Huddersfield Town’s automatic promotion hopes suffered a major blow as promotion rivals Sheffield Wednesday snatched all three points in the 12:30 kick off today.
Sheffield Wednesday started the game much the brighter and hit the bar early on through top scorer Gary Madine, it was the best chance either side created in the first half with the game being very tight and stop start thanks to a whistle happy referee.
Town finished the half the stronger of the two sides but failed to make any clear cut chance of note.
HALF TIME: Huddersfield 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday.
Huddersfield started the second half well but it was the Owls who made the breakthrough on 53 minutes after a dubious freekick was awarded against Sean Morrison.
Miguel Llera curled the free-kick into the bottom corner of Smithies goal and the young keeper was no where near it.
You may have thought this would wake Town up but it was Sheffield Wednesday who continued to pile on the pressure and the visitors should have doubled their lead but Alex Smithies produced a fantastic double save from Antonio and then Nile Ranger to keep the score at just 0-1.
Simon Grayson threw the dice on 67 minutes with Scott Arfield and Gary Roberts sent on in place of Lee Novak & Diego Arismendi.
Sheffield Wednesday then had another chance to extend their lead after Chris Lines brilliant through ball found Ranger in a one-on-one with Alex Smithies, Ranger beat Smithies and the ball crashed against the bar and dropped kindly to Antonio who some how managed to scoop the rebound wide from 12 yards when it looked easier to score.
Nile Ranger was third time lucky however as he slotted his goal, that his play probably deserved, past Alex Smithies with 19 minutes left on the clock. Tom Clarke’s poor pass out of defence went straight to Antonio who released the powerful Ranger who held of the challenge from Clarke before slotting easily past Smithies.
Town hit back with a few half chances, Rhodes headed at the keeper on 82 minutes and substitute Danny Cadamarteri scuffed a shot straight at keeper Bywater as Town saw the game out in a whimper.
FULL TIME: Huddersfield Town 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday.
Huddersfield: Smithies, Woods, P Clarke, Morrison, T Clarke, Novak (Roberts 67), Kay, Arismendi (Arfield 67), Ward, Rhodes, Lee (Cadamarteri 85)
Substitutes: Bennett, McCombe
Wednesday: Bywater, Buxton, Batth, Llera, R Johnson (Beevers 16), Antonio (Sedgwick 90), Semedo, Lines, J Johnson (Treacy 85), Madine, Ranger
Substitutes: Weaver, Lowe
Player Ratings
Alex Smithies
.
Tom Clarke
.
Sean Morrison
.
Peter Clarke
.
Calum Woods
.
Danny Ward
.
Antony Kay
.
Diego Arismendi
.
Lee Novak
.
Alan Lee
.
Jordan Rhodes
.
Scott Arfield
.
Gary Roberts
.
.
Kay should never play for us again. Arismendi, our most creative player today, getting taken off ahead of his is ridiculous. Batth should have been sent off for both his elbow and being last man, the free-kick for thier first goal was a joke, as was our performance after it. Absolutely no ideas in the final third for the majoroty of the 2nd half.
agreed!
and so should alan lee for his return elbow on batth later in the game. thought you where very ordinary expected more from you after hillsboro game.
Things can only get better.Thats about as positive as it gets.