Architects of their own downfall

TAKE THAT: Full-back Robbie Williams looks on as Athletic striker Pawel Abbot unleashes a shot at the Huddersfield Town goal.

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ATHLETIC 0, HUDDERFIELD 1

WET, wild and woeful — three words that summed up a very forgettable afternoon at Boundary Park.

Athletic weren’t much worse than their Coca-Cola League One near-rivals from across the hill, in a clash that was played out amid awful conditions.

A superbly struck second-half free-kick just before the hour mark was the ultimate difference between the teams.

But question marks again hang over Athletic’s complicity in the winning goal.

A quickly-taken free-kick inside his own half from Reuben Hazell had a rushed Sean Gregan hacking the ball to safety and as Huddersfield retrieved possession, Hazell was awarded a yellow card for a foul on the game’s outstanding player, Jordan Rhodes, just outside the penalty area.

Robbie Williams proceeded to lash the ball towards the near post with Athletic ’keeper Dean Brill stationed at the opposite side of the goal, seemingly protected by a defensive wall.

Sadly for the home supporters among a season’s best crowd of 8,569, Williams’ strike was too powerful and accurate for Brill’s late hand to the ball to be effective.

After letting in three poor goals from a defensive standpoint against Southampton, this was more of the same from Athletic.

Boss Dave Penney will be scratching his head as to how a side with five clean sheets in seven matches prior to yesterday can suddenly come up with such catastrophic lapses in concentration.

Former Ipswich Town striker Rhodes, back in the town of his birth, was booked for over-exuberance as Huddersfield’s players ran back to the Rochdale Road end to celebrate in front of a large travelling support.

It was a goal which set the team on their way to a first away win in six matches in all competitions.

For Athletic, however, this was a third home defeat in League One and while the away form is impressive, Boundary Park is anything but a fortress at the moment.

Huddersfield could point to other near misses during the game.

Twice in a minute in the first half manager Lee Clark’s men threatened. First a Rhodes header crashed off the crossbar, before Lee Novak’s foray into the area appeared to be halted by the arm of a sliding Gregan, who went unpunished.

At the same time, in a game which Town shaded in terms of possession and chances, Athletic had a good late opportunity to earn a share of the spoils.

Dangerous ex-Huddersfield striker Pawel Abbott took advantage of a defensive blunder to move within a few yards of Alex Smithies’ goal, but the England Under-19 goalkeeper produced an excellent save with his right hand to deny the home side with only 12 minutes left.

This was most certainly not one for football’s purists.

Conditions were so bad, at times it was as if the game was taking place inside an invisible wind tunnel.

Slick passing moves were at a premium, though it is also fair to suggest that players from both sides would have done well to bear in mind an appropriate nugget from the late Brian Clough: If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he would have put grass up there.

Too often ball boys were kept busy fetching long passes that swirled in the air and sailed out of play, leading to a disjointed and scrappy affair.

After rangy Huddersfield midfielder Anthony Kay had blasted a volley which skidded off the turf, travelling narrowly wide of Brill’s left-hand post from 35 yards out, Athletic carved out a good chance on the break.

Former Huddersfield forward Keigan Parker was set free down the right and showed good pace to race into the box from the halfway line.

As he was about to pull the trigger, Town full-back Lee Peltier scurried across from the opposite wing to block the effort.

Abbott then set up hard-working Dean Furman for a shot that went wide of the near post after bouncing to an awkward height.

The home side were carving out the better chances up to that point.

Then, Anthony Pilington’s swinging free-kick from the left caught on the wind and landed smack in the middle of Rhodes’ forehead, before crashing against the crossbar.

Gregan then took things into his own hands, literally, to preserve the game’s goal-less status with seven minutes to go until half-time.

After Williams had given Huddersfield the lead in the second half, Athletic brought on Nick Blackman to play on the left in place of Joe Colbeck.

Unfortunately, neither Blackman nor Deane Smalley on the other side — who was visibly not quite 100-per-cent fit on his return to first-team action after two brief reserves run-outs — were able to inflict much damage on a Huddersfield side now content to sit back and hit on the counter.

Abbott’s good chance came next, set in by Andy Holdsworth and benefiting from two Huddersfield defenders getting in each other’s way. The rebound from Smithies’ save bounced off the chest of Blackman and flew just over.

Rhodes then had the chance to double his side’s advantage but glanced narrowly wide when totally unmarked off a Williams free-kick from the left. In the end it didn’t matter.

ATHLETIC: Brill; Holdsworth, Hazell, Gregan, Sheehan; Smalley, Whitaker, Furman, Colbeck (67); Abbott, Parker (87). Subs: Ollerenshaw, Jacobsen, Lee (87), Black, Brooke, Rowney, Blackman (67).

HUDDERSFIELD: Smithies; Peltier, P Clarke, N Clarke, Williams; Roberts, Kay, Collins, Pilkington (84); Rhodes, Novak (76). Subs: Glennon, Berrett, T Clarke, Drinkwater, Robinson (76), Butler, Ainsworth (84).

Shots/headers on target: Athletic 1 Huddersfield 4

Shots/headers off target: Athletic 5 Huddersfield 7

Woodwork: Athletic 0 Huddersfield 1

Corners: Athletic 3 Huddersfield 4

Offsides: Athletic 1 Huddersfield 3

Fouls: Athletic 13 Huddersfield 15

The goals — Huddersfield: Williams (59).

The cards —Athletic: Hazell (59, foul),Holdsworth (61, foul), Abbott (63, encroaching). Huddersfield: Rhodes (59, unsporting behaviour), Smithies (90, time wasting).

Referee: Mr Trevor Kettle (Rutland)

Attendance: 8,569