Match Reports

Huddersfield Beaten at home

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Huddersfield lost their proud unbeaten home record to table topping Norwich, despite dominating much of the game. Stephen Elliott’s brace from the bench and one from Grant Holt was enough to see off Town

Town started the game with a flurry and Neal Trotman nodded him his first goal at The Galpharm Stadium after only 3 minutes. Gary Roberts had won a corner down the left and Anthony Pilkington’s whipped cross was perfect for the on-loan centre half to nod past the helpless Forster in the Norwich Goal.

From that moment on Town were dominating the game against a Norwich City side that looked far from being promotion hopefuls.

Town were claiming a penalty in just the 11th minute after Nelson upended Rhodes, but referee Nigel Miller waved play on, perhaps if it hadn’t been so early on in the game Town would have had the good fortune and had the chance to go 2-0 up but it wasnt to be.

Town had chances a plenty to extend their lead in the first half with Novak, Roberts and Pilkington having the pick of the chances.

Half Time: Huddersfield 1 – 0 Norwich

Town started the second half in much the same vein as the first and went close early on through Lee Novak, but ‘keeper Forster was equal to the effort as he turned the ball away for a corner.

Novak also had the next best chance on 58 minutes but the ‘keeper beat him to the ball following Roberts cross, where the young geordie looked favourite for an easy finish.

The the inability to get that second goal came back to haunt Town as Norwich grabbed a goal back through Grant Holt. Despite not being in the game or playing at all well Norwich will consider themselves lucky to be level at this stage. Hoolahan teased the Town defence and played a simple ball back to Holt who slotted it home from only 6 yards out.

Town tried to re-gain the lead immediately but Collins could only shoot wide from inside the area after comong under pressure from the Norwich defence.

Theo Robinson was introduced in place of Jordan Rhodes on 72 minutes.

But Norwich soon were to take a 2-1 lead, through their substitute STephen Elliott. The ball broke to Grant Holt and after outmuscling Dean Heffernan far too easily the experienced striker laid it on a plate for Elliott to tap home from 2 yards out.

Huddersfield had the chances to draw level as the game entered the final 15 minutes, Theo Robinson had a speculative 35 yard effort that Forster had to tip over, and Pilkington also forced the Norwich stopper into a superb save and Lee Novak who capitalised on a poor back pass from Rose and despite rounding the ‘keeper the Norwich defence managed to scramble the ball away before Novak could pull the trigger.

Norwich then ended the contest with yet more clinical finishing as Stephen Elliott scored his second on 85 minutes, Lappin did the hard work and he laid it on for Elliott to smash it into the roof of the net.

Town will simply not be able to believe they lost a game that they completely dominated but despite being outplayed Norwuch City still managed to outscore Town, and it is a harsh lesson for Lee Clark and his players but one that they must learn from quickly with only 10 games left until the end of the season and Town now finding themselves 5 points adrift of the play-off places and having played a game more.

Worryingly for Town was that Lee Novak was forced off towards the end of the game with an injury, self inflicted after making a challenge that in the build up to Norwich’s 3rd goal, we can only hope it isnt too serious.

Town will pick themselves up, dust themselves down and move on to Leyton Orient a week on Saturday and must go looking for 3 points on the road.

Player Ratings

Smithies 6
Conceded 3 goals at home,

Peltier 7
Solid performance on his return to the side

Heffernan 5
Great first half, but faded with the rest and at fault for the second goal

P.Clarke 6
Again dealt well with the threat of Holt and MArtin in the first half but Elliott and Holt got the better of the Town defence towards the end

Trotman 6
Scored the early goal, but unfortunately he couldnt hep in keeping them out at the other end

Collins 6
Decent game for Collins on his return to the side

Drinkwater 7
Getting better after earlier performances in the season were poor.

Roberts 7
Lively in the first half, faded with the rest

Pilkington 7
Ditto, unlucky not to score

Rhodes 6
Tried hard, but just isnt hitting the net at the moment

Novak 8
Worked his socks off, subbed late on after taking a knock, lets hope he is ok

Robinson 5
Good old crazy legs, provided some entertainment if not a lot of chances, his highlight being a 35 yard shot that the keeper had to tip over for a corner

Berrett
Not on long enough for a rating

Manager Rating
Lee Clark 7

Must be left scratching his head how we lost this one, but once Norwich got back into the game there was only one side going to win it.. Clark must get the strikers firing again and we will be fine.. maybe time to wheel out Boothy??

Opponent Rating
Paul Lambert 8

Brining on Elliott changed the game as he scored 2 goals, Norwich had been totally outplayed but he still leaves with all 3 points

Lee Clark
‘We’ve lost a game that I would have been disapointed to draw


Sums it all up really

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4 comments

  • Terrier24 says:

    I cant quite believe we lost but at 1-0 it was always dodgy, we must capitalise when we are on top of games , simply if we had taken our chances and gone 2 or 3-0 up that would have been game over, but we allowed Norwich back intot he game and that was goodbye 3 points

  • Impact says:

    Mr. Miller was shocking again. Every time we touched one of theirs it was a free-kicks, every time Rhodes was rugby tackled to the floor it was their free-kick.

  • Terrier24 says:

    he is always a crap ref, should just use the usual ref’s instead of gettin in these so called “big game” refs

  • Tiny T says:

    can you make the playoffs ???

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