Latics sunk by super sub

Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date online: 16 January 2012

Huddersfield 1, Athletic 0
Battling display counts for little as Lee’s late goal lifts Terriers

LEE Clark railed last week against the suggestion that Huddersfield are the League One equivalents of Manchester City.

While Alan Lee is certainly no Edin Dzeko, though, the well-travelled striker is a good man to have on a substitutes’ bench featuring plenty of know-how at this level.

It was the awkward Irish striker who settled this contest for the West Yorkshire promotion-chasers four minutes from full-time, fighting his way past Zander Diamond and slamming a low shot underneath Alex Cisak.

The overriding emotion among home supporters at the Galpharm Stadium was one of relief.

A first win in four meetings with Athletic, the result lifts last season’s defeated play-off finalists to third in the table, three points adrift of Sheffield United in second.

Athletic are now 16th, still 10 points adrift of sixth. The chances of climbing up to that hallowed position appear as remote as they have been all season.

While Huddersfield’s ambitions are matched by a bankroll sufficient that they can afford to disregard multi-million pound bids for 27-goal star striker Jordan Rhodes, there was no evidence on the pitch suggesting a gulf in playing ability.

Was this defeat tough luck on Athletic?

Perhaps. The visitors were the equal of their moneyed opponents for long sections of this fixture and in the second half have a viable argument that they were the more composed side.

While solid, throttling the supply lines to keep Rhodes under wraps – the Oldham-born player was again watched by a host of Premier League scouts – Athletic didn’t create enough at the other end to suggest that a gain of more than a solitary point was a realistic prospect.

Home goalkeeper Ian Bennett was not tested by a single shot on target.

The absence of Robbie Simpson as a conduit between midfield and Shefki Kuqi was a big loss for Paul Dickov’s side.

His replacement as a deep-lying striker, Luca Scapuzzi, flourished only occasionally, while Chris Taylor was too often a spectator in a wide position on the left of midfield.

In the engine room, Dean Furman and energetic James Wesolowski got stuck in to disrupt Huddersfield’s flow in what quickly became a stop-start affair.

The back-to-front passes that were directed at Athletic were repelled effectively by centre-backs Diamond and Jean-Yves Mvoto.

Athletic frustrated both the vocal home fans and their team, who had seemed to have run out of ideas before manager Clark threw on Lee to add some physical impetus to their forward line.

Danny Ward had three early shots for the home side as Athletic initially struggled to get their passing game going.

The first, from 25 yards, provided an easy take for Cisak, the second from slightly closer was more powerful and rebounded off the goalkeeper’s chest, while the third was heading in at the near post but for the Australian pushing the ball around his near post.

Cisak was also extended by a Ward cross which deflected off Tom Adeyemi, palming away a ball which threatened to dip sharply underneath the crossbar.

As the first half progressed, Athletic started to enjoy the territorial advantage without fashioning scoring chances.

Diamond felt he was impeded in trying to reach a long throw from Parker – a tactic Athletic employed relentlessly – Kuqi hammered shots high and wide on three occasions and Mvoto failed to connect with a volley when only eight yards out.

At the other end, Rhodes’ header a minute before the break from a cross by Jack Hunt only passed Cisak’s right-hand post by inches.

The opening of the second period was similar to the ending of the first, with Athletic still looking comfortable and having the better of the midfield battles.

Rhodes showcased his sharp instincts in peeling off Mvoto and flashing a left-footed effort a couple of yards wide and Lee announced his arrival by heading off target a decent opportunity when centrally-placed from Hunt’s deep cross.

Ward went very close before Lee volleyed narrowly high and wide of the near post from the left side of the penalty area.

Another Town substitute, Danny Cadamarteri, also had an impact. It was the former Everton man’s right-wing cross which provided the chance for Lee to capitalise on Diamond’s slip.

Even Athletic replacement, Matt Smith, was not quite tall enough to reach Taylor’s
teasing cross as the visitors tried desperately to get something from the game in injury time.

The task now is to quickly get over this disappointment and focus on the minor matter of Chesterfield - and the Wembley chance the two-legged tie presents - tomorrow night.