather Liam Sercombe’s snap shot on 10 minutes, and the Town keeper then beat
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TOWN were denied victory by Robin Shroot’s last-gasp leveller just minutes after Town keeper Alex Smithies pulled off a superb penalty save. Town’s talented young keeper did brilliantly to dive to his left and deny Scott Laird from the spot in the 81st minute after Sean Morrison’s foul Laurie Wilson. But he couldn’t prevent a Shroot finishing from fellow substitute Jennison Myrie-Williams cross as Stevenage completed a stunning late fightback following early second half goals from Town’s Danny Ward and striker Lee Novak. Town boss Simon Grayson made three changes to the side which sealed a 2-0 home win over Exeter in his first match at the helm. With 30-goal top scorer Jordan Rhodes away on Scotland Under 21 duty, Novak came in after impressing from the bench the previous game. The other two substitutes who appeared against Exeter, Joey Gudjonsson and Danny Cadamarteri, also stepped up, at the expense of Anton Robinson and Gary Roberts, who were both on the bench. While Town were seeking a fourth double of the campaign, Stevenage were out to disprove those suggesting they had taken their eye off the ball after losing both games since booking a big FA Cup fifth-round replay at Tottenham. The home team were missing nine-goal top scorer Chris Beardsley and ex-Arsenal winger Luke Freeman through injury. Stevenage won a dangerous free-kick for a foul by Gary Naysmith just 25 seconds in, with Michael Bostwick’s low effort deflected for a corner which Town cleared. Ward conjured Town’s first attempt on target in the seventh minute, connecting with Alan Lee’s lay-off to bring a good save from Chris Day. But the home side were playing some fluent football, and it took a timely interception by Jamie McCombe to cut out an incisive cross-cum-shot from the left by Scott Laird. A 23rd-minute foul on Lee brought a promising free-kick for Town, but Ward’s square delivery took Jack Hunt by surprise, and the move broke down disappointingly. Moments later, home skipper Mark Roberts was well positioned when meeting Joel Byrom’s corner, but headed wide. Another foul on Lee led to another decent effort by Ward on the half hour. When Naysmith’s free-kick was only partially cleared, Gudjonsson teed up the former Bolton man, whose low, swerving shot was pushed away by Day for a corner which came to nothing. Town again came close on 34 minutes, when McCombe’s header from fellow centre-back Sean Morrison’s long throw brought a scrambled clearance. Stevenage swapped keepers at half-time, with Alan Julian replacing Day and lining up in front of the travelling Town supporters. And much to their delight, the new man was picking the ball out of the net just five minutes in. Ward might have been twice denied by Day, but he squeezed a shot between Julian and the right-hand post after a great break by Novak, who seized on Stacy Long’s loose pass and hared forward from halfway. Julian’s night got worse when the lead was doubled five minutes later. This time, the stopper seemed to be taken by surprise as Novak took possession from Hunt 25 yards out and hit a screamer into the roof of the net. Happily for Town, Smithies was equal to Laurie Wilson’s well-struck long-range drive in the 58th minute. But he was powerless to prevent big defender Bostwick heading home from Byrom’s 71st-minute corner to breathe new life into the home challenge. Town had made their first change by that stage, with Antony Kay coming on for Oscar Gobern, and on 74 minutes, Kallum Higginbotham took over from Lee, who had put in a solid stint.
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league match Bury 3-3 TOWN Morrison, Rhodes (2). Att: 5,988
THERE have been some real goal-fests in meetings between these two at Gigg Lane over the years – but this was one that shouldn’t have been allowed to happen. A scintillating spell of three in 10 minutes midway through the first half, the opener by Sean Morrison and the other two from Jordan Rhodes, put Simon Grayson’s side firmly in the driving seat. But a deflected free-kick from former Bradford City midfielder Steve Schumacher breathed new life into Bury, and after tricky striker Lenell Jean-Lewis netted with 20 minutes to go, the game was on a knife-edge. Chances came and went at both ends before defender Ashley Eastham provided a happy ending for the home fans, outnumbered by the 3,270 Town followers in a 5,988 crowd, with an equaliser in the second of five minutes added on by referee Fred Graham Amazingly, it’s the 12th time this season that Town have ended up drawing from a winning position. And had they claimed victory in just half of those matches, they would have been second, seven points clear of Sheffield United. It was tough to take at Stevenage, but harder still to swallow here, but Town have to find a way of stemming the flow of goals conceded if they are to make a meaningful challenge for automatic promotion, or if needs be, come through what would be a third successive promotion campaign. On a pitch where Town once fought back from four down for a point (Kieran O’Regan, watching from the stand in his role as a radio pundit, was involved in that one back in 1991-92) there was little sign of what was to follow in an uneventful first 15 minutes. But after Jamie McCombe made a key intervention to thwart Jean-Lewis as he chased Mark Carrington’s clever 17th-minute ball into the box, the game sprung to life. Town went ahead from the first corner of the game, won by Lee Novak after he was freed by Scott Arfield’s accurate crossfield pass, in the 20th minute. Danny Ward swung the ball in from the Town right, and with Rhodes causing all kinds of problems for keeper Trevor Carson, the ball broke to fellow centre-back Morrison, who fired his first Town goal. The lead was doubled within five minutes as Town keeper Alex Smithies showed quick reactions after collecting a corner from Schumacher. His throw found Rhodes, and after neat work by Arfield and Ward to continue the move, the striker back from Scotland Under 21 duty headed past the stunned Carson. Rhodes’ 32nd club goal of the campaign then came in the 29th minute, after Scott Arfield won the ball.
TOWN 1-0 Hartlepool
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
MARCH
Rhodes (pen). Att:14,236
League 1 end of January
Ward, Rhodes. Att:12,142
ANOTHER case of deja vu and another hefty dose of disappointment. Town fans were quick to make their feelings known as yet another victory opportunity slipped away. This was the 16th draw of a frustrating League I campaign, and the 13th from a winning position. But it was nothing to do with being unlucky – more the failure to convert chances and to maintain tightness in defence. Basement side Rochdale conjured only four efforts on target, but took two of them to twice peg Town back. Ashley Grimes had equalised in the 89th minute as the first meeting between these two, at Spotland back in August, ended 2-2. And he stepped off the bench to repeat the feat, this time drilling home an 82nd-minute leveller from a nod down by Michael Symes. That took the gloss off a 33rd goal of the season for Jordan Rhodes – once a Rochdale loan player – and meant that for Town, it felt more like a defeat. The really annoying thing was that Town could have been well ahead by the time Danny Ward struck with a beauty in first-half stoppage time. Then, rather than going in at the break with a morale-boosting lead, a dip in concentration, and a failure to track opposition runners, let the Lancastrians respond through Andrew Tutte within 40 seconds. Simon Grayson’s side, unchanged after the home win over Hartlepool, certainly responded to the manager’s call for a high-tempo opening. After Kevin Long had tested Town keeper Alex Smithies with a 32nd-minute header, it was Kay who began the move which might have brought Town a penalty for handball, but appeals were waved away. Novak shot narrowly wide from Rhodes’ tee-up, then Jamie McCombe had a header held, before Lucas was finally beaten a minute into time added on by Ward. It should have been a key breakthrough moment, but with the home supporters still celebrating, Rochdale were level through Tutte’s thumping drive. Town were back in front three minutes into the second half when Novak set up Rhodes. But after Rhodes fired wide from Novak’s flick, Grimes claimed his side’s second equaliser.
Colchester 1-1 TOWN OG (Okuonghae). Att: 3,929
GUTSY Town were rewarded for sheer persistence and never-say-die spirit in a match which Alex Smithies will never forget. They trailed for 87 minutes in Essex after the Town keeper’s attempted clearance kick was blocked straight back into the net by Steven Gillespie. But Smithies made up for that mistake with excellent saves to deny Ian Henderson and Kayode Odejayi, a brilliant late penalty block to keep out Anthony Wordsworth and then a booming assist for the equaliser. Four minutes of stoppage time had almost been used up at the end when Smithies launched a kick down field which bounced on the ‘D’ and, as Alan Lee challenged, Magnus Okuonghae headed over his stranded keeper Ben Williams for a bizarre own goal. It earned Town their 11th away draw of the season and 17th in all – more than any other team in the division – to leave them five points off the two Sheffield clubs with a game in hand. As manager Simon Grayson pointed out, it was the least Town deserved from an eventful encounter at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, where 493 travelling fans were put through the wringer again before enjoying a dramatic finale. Town, with the excellent Peter Clarke back in defence and Gary Roberts restored to the starting line-up (at the expense of Jamie McCombe and Scott Arfield respectively), looked very comfortable in a standard 4-4-2 formation and did not deserve to lose because they dominated large swathes of possession and territory. They also took the game to John Ward’s side at every opportunity, although Town were badly let down by their final ball until the last quarter of the game. Williams, in fact, didn’t have a save to make in the first hour as Town wasted a lot of encouraging build-up play with poor delivery, although Colchester had a massive let-off on 59 minutes. That was when Danny Ward crashed a back-post volley against the bar.
17
TOWN 1-0 Charlton
TOWN 2-2 Rochdale
Lee. Att 9,409
ALAN LEE stepped off the bench to seal a vital victory. Just 15 minutes of a tense clash at the Galpharm remained when the Irishman notched his seventh goal of the season with a neat piece of control and clinical low shot. And while the win was on the scrappy side, it was just what was needed to rekindle Town’s League I promotion push after successive draws on the road. Town boss Simon Grayson made just one change as his side strove to bounce back after letting slip a three-goal lead at Bury. Calum Woods came in for Gary Naysmith at left-back, meaning Antony Kay, who retained his central midfield berth, took the captain’s armband. There was a 100th Town appearance for striker Lee Novak and a 50th start for the club for centre-back Jamie McCombe. Damien Johnson was on the bench – the former Northern Ireland midfielder’s first inclusion in the 16 since Grayson took over. Hartlepool, looking to strengthen their play-off push, were skippered by former Town centre-back Sam Collins. With the visitors stringing five men across the middle, Town had the better of the opening exchanges, and Jordan Rhodes brought a good save from Scott Flinders with a firm header from Scott Arfield’s fourth-minute cross. Former Barnsley man Flinders was in the action again in the 12th minute, arching to deny Kay as he flung out a leg and caught Danny Ward’s cross with the back of his heel. At the other end, Sean Morrison was quick to throw himself in the way of Ritchie Humphreys’ snap shot as Hartlepool mounted a rare attack. Town’s next attack was on the counter after a Hartlepool corner, and while Arfield was charging into space on the left, Rhodes mis-hit his attempted pass. With the home fans growing restless, Lee made the impact his manager craved the 75th minute, controlling Joey Gudjonsson’s through ball on his chest before firing past Flinders. It would have been two a minute later had it not been for a fine Flinders save denying Rhodes, who took aim with a curler from the edge of the area.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Chesterfield 0-2 TOWN Novak, Rhodes. Att: 6,916
WINS are what Town manager Simon Grayson has ordered and a victory is what he got at the b2net Stadium. But more important was the manner in which his side went about securing their success and three points that keep them hot on the heels of the Sheffield duo ahead of them in the League I standings. This was a performance of great pragmatism, with the defence well led by skipper Peter Clarke, and it was from that position of strength Town could build going forward. When they hit their purple patches in front of a travelling contingent of 1,724, wingers Gary Roberts and Danny Ward were inventive and strikers Lee Novak and Jordan Rhodes prospered accordingly. Town boss Simon Grayson made one change in defence to his starting line up from the Colchester match as Tom Clarke replaced Calum Woods, who didn’t travel due to picking up an injury in training, and made his 100th appearance for Town. Also reaching a landmark was Jack Hunt, welcomed back by the Chesterfield fans after his loan spell at the club last term, who was making his 50th start for Town. The home side, no doubt excited by all the announcements regarding their Sunday trip to Wembley for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final against Swindon, made a bright start without creating a clear-cut chance. However, as the pattern of play settled, Town began to exert more pressure and forced a series of three corners, though the closest they came was when Jordan Bowery managed to block one of Antony Kay’s deliveries into the box as the Town attackers closed in. The home side then tested Alex Smithies in the Town goal with an Alex Mendy shot, forcing the keeper into two bites to clear up the danger, but on 23 minutes the visitors stamped their mark on the game. A sharp build-up took Town through the Chesterfield midfield cover and, when the ball broke, striker Novak snapped up possession and adjusted smartly to fire his shot into the top corner of keeper Tommy Lee’s goal. Chesterfield tried to respond quickly with James Hurst setting up Mendy, but Smithies was equal to his effort and on 27 minutes Town were two to the good after another incisive move. This time Hunt was the provider and Rhodes set himself perfectly to rifle a shot into the bottom corner of Lee’s net for his 34th goal of the season – equalling Iwan Roberts’ post-war record from 1991-92. On the half hour Roberts forced a save from Lee, but then Rhodes could have scored again but received the ball with his back to goal and was forced to hurry his turn and subsequently pulled his shot wide of the target. Just two minutes before half time Town went within a whisker of a third goal when a cross deep to the back post found Roberts unmarked, but his measured lob over Lee came out off the underside of the bar and was cleared for a corner when the trickster really deserved to score. The second half again saw the home side start brightly and after 50 minutes Bowery arguably should have got his shot on target after he had wriggled free in the Town penalty area. But Town quickly got back into their stride and Roberts was again unlucky not to score.
THE clever feet of Gary Roberts and cool head of Jordan Rhodes clinched a crucial victory over the League I leaders. Record-breaking Rhodes registered his 80th Town goal, his first from the penalty spot, as the fourth-placed Galpharm side took revenge on one of only three teams to beat them this season. The 14th-minute strike, clinically drilled past keeper Ben Hamer, who was sent the wrong way, put Rhodes into the Town record books, his 35 strikes so far this season bettering Iwan Roberts’ previous post-war best set in 1991-92. It also illustrated the confidence of the 22-year-old, who has tended to stay away from taking spot kicks. Rhodes had already tested Hamer, who did well to fend off a well-placed header from Roberts’ 11th-minute cross. And Town had mounted their first attack before Charlton even touched the ball, Danny Ward shooting wide with just 27 seconds on the clock. So it was good to see Simon Grayson’s side make the most of their energetic start with a breakthrough goal. Roberts, making his third consecutive start after returning to full fitness following his hernia operation, robbed Darel Russell on halfway and played a neat one-two with Rhodes. The winger hared towards the penalty area, twisting this way and that, before his run was ended by Russell’s foul, referee Carl Boyeson pointing to the spot without hesitation. It turned out to be a bad afternoon for the on-loan Preston midfielder, who was red carded in the 57th minute when he kicked out after a full-blooded challenge by Antony Kay. The Town man, who had brought howls of protest from Charlton players and fans alike with a meaty first-half tackle on Scott Wagstaff (both players needed treatment before play was restarted with a drop ball), was shown a yellow card. And home striker Lee Novak was perhaps lucky to get away with just a caution after pushing Russell in the skirmish which ensued.
Carlisle 2-1 TOWN Novak. Att: 7,530
FOUR minutes of injury time had elapsed as Carlisle striker Lee Miller gambled on reaching a hopeful ball into the box first and his headed winning goal ensured Town got what they deserved from this game – absolutely nothing. Only seconds previously the visitors had been within the thickness of a coat of paint from winning as substitute striker Alan Lee thundered a shot against the Cumbrians’ woodwork, but had Town taken all three points it would have amounted to theft on a grand scale. With his dramatic late strike Miller appears to have decided the fates of two clubs in one fell swoop as he moved Carlisle into pole position to grab sixth place and a shot at the play-offs, while pretty much ensuring that Town will also be heading for an extended season. Midfield held the key to this contest and with former Town player James Berrett, Francois Zoko and Liam Noble busy and buzzing, the visitors found themselves under pressure from the word go. It was not for lack of effort that Town struggled, but when they did manage to grab any possession their urgency to make the most of it ended more often than not in passes going woefully astray. Particularly frustrated was on-loan midfielder Diego Arismendi whose body language suggested growing dissatisfaction and, having been booked for a foul on Noble midway through the first half, he descended into a running dialogue with referee Nigel Miller – manager Grayson deciding to remove the Uruguayan while he was still at liberty to replace him with another player. Town were lucky to get to half-time on level terms as Carlisle produced a string of chances. The home side started the second in even better fettle and within three minutes were in front when the left side of Town’s defence did a fair impression of statues as Jon-Paul McGovern, Zoko and Simek linked smartly and from the American’s ball across goal Miller dummied to allow Berrett the simplest of tap-ins. Town boss Grayson – who had named an unchanged starting line-up – decided something had to change and brought on Scott Arfield and, most tellingly, striker Lee. Town began to find some room and produced what looked like a get-out-of-jail card. With 10 minutes remaining Lee galloped into the Carlisle penalty area on the left and produced the perfect ball across the six yard box for Novak to net from close. As the clock ran down both Novak and Rhodes tried their luck, but with five additional minutes the contest turned into an end-to-end rush for a winner. And Carlisle got it
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
Leyton O 1-3 TOWN Rhodes (3). Att: 3,674
JORDAN RHODES did the business once again as Town grabbed the win. Rhodes struck three times to clinch a seventh away victory of the campaign. Town had a tough start in East London, going behind to Matthew Spring’s 14th-minute shot. But Jimmy Smith’s own goal (later credited to Rhodes) had them back on level terms within three minutes, and Rhodes’ goals at the end of each half had Town travelling supporters singing in the rain. Town, unbeaten in four visits to Brisbane Road and seeking a third successive victory at the venue, made just one change. Big frontman Alan Lee came in for a first start in eight games at the expense of Gary Roberts, who dropped to a bench which included Danny Cadamarteri. Calum Woods, recovered from a groin niggle, was also among the substitutes, with Tom Clarke retaining the left-back berth. It was a 100th career start for the versatile homegrown player, who had a spell on loan at Orient earlier this season. The home side, in need of points to steer clear of the relegation zone, included former Town goalkeeper Paul Rachubka, who is on loan from Leeds. Orient’s first chance came with a 12th-minute corner, but David Mooney, playing as a lone frontman, headed well wide from Dean Cox’s delivery. However skipper Spring made no mistake two minutes later, lashing home a shot from the edge of the area. The response, however, was swift. Three minutes later Ward flighted in another corner, the bustling Lee caused panic in the home defence and as the ball broke free, Rhodes’ clever flick was diverted in by midfielder Smith. The game itself had become a little disjointed, with passes by both sides going astray. But moments after the fourth official had signalled two minutes of time added on, there was cheer for a visiting contingent of 603 fans which included actor Patrick Stewart. Rhodes showed all his goal-poaching instincts to get in front of his marker at the near post and prod home after Lee flicked on Sean Morrison’s long throw . Town replaced Lee with Cadamarteri on 78 minutes, and it was the substitute’s aerial challenge with Dickson which set up Rhodes for his instinctive last-minute finish. In the process, the Scotland ace who now has 37 goals for the campaign equalled Town’s seasonal-best league tally of 35, chalked up by both George Brown and Sammy Taylor.
TOWN 0-2 Sheffield Wed Att: 17,185
TOWN couldn’t combat Wednesday’s power, pace and physicality. Defeat all but ended hopes of automatic promotion. After Town got to grips with the visitors’ high-tempo approach, there wasn’t much to separate the sides in a first half. But a flimsy-looking free-kick, referee Anthony Taylor ruling Sean Morrison had fouled Danny Batth, was fired home by Spanish centre-back Miguel Llera in the 53rd minute, and from then on, Wednesday looked to have the points in the bag. Nile Ranger, the on-loan Newcastle striker, had a shot saved by Alex Smithies then hit the bar before slotting a clinching goal for the Owls in the 72nd minute after Jermaine Johnson pounced as Tom Clarke’s attempted pass ricocheted into his path. It was tough on Clarke, whose namesake Peter then had a headed goal disallowed for a foul on keeper Stephen Bywater, because he had produced some well-timed tackles and worked hard to combat the threat of widemen Johnson, the former Bradford City man, and Michail Antonio, the on-loan Reading player. Town were also able to limit the chances for raw-boned frontman Gary Madine, but credit to Wednesday for the job they did on Jordan Rhodes. The 38-goal frontman, who put four past the Owls in that memorable December draw at Hillsborough, had just one decent opportunity, and when it arrived in the 82nd minute courtesy of substitute Gary Roberts’ cross, his header was comfortably held. With Alan Lee getting little change out of centre-halves Llera and Batth, who is on loan from Wolves, Danny Ward was Town’s most dangerous attacker. And it would certainly have been a different game had the former Bolton man’s angled 34th-minute effort from Rhodes’ flick-on gone in rather than narrowly wide. That made it one escape apiece after Smithies tipped Madine’s header from Antonio’s long throw onto the top of the bar in the second minute. In the end, Wednesday were good value for their win.
Report from EVERY TOWN 1-0 Scunthorpe
APRIL
Novak. Att: 10,528
League 1 end of April
■ TOWN V SCUNTHORPE UTD: Lee Novak scores the only goal of the game
Bournemouth 2-0 TOWN
Preston 1-0 TOWN
Att: 5,500
Att: 11,267
TOWN’S Easter misery was extended as they suffered a dismal defeat in the south coast drizzle. It took two late goals to sink Simon Grayson’s side, but they produced little in the way of attacking football as they attempted unsuccessfully to bounce back from their defeat by Sheffield Wednesday. Town, playing their fourth match in 10 days, rung the changes after their disappointing derby defeat. Most notable was the return of central midfielder Anton Robinson, making his first appearance in 10 matches against his former club. Antony Kay dropped to the bench, as did striker Alan Lee, with Danny Cadamarteri going in to play alongside Jordan Rhodes. Scott Arfield also stepped up to the starting line-up on the right side of midfield, with Lee Novak, who defied an ankle injury to play the previous match, being left out of the 16 altogether. Bournemouth had the better of the early stages, and they were still looking the livelier of the two sides later, However, and it needed another solid save by Smithies to thwart Hines. Town had another escape after 37 minutes when left-back Woods, having conceded a free-kick for handball, allowed Scott Malone’s ball in to skim off the top of his head. Smithies was wrong-footed, but thankfully for the visitors, the ball went just wide of the far post. Town started the second half on the offensive and Arismendi brought a save from Flahavan with a downward header from Ward’s corner. But Grayson’s side had a major escape on 50 minutes when Pugh flighted in a long-range free-kick which bounced off the greasy turf and hit the right hand upright. As Town tried to clear their lines, the ball fell invitingly to Fogden, but he blazed over when well placed. Boss Grayson made his first change in the 63rd minute, with Lee going on for Cadamarteri who, like Rhodes, had received little in the way of service. Then, a minute later, Ward was withdrawn in favour of Gary Roberts. As rain continued to fall, the south coast side continued to press and Arfield was booked for halting Hines in mid flight. But it was the dangerous Pugh who was the instigator as Town’s resistance was finally broken in the 72nd minute. He took play to the edge of the penalty area and set up Thomas, whose angled shot was blocked but fell for Malone to net from close range. It should have been two as Thomas broke free a minute later, but with back-tracking Town skipper Peter Clarke snapping at his heels, the striker shot wide. While Thomas was wasteful, Pugh made no mistake when he latched onto Fogden’s pass and made it 2-0 with a well-angled shot with eight minutes remaining.
SIR Tom Finney Way became a rocky road for Town, who desperately need a three-point pick-me-up, not just to spark some optimism, but to earn a play-off place. It’s 1969 since a victory was last recorded at Deepdale, a historic venue which has been smartly modernised. And after centre-back Chris Robertson’s 55th-minute goal gave the home side the advantage, Town seldom looked like getting anything. As well as three successive defeats, that’s three matches running in which Simon Grayson’s side have failed to score. The statistics suggest an over-reliance on runaway top scorer Jordan Rhodes, who has certainly broadened his striking skillset, but still needs decent service. Normally that comes from Town’s wide players, but Gary Roberts and Danny Ward both struggled to make the kind of impact home favourite Danny Mayor managed. And when Rhodes did get the opportunities to add to his 38-goal haul, he either found German goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann an unbeatable barrier, or headed over. All three of his chances came during a busy finale to a slow-burner of a first half, as both sides struggled to find their passing range during the opening stages. Grayson, his hands tied to a fair degree by fitness concerns, made three changes to the team which under-performed so badly down at Bournemouth and plumped for 4-3-3 rather than 4-4-2. Ian Bennett replaced Alex Smithies between the posts after the younger man sustained a nasty gashed ear in a freak training ground collision with Danny Cadamarteri. Right-back Jack Hunt returned from a two-match ban, only to be caught out when Preston notched the winner from a short corner on his side. And Roberts made a first start in four alongside Rhodes and Ward as Grayson, concerned by poor ball retention in recent games, went with two banks of three, Scott Arfield, Diego Arismendi and Anton Robinson filling the midfield berths. It started encouragingly, with Robinson, in particular, catching the eye with his upfield forays, but the match as a whole lost direction, with the first effort on target taking half an hour to arrive. It fell to Rhodes, who was set up by Arfield and Robinson but looked on as Stuckmann moved quickly to block the shot with his legs. At the other end, 40-year-old Bennett showed there is nothing wrong with his reactions by pushing Mayor’s low shot around the right-hand post. On-loan Rotherham frontman Chris Holroyd shot against Bennett’s other upright before Rhodes met Hunt’s deep cross and headed narrowly over. Preston were forced to make two changes late in the first half after striker Iain Hume and left-back Paul Parry both took knocks.
AT LAST Town and their long-suffering supporters can start looking forward rather than back after Lee Novak’s late strike ensured a third successive tilt at the League I play-offs. The industrious Geordie striker snapped a three-match losing streak and six-hour wait for a goal with his 89th-minute effort which finally broke Scunthorpe’s stubborn resistance and put Simon Grayson’s side on course for a final position of fourth or fifth and a two-legged showdown with MK Dons. Town, whose midfield was by-passed too often for comfort, might easily have been trailing by the time Novak netted for the 15th time this season, because the visitors hit the woodwork three times and brought two great saves from Ian Bennett. But while this was far from a perfect performance, there were vital signs of life from the home side, and hopefully the victory will have gone some way to boosting the players’ confidence and calming the fans’ nerves. Grayson has two more games in which to fine-tune and fettle for the play-off semis. And with a bit of luck, Town will rediscover the scoring touch which brought them 75 goals in 40 league games prior to the dip which followed the 3-1 win at Leyton Orient on April 14. The first half of this game reflected a side struggling for form, because while they created a decent flow of chances, Town lacked conviction in the final third. But with Ward on as a substitute and willing to shoot at every opportunity and 38-goal top scorer Rhodes finally hitting the net only for his 76th-minute strike to be ruled out for offside, it seemed Town were finally starting to believe the breakthrough would come. Come it did, thanks to Roberts’ pass and Novak’s composed finish. The winger’s through ball had a Scunthorpe defence including Town old boy David Mirfin back-pedalling. And while Slocombe got a hand to the shot, it had sufficient power to beat the attempted save and nestle in the back of the net. While Slocombe is building a bright reputation, Town’s Bennett has nothing to prove, and the 40-year-old deserves real credit for this clean sheet.
Walsall 1-1 TOWN Novak. Att: 4,646
WHILE Walsall’s supporters celebrated survival as if they’d won promotion, Town’s were left to wonder which side will show up for the play-offs. In the first half Simon Grayson’s team, boosted by Lee Novak’s second-minute strike, produced an encouraging show. But in the second, after Belgian teenager Florent Cuvelier levelled four minutes in, they lost direction badly. Having made four alterations to his starting side, with Damien Johnson, Tommy Miller, Kallum Higginbotham and Danny Ward coming in, the boss was forced into changes during the game by injuries (to Calum Woods and Johnson) and illness (Ward). That meant some reorganisation, and Gary Roberts was unable to provide the kind of menace supplied by Ward, but there was still concern in the way Town performed after half-time. But at least when they came under the cosh, they limited Walsall to just one goal, neatly put away by the on-loan Stoke midfielder. Richard Taundry, Olly Lancashire, Alex Nicholls, Mat Sadler and Argentinian striker Emmanuel Ledesma all had chances to win it for the West Midlands side. But Town, who might have been three to the good by the break, held out in their penultimate regular League I game. It all began brightly, with Jack Hunt, Peter Clarke, Higginbotham and Scott Arfield linking neatly to set up Novak, who buried a low shot with just 90 seconds on the clock. Nicholls tested Ian Bennett with a fifth-minute effort, and Walsall had a decent-looking penalty shout, when the midfielder went down under Hunt’s challenge, rejected. But there seemed to be relegation nerves among both the home players and fans, and Town could have been two up on 14 minutes. Ward played a lovely deep ball in from the left touchline, but Novak’s downward header hit the deck and went over. A knee injury led to Tom Clarke replacing Woods at left-back. But the visitors kept coming forward, and after more good work by Ward and Higginbotham, Arfield came agonisingly close with a firm drive. But Walsall, having come close in first-half stoppage time through Town old boy Andy Butler’s header, started the second period well. Cuvelier made the most of left-back Sadler’s inviting delivery with a shot which gave Bennett little chance and home spirits were lifted. Town, now without the illness-hit Ward, were on the back foot.
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Huddersfield Daily Examiner
league match TOWN 2-0 Yeovil Novak, Ward. Att: 10,370
TOWN produced a really solid show to clinch home advantage in the second leg of their play-off semi-final against MK Dons. Now it’s time to make it count! Nobody’s doubting there’s a tough task ahead, but as well as securing a final League I placing of fourth as MK surprisingly slipped up at home to Walsall, this performance provided plenty of reasons to be cheerful. There was a deserved clean sheet for starters, and an exciting display of overlapping full-back play by energetic Jack Hunt. Meanwhile Damien Johnson and Tommy Miller used their experience well to ensure Town took a firm grip in midfield and provide a platform for some slick phases of passing. Then there was Lee Novak netting for the third game running and taking his tally for the season so far to 17, his best return yet in Town colours. Danny Ward provided a reminder of his shooting prowess with the other goal (and he could have had three). And we haven’t even talked about 38-goal Jordan Rhodes, the country’s most prolific marksman who having been rested after a play-off place was made certain, came off the bench for a quick tune-up. The richly-deserved ovation given to the Pedal For Pounds 3 cyclists as they lapped the stadium after completing their four-day fundraising journey from Yeovil – and it was great to see visiting manager Gary Johnson joining Town boss Simon Grayson in acclaiming the riders – provided an upbeat start. And Town started at a good tempo to take control of a first half in which they forced six corners and eventually made the breakthrough in the 45th minute. Kallum Higginbotham, making a second successive start since returning from his loan stint at Barnsley, and Scott Arfield might both have done better with shots in the opening 25 minutes. And Ward, having been set free by Miller’s neat pass in the 34th minute, unleashed a stinging shot to bring a fine save from tall Chelsea keeper Sam Walker, one of five loan players in the Yeovil matchday 16. Hunt had been causing Johnson’s side all sorts of problems. So it was fitting that the right-back provided the delivery which Novak glanced between the stretching Walker and his right-hand post to give Grayson’s men the lead. Town stopper Bennett had come out bravely to block at the feet of Kieran Agard midway through the first half, and he did well to thwart the West Country side with a double save early in the second period, first parrying a shot by 17-goal top scorer Andy Williams, then blocking Agard’s follow-up. Agard then shot across the face of goal from Gavin Williams’ lay-off in the 57th minute before Town responded. Higginbotham claimed the assist when Ward finally notched with a low shot on 72 minutes, and the scorer was then denied a second by Walker’s agile stoppage-time save.
MK Dons 0-2 TOWN Rhodes, Hunt Att:11,893
TOWN aren’t at Wembley yet but one thing’s for sure – they’ve got a great opportunity to get there. That’s thanks to a rock-solid show at stadium:mk, where strikes by Jordan Rhodes and Jack Hunt made Bucks fizz for Town’s superb travelling fans and rewarded the discipline and desire of Simon Grayson’s industrious side. The next goal is likely to be crucial in this compelling League I play-off semi-final contest when it resumes at the Galpharm Stadium. If Town can add to their lead, MK really will have a mountain to climb. But if the Dons can notch – and it took a fine late save by Ian Bennett to prevent substitute Jabo Ibehre heading MK a lifeline in time added on – Karl Robinson’s side will be roused. They are certainly capable of posing danger – Daniel Powell and the wily Alan Smith caught the eye in the first half while the two Deans, Lewington and Bowditch, also tested Bennett in the second. But Town, with Damien Johnson outstanding and the whole spine of the side looking effective, were as good as in any game since Grayson’s February arrival. And while home boss Robinson described the match as “weird”, it was all pretty wonderful as far as Town’s tuneful 3,481 supporters were concerned. The tension was clear as both sides took time to settle and passes went astray, but MK were the first to bring their supporters in an 11,893 crowd to their feet as former Leeds, Manchester United and England star Smith, who is on loan from Newcastle, flicked a shot just over after nearly controlling Stephen Gleeson’s pass on his chest.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN ... PROMOTION SEASON 2011-2012
MAY
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shown at stadium:MK on Saturday, and there was encouragement for the home support when Hunt played a lovely one-two with Higginbotham to set up Novak, who was denied by Martin. MK Dons manager Karl Robinson made a double substitution on 71 minutes, including striker Jabo Ibehre for defender Adam Chicksen, but Town were still having the majority of the possession and Rhodes came close with a volley across the face of goal.
TOWN 0-0 Sheffield Utd (8-7 pens) Att: 52,100
■ LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF FINAL: Town beat Sheffield United 8-7 in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley after a 0-0 draw (extra-time) and Alex Smithies and Jack Hunt get the party started Full-back Calum Woods, later to be forced off by a toe injury, poked a long-distance effort wide in response. Then Lee Novak’s flick from a cross by Scott Arfield, who had to be replaced by Kallum Higginbotham in the 27th minute after damaging an ankle, was blocked. Novak might have been out of luck in front of goal – he later rolled a shot narrowly wide when through one-on-one with David Martin – but the delivery which led to Town’s 32nd-minute opener was top drawer. Johnson was at the heart of the move, breaking forward down the right and playing the ball into the danger zone, where Rhodes flicked it on for Higginbotham to shoot, Martin saving with his legs. The ball broke to the left, where Woods laid it into the path of Novak, whose centre was gleefully glanced in by Rhodes, who now has 39 goals for the campaign at club level. Tommy Miller wasn’t that far off with a long-ranger a minute later, and MK needed the half-time break to regain some structure. Their best spell came early in the second half, when Bennett denied Lewington at close quarters as he met Shaun Williams’ free-kick, then Charlie MacDonald turned Adam Chicksen’s pass wide. Bennett then saved from Bowditch and Powell in quick succession before MK forced a flurry of corners (they had 12 to Town’s one overall). But with Peter Clarke and Sean Morrison leading the defensive effort splendidly, Town were coping well, and should have doubled their lead in the 66th minute, when Rhodes played in Novak, whose low angled shot from the right beat Martin but rolled wide. The welcome second finally came in the 73rd minute, when lovely interplay between Higginbotham and Hunt down the right led to the former laying the ball back for the latter to drill home his fourth Town goal left-footed.
TOWN 1-2 MK Dons Rhodes. Att:15,085
THE great Yorkshire show will come early this year after Town sealed a mouth-watering League I play-off final showdown with Sheffield United at Wembley. Alan Smith’s late goal earned the battling Dons a 2-1 win on the night with the former Leeds player heading home from a corner two minutes into stoppage time, but Town held out to end a nerve-jangling game on a high. Town, who were 2-0 up from the first leg, have yet to clinch a home play-off victory in eight attempts after Daniel Powell cancelled out Jordan Rhodes’ well-taken 40th goal of the season during a tense first half. But it is a statistic which will surely be forgiven by Town
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followers, who remained loyal and loud throughout, if they win at the national stadium in a game to savour. With left-back Calum Woods passing a fitness test on his toe injury but midfielder Scott Arfield (ankle) missing out, Town made just one change to the previous starting line-up. Kallum Higginbotham, who impressed after replacing Arfield in the first leg, came in. MK relegated on-loan Newcastle man Smith to the bench, with Jay O’Shea getting the nod for the XI. Town fans were making the most of the cardboard clackers provided by the club, but on a greasy surface following a pre-match shower, it was the Dons who had the first chance with Town keeper Ian Bennett smothering Charlie MacDonald’s low angled shot. The home side were looking a little nervy but conjured a decent chance when Damien Johnson and Rhodes combined to set up Lee Novak, who shot wide. Johnson was again involved as Town worked hard to break down MK’s attacks and he made a key block as O’Shea put in a low drive before Bennett had to race out to thwart MacDonald as he broke through on goal. There was an air of tension about the stadium, but it was eased when Town went ahead in the 18th minute. Rhodes showed nerves of steel to make the most of an assist by Danny Ward who flicked the ball on for his teammate to step round keeper David Martin and roll the ball home. Rhodes ran straight towards the Kilner Bank who rose as one to acclaim another slick strike by the Scotland international hot shot. Town were now looking far more confident and a quick break involving Jack Hunt and Rhodes threatened the Dons defence until Ward was ruled offside by a narrow margin. MK continued to push for a goal of their own, however, and were unlucky when Dean Bowditch’s effort hit Town skipper Peter Clarke and looped over. Town, having lost both Woods and Arfield to injuries in the first leg, were forced to make another unplanned change in the 35th minute, when Alex Smithies replaced Bennett, who damaged a hand during a scramble prompted by Bowditch’s low cross. The unfortunate Smithies was beaten within four minutes when Powell’s low drive from 20 yards nestled in the left-hand corner of the net to put a fresh complexion on the contest. Town were now facing a real test of character. And they almost came unstuck in the 44th minute, when MacDonald met a cross inside the six-yard box but somehow put his header off target. There was another moment of tension five minutes into the second half when Tommy Miller lost possession and Stephen Gleeson pounced to set up MacDonald, whose low effort was only just off target. Town badly needed to rediscover the assurance they had
IT’S 11 long years since Town were last in the Championship. And it took 11 nerve-jangling, gut-wrenching penalties to get them back there, with keeper Alex Smithies firing himself into club folklore as the man to put away the crucial kick. If that’s what it was like for the fans – and 52,100 from West and South Yorkshire created a superb atmosphere in London – imagine how it felt for the players who were put on the spot? In what must number among the most amazing penalty shoot-outs football, never mind Wembley, has witnessed, Town, in front of their own supporters, missed their first three, through Tommy Miller, Damien Johnson and Alan Lee. Even Charles Dickens’ eternal optimist Wilkins Micawber would have been worried when Lee’s effort was saved by Steve Simonsen and Matt Lowton ran up with the chance to put Sheffield United 2-0 to the good with just two penalties apiece to go. But Town fans have long known Smithies, only in the side because Ian Bennett failed a fitness test on his hand injury, is something of a specialist spot-kick saver. And the 22-year-old didn’t disappoint. Having already thwarted Lee Williamson, he denied Lowton, and when captain fantastic Peter Clarke drove home Town’s fourth attempt with real aplomb, then ex-Galpharm loan defender Andy Taylor hit a post for the Blades, it was all level at 1-1 and the momentum seemed to have shifted. Amazingly, the next 12 takers (Scott Arfield, Jordan Rhodes, Gary Roberts, Calum Woods, Jack Hunt and Sean Morrison for Town), all scored, and with the shoot-out tied at 7-7, both sides were down to their keepers. Smithies fired his net-bulging effort past Simonsen, who then dug his heel into the spot as if taking a goal kick – and promptly drove his attempt over the bar as the West end of Wembley went wild and the East subsided in misery. You had to spare a short thought for Sheffield United, who occupied an automatic promotion place for so much of the campaign. But with Town finally winning through the play-offs at the third time of asking, elevation from League I has certainly been earned the hard way. And even Status Quo sounded sweet as Wembley well and truly rocked to the tune of one massive blue and white-striped party. It was always the result that was going to matter most in a match played in stifling heat, and while it was far from a feast of entertainment, Town certainly created the better chances. The first half was instantly forgettable – cat and mouse but not nearly as entertaining as Tom and Jerry, with caution the watchword. But things came to life during a second half which began with Danny Ward rifling a shot against the bar after Sheffield had only partially cleared a Woods cross. United dangerman Stephen Quinn, playing in behind rugged lone striker Richard Cresswell, shot into the side-netting when set up by lively right-back Lowton. But Town remained the more dominant team and came close to clinching victory inside normal time. Simonsen got down low to keep out Clarke’s header, with Miller’s follow-up cleared off the line by midfielder Michael Doyle. And when Ward fired the subsequent corner in, Clarke out-jumped the Blades defence to head firmly goalward only to be denied by Simonsen again as Sheffield hung out for extra time. Centre-back Clarke was in action in his own box eight minutes into the first period, bravely blocking to deny Quinn, who then brought a good save from Smithies after a mazy run into the area ended with a low shot. But Town were back on the offensive in the final 15 minutes, when Gary Roberts set up fellow substitute Lee, whose shot was saved, then the determined Clarke had another firm header blocked by Nick Montgomery. Johnson’s foul on Chris Porter gave United a chance to snatch victory with a free-kick just outside the area, but Williamson’s effort was coolly collected by Smithies, soon to take centre stage!
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