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  • Huddersfield 2 Boro 1
  • Match Pack: Huddersfield

Huddersfield 2 Boro 1

Huddersfield Town 2 Middlesbrough 1

The Boro side showed just one change from the line-up that beat Cardiff on Saturday, with Richard Smallwood replacing Kieron Dyer.

Huddersfield made two changes to the side beaten at Brighton. Lee Novak and Oliver Norwood replaced Sean Scannell and the suspended James Vaughan. Anthony Gerrard, who had been a doubt with an Achilles problem, passed a late fitness test.

All the possession in the early exchanges belonged to the home side and Novak missed a good chance when he shot wide from 14 yards.

Next to chance his luck was Adam Clayton but a shot from the edge of the penalty area was horribly wide.

Boro settled and were not far from taking the lead when Scott McDonald shot from 22 yards and was only a foot off target.

It was clear neither side wanted time to settle into the game, both keen to make the breakthrough, and when the opportunity came for Neil Danns to volley from the edge of the box he took it. Not a bad effort, it was turned over the bar by Oscar Gobern.

Sammy Ameobi's footwork was seen to good effect more than once, impressive on a pitch not particularly suited to his skills.

Huddersfield's early fizz had flattened and Boro began to see more of the ball and shortly before the half-hour mark had penalty appeals turned away when McDonald fell under challenge.

Nicky Bailey, making his 400th career appearance, was unlucky to have been adjudged to have fouled just up from the edge of the Boro penalty area and Jason Steele was called on to deal with a troublesome free-kick.

Ishmael Miller was incensed with another decision from the referee as he felt he had his legs taken from under him when attempting a sharp turn which might have set up a chance.

But openings were rare and with 40 minutes played the Terriers chose the direct route, playing long with Clayton picking up the knock-down and firing just wide from the edge of the box.

Town had claims for a penalty waved away a few minutes from half-time when Theo Robinson appeared to be caught by a high kick in a crowded penalty area.

Half-time: Town 0 Boro 0

As they had in the first half, Huddersfield started in determined mood.

A river runs behind one of the stands at the John Smiths Stadium and that attracted thickening fog, which created atmospheric conditions but didn't do much for the game.

Just short of the hour mark Tony Mowbray made a double change as Smallwood and Josh McEachran were replaced by Emmanuel Ledesma and Rhys Williams, who assumed captaincy.

A third change followed when Miller was replaced by Curtis Main, but not before George Friend had shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

Entering the final quarter-of-an-hour it became difficult to see players at one end of the pitch if you were at the other.

This fact was amply demonstrated when Boro took the lead with 77 minutes played as Ameobi crossed low from the right and Scott McDonald slid in to score his 150th career goal.

Two or three seconds later the Boro fans at the other end of the pitch realised what had happened and started to celebrate.

An orange ball was quickly introduced.

Just as Boro thought they were closing in on a vital victory the Terriers, who had kept plugging on but hadn't looked too likely to find an equaliser, were gifted one when a right-wing corner was headed goalwards. Steele appeared to have gathered but the ball slipped out of his grasp and substitute Alan Lee tapped in from close range with his first touch.

With 84 seconds of injury-time played it got worse for Boro as Ledesma lost possession deep in the Boro half. Danny Ward pounced and lashed a left-footed drive beyond Steele from the edge of the penalty area.

Scorers: McDonald, 77; Lee, 86; Ward, 90+2.

Huddersfield Town: Smithies; Dixon, Clarke (Capt), Gerrard (Wallace 66), Hunt, Clayton, Gobern, Danns, Norwood (Lee 84), Robinson (Ward 78), Novak. Subs: Bennett (gk); Lynch, Atkinson, Arfield.

Middlesbrough: Steele; Bailey, McManus, Hines, Friend, Ameobi, Leadbitter (Capt to 58), McEachran (Ledesma 58), Smallwood (Williams 58, (Capt from 58)), McDonald, Miller (Main 67). Subs: Leutwiler (gk); Haroun, Carayol, Emnes. Order of substitutions 1) Ledesma 2) Williams

Referee: Stuart Attwell, Warwickshire.

Bookings

Huddersfield Town: Ward, 90+2, over-celebrating.
Middlesbrough: Smallwood, 42, foul; Ledesma 90+4, dissent.

Attendance: 12,705 (1,088 Boro)

Conditions: Cold, still and foggy.

Possession: Huddersfield Town 46% Middlesbrough 54%

Shots

Cards

Goals

On target

Off target

Blocked

Corners

Yellow

Red

Town

2

3

7

2

4

0

0

Boro

1

2

7

1

2

2

0

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