Hunt Signs New Contract

Jack Hunt has signed a new contract with Huddersfield Town and shall remain at the club until 2014 with the option of an additional season made by the club at the time.

Hunt has appeared 50 times for the terriers in the promotional campaign but now holds over 70 appearances for the club in all competitions. Jack has been with Huddersfield Town since the age of eight and has stated that signing a contract extension was an easy decision;

"It was a very easy decision, even before promotion. I joined Huddersfield Town as an eight year old and I've seen a lot of changes over that time but the biggest has been the arrival of Dean Hoyle, who is such an ambitions Chairman. I've loved being a part of all the positive changes at the Club and I want to stay here."

"The facilities here, such as Canalside, are all moving forward and we are a Championship-standard Club - if not higher. All the improvements will attract better players to the Club, which will complement the great Manager, Chairman and players we already have."

"I didn't know how much I would play at the start of this season when we brought the likes of Gary Naysmith and Calum Woods in, so I'm delighted with how things went. There is still a lot more to come from me. Everyone knows I love getting forward, but first and foremost I'm a defender and I know I need to improve defensively. I want to do well in the Championship and I'll be coming up against better teams and wingers, but I know that the Manager and the coaching staff want to work with me so I keep improving."

Simon Grayson also commented on how impressive Hunt has been since his appointment but gave credit to all the staff that has been part of Jack Hunts progression into the first team squad;

"As we saw yesterday with the retained list, we have to begin planning for next season immediately and we're delighted to have secured Jack's services for an extended period of time. Jack has been tremendous for us since I arrived at the Club, but the exciting thing is he has the potential to keep getting better and I believe he has the character to rise to the challenge of Championship football."

"This is more great news for the Club, as well as being testament to our Academy. All the coaches who were involved in Jack's progression through to the first team deserve credit."

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

5 Players To Be Kept, 7 To Be Released

Simon Grayson has today released a list of the players he is willing to negotiate contracts with as well as the players he is unfortunately releasing from the club.

Retained Players - Ian Bennett, Tom Clarke, Alan Lee, Lloyd Allinson, Damien Johnson

Benno will be offered a new contract in The Championship

Released Players - Gary Naysmith, Gary Roberts, Danny Cadamarteri, Tommy Miller, Nathan Clarke, Aiden Chippendale, Simon Thomas

Gary Roberts will however be leaving the terriers

Simon Grayson has surprised many by letting go the likes of Miller, Roberts & Cadmarteri but its interesting to see he will allow players such as Alan Lee and Bennett to continue playing for the terriers. We love the idea he is willing to negotiate a contract with on loan midfielder Damien Johnson after he has been released by Plymouth as he has really impressed while being at The Galpharm.

Rhodes On Promotion & Huddersfield Town

League One's top goalscorer Jordan Rhodes has spoken after winning promotion with Huddersfield Town at Wembley. Rhodes was dragged out in front of thousands of Town fans by Chairman Dean Hoyle on Monday and the fans showed their gratitude to the forty goal striker. Here is what Jordan had to say about the win at Wembley;

"I think the final was quite a nervous game played between two very evenly matched sides, but I'm delighted with the end result. I don't think the game had many chances in it at either end - I don't believe either 'keeper had loads to do. Steve Simonsen made a terrific save off Alan Lee towards the end, but other than that neither goalie had a great deal to do."

"It couldn't have been any closer. Every player took a penalty kick in the end and that decided it."

Rhodes decided not to put himself forward for a penalty in the first five but ended up having to take one in the end. He looked calm and composed and he slotted it in past Simonsen in front of 25,000 Town fans.

"It was very nerve-racking! The manager decided to go with three senior players for the first three penalties and then Peter Clarke followed them, but it was a bit crazy that we only scored one out of four. We came back from that though - and we owe most of that to Alex Smithies."

"I might have looked calm, but I wasn't inside! I was delighted to see it go in."

Promotion to the Championship has always been the aim of Huddersfield Town since Dean Hoyle became the clubs chairman. Rhodes and the squad have achieved that this season and this is what he thought of it;

"It's what we've wanted and what we've been striving for during the last three years, ever since I joined. Fortunately for us it was a case of 'third time lucky' and we managed to sneak over the line."

Hoyle & Championship Budget

Chairman Dean Hoyle has spoken about the budget situation Huddersfield Town are now in after gaining promotion into the Championship with victory at Wembley. Here is what the lifelong Town fan had to say;

"We would have had to cut it (the budget available to Grayson) by 35 per cent." says Hoyle when asked about if the terriers failed to get promotion.

"That would have been big. But, at the same time, football has to cut its cloth accordingly. If we had been in League One, we would have done it. Now, though, we have a bit more cloth to play with. That is not to say we will be silly, as we will not, but we have more flexibility."

Seems like Hoyle is incredibly happy with promotion but had planned for both possible outcomes at Wembley. Its also good to hear we won't be spending silly amounts as we currently have a strong squad that will hold their own in the Championship.

Open Top Bus Victory Parade

After gaining promotion into the Championship by winning at Wembley, Huddersfield Town will be parading around the town centre on an open top bus along with the League One Play-Off trophy. Here is information on this evenings events from the official site;

Town's squad will depart the Stadium on the bus at 5.15pm and will make their way to Huddersfield Town Hall for 5.45pm, where they will enter for a civic reception. They will depart the Stadium via Stadium Way through the St. Andrews Car Park; travel up Gasworks Street and Lower Fitzwilliam Street before travelling along the top side of the ring road; exit the ring road down High Street, past the bus station and then down Ramsdens Street before parking on Corporation Street.
The players will then appear on the Town Hall balcony where Grayson, Hoyle and others will take part in interviews.

Get yourself down there this evening town fans and join in the celebrations. Its been many years of heartache following the terriers but we can finally say we are a Championship side!!

Post Promotion Ecstacy From Grayson

Huddersfield Town promotion achieving manager, Simon Grayson, was ecstatic with the penalty win against Sheffield United which saw the terriers finally go up into the Championship. He managed to say how delighted he was as well as comment on the way they amazingly achieved it;
"When we got together to sort out the penalties we never expected it to come down to the 'keeper'. I expected him to save a couple, but I don't foresee him scoring the decisive one. I couldn't affect the penalties. People talk about me being relaxed but I just sat down next to the Chairman - I didn't watch any of the penalties - I just checked on who was taking them. I tried to affect the game for 120 minutes but I can't do anything about penalties. It was down to the players to take responsibility."
"I knew my first five penalty takers but after that it was up to the players. I didn't watch the penalties; I judged what had happened by the fans' reaction and then watched the replay. It was out my hands so I didn't worry about it - I just had a laugh and a joke with the Chairman!"
"We had six or seven players who wanted to take penalties and then after that it was up to the players to choose amongst themselves. Players have to take responsibility and I think a few of the players who weren't so confident took better penalties than the ones who were."
Throughout the game, the terriers pressed to score the decisive goal and on two occasions they forced Sheffield United to make goal line clearances.
"The game was a very close one and we did have some very good opportunities. After missing the first three penalties I will never know how we recovered, but the players stood up and did their job - what an unbelievable end to a game. I feel sorry for Sheffield United because there is always one loser, but hopefully they can get promotion next year because they are a good Club."
"People talk about promotion and I believe the best way to achieve it is by coming to Wembley and winning. You can see how ecstatic the supporters and players were - everyone has worked very hard. The Club deserves to be in the Championship; the Chairman has huge ambitions and his enthusiasm was one of the biggest reasons in my decision to join the Club. I am delighted that we have achieved his aim."
They are some big games awaiting Town in the Championship such as the likes of Leeds, Blackburn, Bolton & Leicester but Grayson will be looking forward to all of them.
"I am looking forward to taking this team into the Championship and progressing season by season. Today was an unbelievable experience and I do have sympathy for Sheffield United because I have worked with a number of their players."
"Today's promotion feels slightly different to the others that I have achieved because I have only been at the Club for about four months. With my other teams I have had time to mould a team. It won't be until pre-season and the start of the season that I can put my authority and stamp on to the team."
"We are going to enjoy tonight and will probably wake up with a hangover! After that I will sit down and talk with the Chairman because we haven't spoken about budgets or the players that are out of contract. The hard work starts next week because we want to stay in the Championship and then push on."

Hero Smithies On Promotion

Injury hit Alex Smithies had to fight back to full fitness and when Huddersfield Town needed him, he was there to provide some incredible penalty saves which saw the terriers gain promotion into the Championship. Smithies also netted the winner at Wembley on Saturday and here is what the Town hero had to say about it all;
"I would have never thought it!"
"We were practising penalties yesterday and I was having a bit of a joke - I had a couple of practise efforts but I was sure it wouldn't come to me. They asked me if I wanted to take one and I was saying that I had the 11th! When we got to the eighth and ninth penalty I was thinking I had to save one soon so that I didn't have to take one! Obviously it turned out that I did and it was the winner, so I'm on top of the world right now. It's the best feeling ever."
"I think we all feared the worst after we didn't score in our first three penalties - to go and win from that position is unbelievable. It's not anywhere near sinking in yet and I think it will take some time. I live ten minutes from the ground; I was born and bred in Huddersfield as were my entire family and we all love this Club. It's a big part of me and to play - and score - in the final is unreal."
"Up until Thursday I wasn't quite sure if I was playing, so what a turnaround! I was on the bench for both the semi-finals and I'm over the moon that it's turned out like this."
Alex Smithies left Wembley with the match ball in his hand and he explained why this was the case;
"Nick Colgan has been in this situation before and when things went well he whacked the ball into the crowd. He wishes he'd kept it now, so being a fantastic guy he went to get the ball when we won and has got it signed by all the lads for me. I'll never score a hat-trick, so this is as close I will get!"
Alex Smithies will most likely by Town's number one choice goalkeeper in the Championship if he can remain fit.
"I hope it's a bright future now. I've had a difficult year and a few of the lads have told me to really enjoy this moment because of that. I've worked as hard as I possibly could to get back to full fitness and I've managed to do that, so long may it continue. The Club is getting the success it deserves."

Match Report: Huddersfield Town (8) 0-0 (7) Sheffield United

The dream has come true and the terriers are back in The Championship after defeating Sheffield United 8-7 on penalties at Wembley.
The match was played at England's national stadium in glorious conditions as the sun was out on a day that will be remembered by all Huddersfield fans for years & years to come. The terriers sported their home blue & white stripes as the blades played in their new 12/13 season red & white stripes.
The first corner came in the 7th minute as Woods and Higginbotham set about their ways down the wing to force the blades onto the back foot. The corner was sent swinging in and Tommy Miller managed to head it across goal into the path of on loan centre back Sean Morrison. The defender shot on target but the effort was blocked by United's defence. Jack Hunt started to look threatening for the terriers moments later when he manage to brush past Sheffield's left back Matt Hill before crossing into the box. The cross was deflected into the path of Higginbotham on the edge of the box but his shot was put well wide of the target.
The blades started to come back into the game minutes later and by doing so they created their first chance of the game from a Huddersfield Town error. Sheffield launched the ball up into the Town half and with skipper Peter Clarke facing his own goal and on the back foot he wasn't able to cope with it and got caught out by an attacking Sheffield United player. The ball was crossed into the terriers box and picked up by United's winger Williamson who could only hit the side netting with his shot from a difficult angle.
Miller was battling very hard in the middle of the park and it was his crunching tackle which won the ball and allowed Damien Johnson to push forward into space. Johnson played a beautiful ball into the path of Lee Novak but as the striker was about to latch onto it, Blades centre back Maguire took it away from him with a great interception/tackle.
Simon Grayson looked to take the game to Sheffield United and did so by switching the wingers, Ward & Higginbotham, around. It worked beautifully as Ward sent in a deep cross which was met by the head of Higginbotham but unfortunately the ball dropped to Neill Collins before any of the on rushing Huddersfield strikers.
As the first half drawed to a close, Sheffield United were the team which were starting to dominate the game with crisp passing moves and attacking flair. Left back Hill drove a shot in at goal from the edge of the box but skipper Peter Clarke made up for his earlier mistake by getting his body in the way in a typical yet remarkable style.
Jack Hunt pushed forward for the terriers moments later down the wing and with the ball at his feet he cut inside, skipping past two defenders and unleashing a shot but it failed to test Sheffield's goalkeeper.
The first half whistle was blown by the referee and with no clear cut chances what so ever, it looked like both sets of fans were in for a long evening. The terriers were looking dangerous down the wings especially Higginbotham & Ward who were constantly on the ball trying to find a way through. However, top goalscorer Rhodes had been quite in the first half with his first touch failing him on several occasions. At the other end, Cresswell was being kept rather quite by Morrison & Clarke who were dominating aerial battles between themselves.
As the teams emerged for the second half it was revealed that neither manager was ready to make a change just yet and the same starting XI lined up in the glorious sunshine at Wembley. It was the terriers who immediately created the games first huge chance and it came from the increasingly impressive Danny Ward. A Town cross was cleared by Blades defender Maguire straight into the path of Ward who was on the edge of the box. The winger took one touch of the ball before curling it towards the top corner but unfortunately, with the keeper beaten, the ball smashed off where the post & bar meet and went to safety.
The terriers were dominating the early periods of the second half and starting to make the Sheffield team chase after the game by keeping hold of the ball. When the blades eventually did get hold of the ball they launched an attack which forced the terriers to defend two corners in front of the blades faithful. The first came to nothing but the second reached Maguire's head but he could only head wide of the goal. The ball was up at the other end next as the terriers pushed to try and get that decisive goal. Higginbotham won the corner and delivered it into the box where Peter Clarke managed to get above his marker but his powerful header could only ripple the side netting.
Callum Woods set up the next flowing attack for the terriers when he expertly intercepted a pass to send Rhodes on his way. League One's top goalscorer Rhodes switched the ball to the opposite sode of the field into the path of ex-Falkirk winger Kallum Higginbotham. Kallum hit the pass on the volley and sent it well wide of the goal to the annoyance of numerous Town players and a lot of Town fans.
The game was opening up and becoming instant end-to-end action as both teams looked for the winner late on. In the 77th minute, Quinn pressed forward with the ball and his cross/shot skipped along the front of the goal but no Blades player could get a touch of the ball and direct it goalwards. Quinn was becoming increasingly dangerous as the game progressed and minutes later he was threatening the terriers goal once again when his one two with Lowton opened up some space but once again he failed to hit the target with his shot from the edge of the box.
The terriers won yet another corner in front of the 25000+ blue & white army that had come down from West Yorkshire. Danny Ward went across to take the corner and his in swinger was met brilliantly by the head of Peter Clarke but this was blocked by the mass of Sheffield players in the box. The ball landed at the feet of hard working midfielder Tommy Miller who side footed it towards the corner of the goal. Just as it looked like Huddersfield were going to take the lead, Nick Montgomery miraculously slid in to clear the ball off the line and deny the goal. Another corner followed for Town and this one was equally as dangerous as Clarke's unmarkedx headed effort was fantastically saved by Blades goalkeeper Simonsen.
In the dying moments of the game, substitute Gary Roberts went down theatrically in the box claiming for a penalty but this fell on deaf ears by both the linesman & the referee. The final whistle went moments later and both Yorkshire clubs headed for extra time.
Both sides came out fighting after the short break for extra time but it was Sheffield United who created the first chance through a Chris Porter header which was incredibly blocked by Callum Woods who was having a great game. Skipper Peter Clarke then put his whole body on the line with his amazing diving block from yet another Quinn shot moments later.
Extra time substitute Alan Lee was getting involved in a lot of aerial battles upfront for the terriers and it was Lee who won Town a free kick in a dangerous position. Gary Roberts lined the free kick up and sent in a deep cross to the back post for big defender Morrison to get on to but even he couldn't jump high enough as the ball went away for a goal kick.
Quinn once again was running at the Huddersfield defence with the ball at his feet but this time he did force Smithies into a save before the referee blew for half time of extra time.
The second half started off well for Town as Hunt linked up with Roberts well and it was his superbly weighted reverse pass that gave Alan Lee half a yard to shoot at goal and force Simonsen into yet another decent save. Both teams were not taking any chances in the final 15 minutes and the referee blew his whistle yet again to signify the dreaded penalty shoot-out. 120 minutes of football could not separate the two Yorkshire clubs at Wembley!
Here is how the penalties went;
Penalty 1 (Town): Tommy Miller saved
Penalty 2 (United): Lee Williamson saved
Penalty 3 (Town): Damien Johnson missed
Penalty 4 (United): Neill Collins scored
Penalty 5 (Town): Alan Lee missed
Penalty 6 (United): Matt Lowton missed
Penalty 7 (Town): Peter Clarke scored
Penalty 8 (United): Andy Taylor missed
Penalty 9 (Town): Scott Arfield scored
Penalty 10 (United): Chris Porter scored
Penalty 11 (Town): Jordan Rhodes scored
Penalty 12 (United): Stephen Quinn scored
Penalty 13 (Town): Gary Roberts scored
Penalty 14 (United): Harry Maguire scored
Penalty 15 (Town): Calum Woods scored
Penalty 16 (United): Kevin Doyle scored
Penalty 17 (Town): Jack Hunt scored
Penalty 18 (United): Michael O'Halloran scored
Penalty 19 (Town): Sean Morrison scored
Penalty 20 (United): Matt Hill scored
Penalty 21 (Town): Alex Smithies scored
Penalty 22 (United): Steve Simonsen missed
Huddersfield gained promotion into The Championship even though they missed their first three penalties in extraordinary scenes at Wembley!

Rhodes All Set For Wembley

Jordan Rhodes has bagged 40 goals for the terriers this campaign which has seen himself become a Scotland U21 regular as well as obtaining his debut for the Scotland international team. All the press seems to be focused on the striker but he is coping with it all in his stride. Here's what Rhodes had to say on Wednesday;
"I feel relaxed. I think last year we thought about the game too much, whereas this year we have tried to relax; hopefully come 5pm on Saturday everything will have gone well."
"If we get promoted it will be up there with one of the best achievements of my career to date, but we can't forget that we are up against a very good Sheffield United side. We are not getting ahead of ourselves - we are very focused on the task in hand. Sheffield are a good team who are very organised and have a good shape. Over the 90 minutes it is going to be a very tough encounter, but hopefully come 5pm Peter Clarke will be lifting the trophy for us."
"The occasion isn't about me or any of the players - it is about Huddersfield Town; we are working as a collective for the Club. It is about which team can keep their focus and score the most goals, which sounds very simple - but it never is. It will be a tight game; we won 3-0 at Bramall Lane earlier in the season and they beat us 1-0 in Huddersfield, which maybe shows that both teams play better away from home!"
Jordan Rhodes is officially the highest scoring footballer in the entire country this season but he still refuses to take full credit for his 40 goal haul.
"I don't put my goal-scoring this season down to anything specific; I have just worked as hard as I can in training and given my all when selected. Some games you find yourself wheeling away celebrating a goal whereas other days it doesn't go your way and you just have to work hard for the team. I do work on positioning in training but I think a lot of strikers can beat themselves up too much - footballers play better when they rely on their instincts. Luckily for me this season I have reacted well and been on the end of a few parries and rebounds."
"I don't allow myself to get down when I miss a chance; I turn it into a positive and think that I did the right thing by being in the position I was. Everybody is human and people will make mistakes or miss chances, but if you are making the right movements then you have to be positive."
Rhodes could well be the player to win the game on Saturday and with his future still undecided, it may well be his last game for the terriers depending on the result.

Grayson's Pre-Wembley Press Conference

Simon Grayson had his pre-Wembley press conference on Wednesday and focused all his intentions on showing everyone that both himself & his team understand what is needed this Saturday.

"We have been very relaxed this week; the atmosphere has been good. The players are very focused and it is important that they stay level-headed, but also enjoy the build-up to the Final. We all know what is at stake and the players have worked hard on a few things on the training field. We have tried to play down the importance of the game, but that is a difficult thing to do. I am telling the players that it is like any other game and as a manager you have to do as much as you can to allow the players to concentrate on doing what they are good at."

"When I experienced the Play-Offs as a player, the wait between the semi-final and the final was a long one and it was difficult to get the right balance of rest and training. We managed to give the players some time to rest and recuperate over the weekend, but since Tuesday they have been fully focused on the training field."

Huddersfield Town set off down to Wembley on Wednesday and went ahead with their visit to the stadium yesterday but Grayson reiterated that all his squad is fully focused on the Jon in hand;

"From the first leg we have tried to keep things low key and we told the players that they hadn't achieved anything yet - even after the second leg it was still the same case," said Simon. "I have tried to make sure that the players stay focused and are aware that only the teams that win at Wembley are remembered."

Grayson continued to speak but moved on to talking about Sheffield United, his opponents on Saturday at Wembley.

"It will be a very tough game because I believe both teams are similarly matched. Both teams have got players who can win the game through an individual piece of play. We will be very positive in our approach as will Sheffield United, but we know what we can do to hurt them.
"I have come across Danny (Wilson) on many occasions and I have a lot of respect for him. He has done a good job at pretty much every club that he has been at and he has done very well at Sheffield United. I am sure he will be delighted to be in the final, but hopefully he will be disappointed come 5pm on Saturday."

Grayson took the opportunity to talk about the majority of the players past experience/disappointment from the play-offs especially last year when the terriers were beaten 3-0 in the final at Old Trafford.

"A few of the players hadn't played in occasion like it before and I think some of them may have thought that all they had to do was turn up and they would win the game. This year they are against a very good Sheffield United side - one of the biggest clubs in the country when you look at their fan base - and we will probably go into the game as underdogs. All the players have got their own motivations but as a collective our motivation is to get the Club into the Championship. If the disappointment from last year drives certain players on then so be it, but our sole motivation as a team is promotion."

Jordan Rhodes will undoubtedly feature in the play-off final and Grayson spoke about the amazing season the 40 goal striker has had.

"We have seen this season that when the big games come along he has responded. When we have come up against the top teams this season he has scored against most of them and obviously he thrived in the semi-final, scoring two goals. Hopefully he has got a few more in him for Saturday!"

"He is one of the best goalscorers that I have worked with, but they come in many different forms. I think he is very similar to Jermaine Beckford, because he can do something out of nothing. Jordan is probably a little bit more composed than most of the strikers that I have worked with, which was highlighted in our last game against the Dons - most strikers would have snatched at the early chance he had, but he kept his composure and side-footed it past the keeper."

"We are not just a one man team though; Lee Novak has come to the forefront and scored goals as has the likes of Danny Ward and others. Jordan has taken a lot of the spotlight this season and I think it has benefited Lee. Teams have obviously focused a lot of their defensive work around Jordan and that has allowed the likes of Lee, Alan Lee and Kallum Higginbotham a little bit more freedom."

Grayson finished off his pre-Wembley press conference by stating that Scott Arfield will definitely be fit come Saturday after he suffered a knock against MK Dons in the semi final. However, Ian Bennett is a different scenario;

"We are assessing Ian Bennett's injury every day because he took a nasty knock to the hand. It is getting better every day but we will have to see where he is come Saturday; Ian is an experienced professional who knows that he has to be 100%, because if he isn't he could let himself down and more importantly the team."

"Scott Arfield has trained most of the week and has recovered well from his ankle injury. There is only really Ian who is an injury concern, which means that we have lots of competition for places and I have decisions to make before I select my squad."

Wardy Ready For Wembley

Danny Ward is set to feature in his third consecutive Play-Off final on Saturday when the terriers take on Sheffield United at Wembley. The ex Swindon Town man has experienced both the joys of gaining promotion as well as the disappointment if that last vital game of the season is lost. Danny spoke to the official website earlier today;
"It's a fantastic time for us and we can't wait to play on the biggest stage. I've played there before and lost, which was obviously disappointing, but I think it's good to have that experience behind me. Hopefully it will end a bit better this time."
"It's every boy's dream to play at Wembley and I'm no different. It won't overwhelm me because I've been there before, but it's fantastic that I have the chance to play there again. I want to come away with the win this time. There is so much excitement there when you run out in front of 70,000 chanting and screaming fans - it's a fantastic feeling. Like we've all said though, you have to keep focused and keep your head on the game."
The man in the opposition's dugout, Danny Wilson, is the ex manager of Danny Ward in his playing days at Swindon Town but Ward says this will not effect anything;
"During the time I spent at Swindon he was fantastic as a manager and as a bloke - I got on really well with him. I haven't spoken to him that much since but I have seen him on a few occasions when we've played his team."
"His Swindon squad was totally different to his current squad so it's hard to predict what tactics he will use, but we have played them twice this year. In the end I'm not a manager and that will be down to the Gaffer!"
Ward also stated that the current squad has the belief that they can get the job done at Wembley and send the terriers back to where they belong;
"We've said from the start of the season that we've got the squad here to beat anyone in this league and every single lad in the dressing room is confident we can come away with the victory on Saturday. We believe in ourselves and we believe that we can get the win."
"The Championship is an enticing prospect next season, but we just have to keep focussed - we know what we have to do. It would be a great achievement for us and I know everyone wants to better the Club and get it into the Championship."

Business As Usual For Grayson Come Saturday

Simon Grayson spoke today about the League One Play-Off final against Sheffield United on Saturday and stated that it himself and his players will be treating this game just like any other. With Grayson's past experience of achieving two promotions from League One in his managerial career, the terriers will be attempting to make it a third.
Here's what Grayson had to say;
"It is important that you learn from the experiences you have had - good or bad. As a manager or a player you have got to do the same things that you done throughout the course of the season."
"It is just another football match and the preparation that we go through will be no different. However, in the back of your minds is how important the game is and the significance that it could have upon the football club."
"We will keep things simple leading up to the game on the training field; we will probably head down to Wembley a day or so early, but we need to try and keep things as low key as possible."
Announcing his starting XI will be tough for Grayson and a lot of players within the squad will undoubtedly be disappointed but the manager says all the squad need to enjoy this experience.

"It is a difficult situation because it is just another game and you don't need to take all your professionals with you. We have got arrangements for the playing staff and also for those that won't be playing because they will still want to enjoy and experience the occasion. It is important that we look after those players that won't be in the squad on Saturday."
Grayson has the opportunity to make it three promotions from League One on Saturday and here's what he had to say about it;
"It is a nice thought, but at the end of the day those promotions were for the teams that I was in charge of and my remit ahead of joining the Club was to achieve promotion. On a personal level I would be happy, but it is more about the teams and football clubs that I have worked for because at the end of the day it is my job."
Simon then went on to talk about his opponents, Sheffield United;
"It will be a brilliant spectacle. Sheffield United has had a very good season, as have we, and both teams have players who have experienced this type of occasion before. It has the ingredients to be a brilliant game, especially given the derby element."
"I enjoy winning - that is the be all and end all. I won't enjoy the game or the day if we don't win, which is what it all boils down to. It is not a nice feeling when you lose, which I have done twice as a player, but hopefully we won't have that on Saturday - there is one emotion to have and that is a winning one."

Over 20,000 Tickets Sold

Huddersfield Town released an official statement this morning indicating that over 20,000 tickets have already been sold for the trip down to Wembley. With an allocation of 33,169 tickets in the west side of Wembley, Huddersfield Town fans will be pushing to sell it out especially with the tickets now available on general sale.

70 coaches have been filled up so far and the Blue & White Army will be descending down to Wembley with even more come Saturday 26th May. In addition to the coaches, there shall be a special chartered train which shall be travelling from Huddersfield Train station all the way to Wembley Central.

More ticket information shall arrive tomorrow from the official Huddersfield Town website.

Huddersfield Town Wembley Ticket Dispute

A lot of Huddersfield Town fans have been dissapointed as well as annoyed with the inability to purchase tickets to Wembley at the official stadium ticket office. Being forced to purchase online or via telephone with TicketMaster. Today, the Chief Executive of Huddersfield Town Nigel Clibbens explained why this was the situation;

"The trip to Wembley looks to have created real excitement with the fans and tickets are selling really quickly. Everything looks set for a massive Town following and a great occasion.

"To sell upwards of 30,000 tickets with travel, including coaches and trains, in less than 10 days is a real logistical challenge. Put simply, our own Ticket Office isn't capable of doing that and we have to be realistic; whilst we could have taken a brave decision and tried to manage the process ourselves, it would not have been right and we were not prepared to risk operational problems in selling the tickets and serving our fans.

"Also, as well as dealing with Wembley, the Ticket Office has to deal with a big Huddersfield Giants game at the Stadium tonight.

"Like last year, we made a very early decision to contract out to Ticketmaster, who are experts in dealing with huge demand in a short period. This means booking fees have to be paid by fans, which is not ideal.

"I'm sure some fans would have preferred to buy directly from the Ticket Office and avoid the booking fee, but this would only have led to massive queues and long waits and run the risk of some very stressed and upset fans.

"The decision was made to give the best service to the fans. So far feedback is favourable with half a dozen adverse comments out of the 10,000 sold. When people have problems, our Ticket Office staff are sorting them out; they are first class, as our fans know."

So what do you think of the whole ticket scenario? Tell us what you think over in the forums.

Scotland Call Upon Jordan Rhodes

Rhodes has been called up to the Scotland U21's upcoming game against Belgium for qualification into the European Championships. Jordan made it 40 goals for the season against MK Dons on Tuesday and has similar form for his international team. He has scored 6 goals in 6 games for Scotland U21's and this has seen him achieving his first senior cap for Scotland earlier on in the season.

Rhodes has also had success for Scotland. 6 goals in 6 !

Rhodes will join the squad after the League One Play-off Final at Wembley between Huddersfield Town & Sheffield United on May 26th.

Grayson Praises Club After Play-Off Victory

Simon Grayson at the end of the second leg last
night with chairman Dean Hoyle

Simon Grayson was delighted with the outcome of last nights match but took time to praise the club with his post match interview. Here is what he had to say;

"It was a very nervous and tense night, which you expect with the Play-Offs because we knew MK Dons would give us a really good game. MK Dons passed the ball around and caused us one or two problems, but we stuck to our game, got the result and that is all that matters. I had belief that the players could produce a performance; I think we could have killed the game off with the opportunities that we had."

Grayson proceeded to state that the impact Alan Smith had on the game was inevitable an something he had seen coming;

"You could see the scenario of Alan Smith coming on, who had been booed all night scoring a goal - thankfully he did it with only a couple of minutes to go. When there are two minutes to go anything can happen, but thankfully we saw it out."

A trip to Wembley now awaits Huddersfield Town where they will be up against fellow Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United.

"It has got the ingredients of being a great game with Yorkshire pride at stake, but there is a bigger prize - that being a ticket to the Championship. We will go there in good spirits and play how we want to play. We will work hard in the week leading up to it on the training ground to make sure that we finish off the job. There is no point going to Wembley if you're not going to win it and that is our ambition.
"The teams know a lot about each other and it will come down to which team can handle the occasion on the day. A bit of magic or maybe a decision going for you or against you can win you the game."

The Town fans were in full voice last night and filled up the complete Brittania Rescue stand to create a cracking atmosphere. Grayson talked about how important the fans are;

"It was a cracking atmosphere - and we knew it would be. I think the Club did a lot to drum up support and make sure there was a positive vibe around the place and that is what it is all about. A trip to Wembley is what the football club deserves; the Chairman has been immense for the Club and hopefully we can repay him by getting promoted to the Championship."

Match Report: Huddersfield Town 1-2 MK Dons (3-2)

The terriers have sealed their place in the League One Playoff Final after beating MK Dons 3-2 on aggregate. Despite losing on the night, Huddersfield shall be going to Wembley to play an all Yorkshire final against Sheffield United who knocked out Stevenage last night with a 1-0 win.

Simon Grayson only made one change to the team that picked up that 2-0 away win against the Dons on Saturday and that was replacing the injured Scott Arfield with Kallum Higginbotham.

MK Dons immediately sought to eradicate the two goal deficit they had incurred from the first leg and within the first two minutes the lively Powell caused a mix up in the Huddersfield defence which Bennett had to clear. The Dons started passing the ball around as expected and it looked like it was going to be a nervy night for Town fans.

However it was the terrier who managed to get the first real chance of the game. Damien Johnson competed for the ball in the MK Dons penalty box and his knock down was found by Lee Novak who fired a shot wide of Martin's goal. The Dons were still looking impressive when they had the ball at their feet and Bennett had to be alert when some clever play saw the ball played behind Sean Morrison for Charlie MacDonald. Benno dived at the feet of the ex-Brentford striker to avert the danger but the signs of an MK Dons goal was starting to show.

With the ball being held well by MK Dons, it was to no surprise that the majority of the play was occurring within the Huddersfield half. Town did look the more threatening when attacking and got that vital first goal against the run of play when First leg goalscorers Hunt & Rhodes combined. Jack Hunt whipped in a freekick which Danny Ward superbly flicked on into the path of Rhodes. He made no mistake by cutely finishing the move with his weak left foot to put the the terriers into a three goal lead in the tie and a 1-0 lead on the night.

Jordan Rhodes slots home to give Huddersfield
a three goal advantage in the tie

The Huddersfield Town fans nerves had been settled and so had the players as they started to work much harder, putting pressure on the Dons and starting to play out the game a they wished for it to go on. The Galpharm was rocking with the noise being cranked up and things were looking a lot better now that a three goal lead was in place.

It looked like the tie was beyond MK Dons now but they continued to attack and were focusing the majority of their efforts down the right wing where the pacey Powell was but it was Dean Bowditch who threatened the terrier with a goal bound curling shot that fortunately deflected off Peter Clarke and out for a corner. Nothing came from the corner but moments later Grayson was forced into a change as Ian Bennett stayed down after defending a low cross from Bowditch. Bennett was clutching his hand and after a few minutes he walked off the pitch to be replaced by Towns number one goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

After the majority of possession in the first half, the Dons got their reward when Powell's curling effort swung round a fully stretched Smithies and into the corner of the goal. Powell killed the ball expertly on the edge of the box after an Adam Chicksen pass and his turn an shot was executed perfectly to reduce the terriers lead in the tie to just two.

Powell equalizes for MK Dons with a splendid effort

Powell nearly went from goalscorer to provider just before half time when he burst down the right flank and sent an excellent ball into the box which MacDonald managed to get to but his effort skimmed the post after being made tough by Sean Morrison. The scoreline remained 1-1 at the interval and the Dons went in with new found hope after dominating the majority of the game and getting a deserved goal.

Karl Robinson's men came out for the second half showing bundles of determination which was expected and they managed to get behind the terriers defence when Potter slipped a ball through which MacDonald latched on to. He was one on one with Smithies but drastically failed to hit the target with his effort to the relief of the home crowd. It was a clear cut chance for the Dons to grab another goal and one that should of been taken by MacDonald.

Huddersfield were being pinned back into their own final third but a clever intervention by Jack Hunt and a quick pass to Highinbotham kick started a fast flowing terriers attack. Higginbotham held the ball up well and then released Hunt who latched onto the ball and found himself with a golden opportunity to finish the game off. With just Martin to beat, Hunt attempted to curl the ball around the goalkeeper but although the shot had perfect power, it was straight at Martin and the Dons were kept in the tie.

Huddersfield slowly tried to kill the game off by attempting to keep the ball but it was their final pass that was letting them down And giving possession back to the lively MK Dons. Some great play by Higginbotham saw his wing to wing pass brilliantly brought down by Danny Ward who volleyed the ball across the face of the Dons goal, just inches away from the forward rushing Rhodes.

Karl Robinson then decided it was time to throw on the attacking players he had on the bench in the forms of Luke Chadwick & Jabo Ibehre. It seemed like if Huddersfield could weather this Final storm from MK Dons they could well be getting themselves to Wembley.

MK Dons carried on trying to grab another goal to close the deficit even more and a few minutes later Grayson decided it was time for a substitute of his own. He brought on Anton Robinson for midfielder Tommy Miller who had had a good game for the terriers. With time slowly running out for the Dons, Karl Robinson throw everything at Huddersfield by replacing MacDonald by ex-Leeds and Man Utd midfielder come striker Alan Smith.

Although the Dons were pressing forward, they continued to fail to test Alex Smithies in the goal for the terriers and when the ball dropped to Ibehre on the edge of the box he carried on the theme by smashing it high and wide of the goal. Another substitute quickly followed from Grayson as he replaced Kallum Higginbotham by Tom Clarke.

The Dons finally tested Smithies when Ibehre got up to head at goal and when Smithies saved this, Powell followed it up with second attempt but this was saved on the line by that man Smithies again. Finally the terriers gave way and deep into stoppage time the Dons grabbed a goal from substitute Alan Smith when he headed it into the corner of the goal from a Dons corner.

Smithies is helpless as Smith slides in to header home
in the dying minutes for the Dons

However, it was too late for MK Dons and soon after the restart the referee blew for full time. Huddersfield Town fans invaded the pitch and it was the terriers who will be making the trip to Wembley on May 29th !

Vital First Goal

Game day is finally upon us and Huddersfield Town will tonight know for certain if they are going to Wembley or not this year. After a sterling performance away at MK Dons, the terriers are in a great position to join Sheffield United in the final. However, it is only half time in the tie and with 90 minutes still to play the first goal tonight is hugely important. Ultimately, that first goal shall shape how the game is played out tonight.

If Huddersfield Get The First Goal

After scoring twice down at Stadium MK on Saturday, Town will fancy themselves to score first and kill this tie off in front of an expected large and noisy crowd. With players like Rhodes, Higginbotham (if started) and Novak on the pitch that vital first goal is a huge possibility for the terriers. If they do get it then we expect Huddersfield to get a few more as the heads of the MK Dons players shall drop just like they did when Town went two up in the first leg. It shall kill the game off and the earlier the goal comes, the better it shall be especially for the home fans.

If MK Dons Get The First Goal

At two nil down the Dons shall be chasing the game tonight and looking for a spectacular comeback down at The Galpharm. Keeping possession of the ball is what they are good at and they showed this in abundance in the first semi-final leg. Possession combined with pressure is what they shall be looking to achieve tonight against the terriers in order to get the vital first goal. If they get it, the fire shall be back in their bellies and the rest of the game may well be played out in the Huddersfield half with the terriers having to stay strong defensively. Pushing men forward will see Huddersfield having to attack them on the counter and the nerves of the terriers shall be put to the test by Karl Robinson's men.

So you can see how important that first goal is going to be in tonight's clash between the two teams. As a Town fan I would be happy with a boring 0-0 tonight but you can never tell what is going to happen in football.

Pre Match Comments From Grayson

Huddersfield Town boss Simon Grayson has spoke ahead of tomorrow second leg clash against MK Dons. He focused on talking about how Town can and will play better as well as how well his players did perform in the 2-0 victory on Saturday;

"At the start of the second half on Saturday we didn't pass the ball well and didn't do one or two of the things that we had worked on, so I still believe that we can play better."

"I will set the team out to be positive as we were on Saturday and our intention will be to play from the shape of the team and win the game. If we get the first goal it will give us a massive boost, but if we don't then everybody has to stay strong. It is still game on - as we saw on Sunday things can change dramatically change in football."

"The performance was very pleasing because the players stuck to the game plan. As a manager, when the players carry out your instructions it is very rewarding. I thought we worked extremely hard, passed the ball around well and created a number of good chances. We also defended well when we had to and we have to do exactly the same thing on Tuesday night. We can't rest on our laurels; we did what we needed to do on Saturday and need to finish the job off on Tuesday night."

Grayson then went on to talk about how important the first goal shall be tomorrow night but emphasised how his team will not worry even if that goal goes against them;

"The first goal is important, but it isn't defining. If MK Dons get the first and we get the second goal then we are still in a good position. Without being big-headed, we believe we are good enough to win the game and finish off the tie."

Grayson and the squad that went down to MK Dons were delighted with the amount of travelling fans that made the trip and he emphasised how imprtant the fans shall be tomorrow night;

"It is going to be a cracking atmosphere on Tuesday night. I am fully focused on my team and looking at what we can do to hurt MK Dons. Hopefully at the end of the game we will be going to Wembley, but we know we have got work to do."

The terriers picked up a few knocks in the first leg including skipper Peter Clarke and Grayson gave us an insight into how they were coming along;

Peter (Clarke) finished the game which at one stage looked unlikely; I think he was in a bad state but he came through it. He saw the doctor on Sunday and he will see him again on Monday, but we are hopefully that he will be fine for Tuesday night."

"I think Peter should take knocks more often because he played better afterwards! 'The Skip' leads by example; I have played alongside him and I'm now managing him and he inspires the other players. Lee Novak showed the same amount of desire when he put his body on the line to block a shot in the box. We showed a desire and will not to concede so that we could take a clean sheet into the second leg."

"Calum Woods has a toe injury which is heavily bruised so we will have to see where he is. Scott Arfield went over on his ankle and we had one or
two others who could have also come off during certain parts of the game. It was 'all hands to the pump' at certain periods in the game, but we came through it and we will give every player time to be fit for tomorrow night. Everyone has to be 100% fit though, because we can't carry any passengers on Tuesday night"

We have already got our tickets for the vital match so make sure you get yours as soon as possible!

Grayson's Reaction To First Leg Victory

Huddersfield Town manager Simon Grayson was thrilled with the away victory against MK Dons yesterday but warned everyone that they had achieved nothing yet;

We are delighted that we have won and with the level of performance that we showed today. We have worked extremely hard over the last ten days on the game plan and our individuals stuck to it. As a team we broke quickly, passed the ball around very well and did the players did what we asked them to do, which is great as a manager.

There was pressure on the players today, but they have carried out every instruction that we asked of them.

We are still very wary of the opposition, which we have to be because MK Dons are a good team. We need to be focused physically and mentally in our preparation because we haven't achieved anything yet. Given the circumstances I would say that this is the best performance of my short rein at the Club; it follows on from a good performance against Yeovil. We had some good opportunities today and at the other end Ian Bennett pulled off a brilliant save at the death to keep a clean sheet.

The players are totally aware of what we need to do. The two lads in midfield dictated the game for much of it, got in and amongst them when we had to and passed the ball very well. Jordan showed good movement and finished the cross well and Jack normally swings those left foot efforts high and wide, but today it went in the back of the net.

We wont allow the players to be complacent on Tuesday and we will try and replicate what we have done today. I said to the players before the game to do what they have done throughout the season, as it has put them in the position they are currently in. I thought on occasion, when we got into the final third, we sometimes over-hit our pass which could have maybe got us one or two more goals.

Grayson emphasis its still all to play for in the second leg

Grayson talked about the injuries that a few players picked up in the match including Scott Arfield, Callum Woods & Peter Clarke;

Scott Arfield got a knock on his ankle; Calum Woods got a bang on his toe and then Lee Novak started to struggled as did Danny Ward. Peter Clarke was like Lazarus to recover from his knock. The lads who got injured will have an opportunity to get ready for Tuesday nights game. Full credit has to be given to the players who came on and affected the game for us. Peter's injury did look serious and we were considering options to play Tom Clarke at centre back and Danny at left back, but thankfully he came through it and I thought him and Sean Morrison were outstanding today.

Close to 4000 faithful Town fans descended upon Stadium:Mk for the game yesterday and Grayson acknowledged their support;

"The fans were fantastic today; I think there were about 4,000 in the away end and they never stopped signing from the first whistle to the last. It is a two-way thing because we want the supporters to back us, but we have to give them something to cheer about. They have shown today what the Club is all about and I imagine the atmosphere on Tuesday night will step up to another level and hopefully we will finish the job off.

Match Report: MK Dons 0-2 Huddersfield Town

The play-off semi final first leg is over and what a game it was. Outclassing the other two teams first leg (Stevenage & Sheffield United) who played on Friday night, Huddersfield Town & MK Dons represented League One with some much needed terrific football.

How Huddersfield Town lined up for the game

The terriers fanbase didn't disappoint and brought an estimated 4000+ crowd to turn Stadium:MK into a sea of blue & white. However it was the Dons who started off well and put pressure on the terriers by obtaining a corner just 40 seconds into the game. The corner was too long and shortly after, the ball was up at the other end with Jack Hunt who's low cross was fired straight into the hands of the Dons keeper.

Alan Smith was playing as a lone striker for the Dons and was looking surprisingly sharp and got the first, half chance but he smashed it wide of Ian Bennett's goal to the applause of the Town following. A few minutes later it was Town who were on the attack with Damien Johnson who worked the ball out to left back Woods who managed to find him self in some space. His cross went agonisingly out of reach of forward Lee Novak who could only watch it go out for a goal kick.

Town continued to put the pressure on the home side and soon enough Jordan Rhodes found himself the goal side of his defender but his cross was denied to go any further than the front post by Dons defender Shaun Williams. Moments later the ball was back up in the terriers half as the game continued to go from end to end. Callum Woods managed to get the danger away and then Arfield intercepted a pass and immediately started to look for the counter attack. He fed the ball to Jordan Rhodes who waited for Arfield to continue his run and overlap himself only to feed the ball back into his path with a inch perfect pass. Arfield unleashed a cross into the box where Novak was waiting but a Dons defender yet again managed to get a nick on the ball and deny any threat upon their goal.

Both sides started to become more comfortable as the game went on and they were both creating half chances for themselves but it was the Dons who looked the more threatening on the attack. Captain Peter Clarke had to stay alert and block the edge of the area effort by Powell who's pace was obviously starting to cause Huddersfield some problems. From that vital block, a clearance was made that found the head of Lee Novak who knocked it into the path of winger Danny Ward who found himself all alone in the box. He unusually hit it tamely and it more or less trickled into the Dons keepers hands and the first clear cut chance of the match went begging for the terriers.

Scott Arfield then had to be replaced as he picked up a knock and Grayson went with Kallum Higginbotham to be his replacement. Danny Ward switched onto the right wing as the substitute took up his usual left wing position.

Town's midfielder Damien Johnson was having a good game by this stage and he managed to nick the ball from opponent Gleeson and drive forward towards the MK Dons penalty area. Johnson pulled the ball back for Jordan Rhodes who let it run for substitute Higginbotham who's close range shot was superbly turned away by Dons keeper Martin. The ball was kept in play by determined Lee Novak who sent in a beautifully weighted back post cross only for it to be deftly headed goalwards by that man Jordan Rhodes. The Dons goalkeeper was at full stretch but the header was too good and it rippled the back of the net as the away fans were sent into blue & White heaven as the terriers took the lead!

Jordan Rhodes celebrates his clinical headed goal

The goal had really given Town that fighting spirit and they went looking for more as Johnson battled hard in the middle of the park to win possession and push forward only to smash his shot wide of the mark. The second half ended on a massive high for Huddersfield Town and they went in at the break with a vital one goal lead.

The second half started off predictably with MK Dons immediately trying to push forward and grab that equaliser especially with them being at home. Kallum Higginbotham conceded a free kick on the edge of the area which was whipped in by Shaun Williams and after some scrappy play in the box the ball fell to the feet of Dons captain Dean Lewington who's snap shot was expertly saved by Ian Bennett. More chances came and went for MK Dons as Town held strong defensively under immense pressure.

Callum Woods then had to be substituted as the terriers were once again hit with an injured player. Tom Clarke was the like for like replacement and he had to be immediately up to the pace of the game as the Dons were starting to look more and more dangerous down the right hand side with pacey Powell.

Both set pieces and corners were constantly bombarding the terriers box at the beginning of the second half and it looked likely that Huddersfield would possibly concede if things were to carry on. However, Town slowly but surely started to regain control of the ball and by doing so the game. Pressuring the Dons into passing quickly put the home side off their game plan and soon enough Huddersfield were on the attacking foot. Karl Robinson responded with an interesting substitution which saw the rather impressive Alan Smith replaced by winger Jay O'Shea.

The problem for Huddersfield Town at this stage of the game was that their final pass was letting them down and giving back possession to the Dons rather than creating those vital chances to finish this first leg tie off. Another corner for the Dons saw Powell being denied by a resilient Lee Novak who was doing his own fair share of defending.

Moments later came the first one on one chance of the game and it fell to the on form striker Lee Novak for the terriers. He peeled away from both centre halves and beat the offside trap as strike partner Rhodes slotted him through to set up the chance. Novak continued to bear down on the Dons goal and looked to steady himself before smashing the ball agonisingly wide of the post as the away fans groaned at the missed opportunity of going two goals up away from home.

Huddersfield Town did indeed manage to get that two goal lead a few minutes later as they caught the Dons on the counter attack down the wing with Jack Hunt. He played a smart one two with Kallum Higginbotham who managed to cut inside from the right wing and as it looked like he was just about to cross, he fooled everyone by smartly playing the ball back inside to Hunt who took one step before neatly placing the ball in-between Martin and his left hand post. The away fans were once again in ecstasy and it even looked like Grayson was massively pleased as he celebrated on the touchline.

Jack Hunt doubles the lead with a neat finish

Looking like he game was now beyond them, Karl Robinson tried to install some extra attacking threat into the game as he brought on big striker Jabo Ibehre for Charlie MacDonald. MK Dons did indeed start to push forward in numbers looking for a route back into the game and indeed the tie itself. Set pieces is where the Dons had looked most dangerous from and when a corner was floated in and cleared , Huddersfield Towns captain Peter Clarke was worringly left out cold on the deck. The paramedics rushed on to the field whilst Clarke remained on the floor crowded by players who looked worried about the defender. Three minutes later, Clarke rose to his feet and to the applaud of the travelling fans he continued to play regardless of being unconscious just minutes beforehand.

With just five minutes to go Simon Grayson used his last sub to give goalscorer Jordan Rhodes a rest by bringing on Alan Lee. Seven additional minutes were added on in stoppage time an these were played out mainly in the Dons half in the corner as the terriers looked to finish the game with the two goal advantage. However, MK Dons did create the last chance of the game through substitute Ibehre who's glancing header was superbly saved by Ian Bennett who remained unbeaten in goal for the whole of the 90+ minutes.

The match finished 0-2 to Huddersfield Town and we shall take the lead back to The Galpharm on Tuesday night for the second and final leg of this semi final play-off tie. Its not over yet but half of the job has been completed outstandingly well !

Grayson: Players Have No Fear!

The play-off semi final away leg against MKDons is nearly upon us and with one day to go, Simon Grayson has expressed what he see's from his squad every single day through training sessions. This is what the Town boss had to say;

"I think we have gained some good momentum over the last three games; we have won two and drawn one and I think shown glimpses of how we want to play.

We have got players returning from injury who have been unavailable for a while, so we are feeling good. Form can go out of the window in the Play-Offs, but we are approaching the games in a positive manner.

The players need to learn from the experiences that they have gone through before in these sorts of occasions. You can learn from successes and failures in semi-finals and it is important that the players take on board what has gone on before. Sometimes though, the raw naivety of players can help them grasp the opportunity as they won't be worrying about the bigger picture.

The players haven't shown any fear over the last week; our training sessions have been very positive. All the supporters that I have spoken to are looking forward to the two games. Everyone knows anything can happen - that is the nature of the Play-Offs - but we need to grasp the opportunity and have no regrets.

I have not been involved in a game against MK Dons this season, but I have seen them play against Carlisle and also watched DVDs and read reports. On paper it has got the ingredients of being a good contest. They are a good footballing team who like to play the ball out through the defence and up to the strikers. We know what to expect from them and they will know what to expect from us from the two tight games earlier in the season.

To still be in the tie after the first leg is our main objective; ideally a victory would be nice, but even that doesn't give you the guarantee of winning over the two legs. We are not going down to stadiummk to be negative or nick a draw though - we will be positive.

We need to play the game and not the occasion. The build-up to the game should be no different than normal; you need to approach the game in the same manner as any other game. Individually players don't need to be going out and trying new things and collectively you need to stick to what you are good at."

Simon then went on to talk about his own experiences with the play-offs as both a player and a manger.

"I was a player when they did the first Play-Offs and although that was a different set-up it gives the players something extra to play for. It can end in doom, which I have experienced, but I have also experienced the winning feeling from the Play-Offs. It gives a buzz for the supporters at the end of the season.

In the Play-Offs there haven't been too many games where the tie has been over after the first leg. Even a two goal lead would have you concerned that the other team could score the first goal and get back in the game. If Cardiff had scored the first goal against West Ham in their second leg it could have been a different story."

So Grayson is definitely backing his squad in the play-offs and it sounds like he is going to use both his own and the players experience in the play-offs to get the most out of his team. The first leg will see around 4000 Huddersfield Town fans descend down to Milton Keynes in an effort to bring back a result which the whole club can be proud of.

Jordan Rhodes Does Not Need To Be Sold

League Ones top goalscorer Jordan Rhodes has been firing on all cylinders this season which has attracted lots of clubs including those in the Championship & Premiership. Having held onto the striker in the January transfer window, the terriers hitman has continued to impress which has seen him earn his first cap for his international team Scotland.

Huddersfield Town stated that he would not be sold in January and amongst various bids around the alleged £4m mark, he remained on the books at Town. Having been rested in the past couple of games under new manager Simon Grayson, Rhodes is set to feature heavily in the play-off campaign for promotion.

Nigel Clibbons, Chief Executive of Huddersfield Town, last night told the BBC this;

"We are in a great position financially. We can sell players when we want to and it's best for the club."

"With Dean Hoyle as chairman we don't have to do anything that we don't wish to, whereas in the past we have maybe been forced a little. Ultimately everyone is a selling club, even Manchester United sold Cristiano Ronaldo, but the important thing is that you sell at the time of your choosing."

A statement of intent from Huddersfield Town saying that Jordan Rhodes shall only be sold if and when Town are ready to do so. Let's hope 36 goal machine Rhodes can continue to add to that tally in the away and home leg matches against MKDons.

Sean Morrison Looking Forward To MKDons

The on loan centre back Sean Morrison says he is just concentrating on the play-offs and getting Huddersfield Town promoted. Morrison is set to make his 20th consecutive appearance for the terriers but his future is still to be decided especially with his parent club, Reading, achieving their own promotion into the Premiership.

He has on numerous times tweeted how much he is loving his time at Huddersfield Town and in Yorkshire itself and here is what the 21 year old had to say to The Examiner;

“It’s impossible to say what will happen and I’m concentrating on the next two matches. I’m really enjoying my time at Huddersfield, and I’m getting games under my belt, which was my objective when I signed."

"Obviously I’m happy for both Reading and Swindon. I’ve got some good friends there so I’m extremely pleased they’ve got promotion. Hopefully I can get a promotion with Town, and that’s the only thing I’m thinking about at the moment.”

Morrison is still under contract with Reading until 2014 but the possibility of him coming to Huddersfield Town on a permanent basis could certainly be on the agenda if the terriers achieve promotion into The Championship this year.

Update On Our Loan Players

A few of our players have spent the majority of their 2011/12 season out on loan at various other clubs to gain experience or to get constant first team football. Nathan Clarke has spent around half of the season at fellow League One contenders Bury, Liam Ridehalgh has featured heavily in Chesterfields campaign this year as well. Other out on loan Huddersfield Town players are Murray Wallace, Jimmy Spencer & Matt Crooks.

Nathan Clarke

The shakers played Clarke 11 times in the loan spell which saw him make his final appearance against Stevenage at the weekend where he was on the receiving end of a 3-0 drubbing. Clarke has definitely enjoyed his time at Bury and it's nice to see the defender getting first team football yet again.

Liam Ridehalgh

Making his 20th appearance at the weekend for Chesterfield, Towns promising youngster has certainly been given the chance to improve and get a feel for League One football. The 3-2 defeat at the weekend saw Ridehalgh play in the un-natural position of centre back.

Jimmy Spencer

Cheltenham are in the play-offs and our striker Jimmy Spencer has helped them get there by contributing 11 goals to the cause. Torquay United are their opponents in the semi finals and it's a chance for Spencer to make a name for himself.

Matt Crooks

Midfielder Crooks has been attracting a lot of attention from ourselves with his performances for our youth squad and his loan side Halifax Town. Although he never featured in either of Halifax Towns play-offs games against Gainsborough, he sure has impressed and looks to be a very promising first team player in the near future.

Nobody knows what the future has in store for any of the loaned out players and wether they shall be Huddersfield Town players next season is still undecided. However, it's great to see talented footballers enjoying their careers at other clubs.

Grayson Delighted With The Win

Simon Grayson expressed how happy he was with the performance against Yeovil Town when he spoke to the official website. This is what he had to say;

"I said before the game that I wasn't too concerned about where we finished, all I was interested in was winning today and finishing on a good note,"

"I am delighted that we have won the game, not too bothered by what happened at MK Dons, but obviously now we have got the second leg at home.I thought we were good today, passed the ball around well with tempo and created some good opportunities. The players knew that the same group of players could be playing at Wembley in three week's time and that they had an opportunity to stay in the team."

Grayson was delighted with how Town played against Yeovil Town

 When speaking about individual performances in today's game against Yeovil, Grayson hinted who he may well be starting in the play-offs;

"The players should be playing for their shirts and looking over their shoulders at the people sat on the bench. Today probably suited us because they played a narrow four man midfield, which allowed Jack Hunt to get forward and exploit that area of the pitch well. Danny Ward was very good and took his goal well. I feel the more Scott Arfield plays, the more comfortable he is becoming in midfield. I have always rated Danny very highly and you can keep telling players how good they are, but they have to believe themselves. He has got undoubted talent and you could see after he got his goal that his confidence grew and he almost got another. There is a lot more to come from Danny."

When questioned about Jordan Rhodes once again sitting on the bench for the majority of the game, Grayson backed up his decision as well as praising both Novak & Higginbotham who have been partnering each other in the last couple of matches;

"We wanted to give Jordan another rest and play for him the final twenty minutes. I thought Lee Novak and Kallum Higginbotham were excellent again today, but I think Jordan will benefit from the rest. Hopefully he will be back firing on all cylinders next Saturday, if selected. It is a possibility that I could pick all three and accommodate them into a system. Whatever team I pick will be for the sake of the football club and not the individual."

Finally, Grayson gave us a quick heads up on the fitness of the squad heading into the play-offs;

"We won't be too far away; Gary Naysmith is probably the only player who will miss out. Alan Lee has been in and out training over the past week so he should be back fit for next Saturday. There will be some disappointed players because I can only pick 16 for my team next week."

Match Report: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Yeovil Town

Huddersfield ended the season on a massive high with a confident win against Yeovil Town. Town controlled the game from the off which was surprising to see especially with the current form they are on, yet today things seemed to click into place finally under Simon Grayson. Huddersfield Town enjoyed excellent possession of the ball whilst also creating dangerous chances and even the midfield put a decent shift in today.

Simon Grayson bravely named an unchanged starting eleven for the final regular league one campaign game and top goalscorer Jordan Rhodes remained on the bench yet again.

The first chance of the match fell to Kallum Higginbotham who expertly made his way past two Yeovil players only to shoot tamely into Sam Walkers (Yeovil's goalkeeper) hands from the edge of the box. Yeovil had also been attempting to grab the first goal but it was immediately obvious that they were trying to catch the terriers on the break.

Peter Clarke was having a solid game at the back for Huddersfield and just 16minutes into the game he managed to get the ball to Jack Hunt, who was also having a great game going forward, who in turn played the ball inside for Arfield who could only manage to hit the side netting with his shot. Thirty-four minutes into the first half, Danny Ward made the Yeovil keeper work with his 25 yard effort that he could only parry away.

Jack Hunt and Scott Arfield were performing extremely well for Huddersfield and on the stroke of half time they combined together which ultimately ended with a dangerous Hunt cross only for on-form striker Lee Novak to send a glancing header into the back of the net from 12 yards out. The lead could of easily been doubled just seconds later as Higginbotham beat his marker to force Walker into a splendid diving save from 20 yards out. The terriers went into the dressing room at half time with a deserved goal advantage in a game that was slowly becoming more and more one sided.

Lee Novak celebrates his 3rd goal in 3 games

With the restart, Yeovil tried to get themselves back into the game and should of equalised through striker Andrew Williams who got past Clarke, Morrison and Hunt before having his effort superbly saved by Ian Bennett who was trying to cement his place as the terriers number one goalkeeper. Kieran Agard then threatened the home sides goal as his 18 yard shot just whistled past the wrong side if the post.

Jack Hunt continued to impress Grayson and the fans but it was on-loan defender Morrison who's header had to be cleared off the line to deny his team a clear two goal lead. However, it didn't take long before the game was killed off by the terriers as Danny Ward doubled the lead when his shot rifled into the bottom corner after a neat little flick on by Higginbotham. With the game all but wrapped up, Grayson changed things by bringing on Rhodes, Robinson & T.Clarke at the expense of Novak, Johnson & Hunt. Ward came close to making it three but his late effort didn't beat Walker who had a solid game for Yeovil and kept Huddersfield at bay for longer than expected.

With Walsall beating MK Dons it means that Huddersfield Town have leapfrogged them into fourth place and by doing so have gained the second leg home advantage in the play-offs. Massive performance from Huddersfield Town today and they were very impressive for the first time under Simon Grayson. Maybe we are peaking at the right time for the play-offs but more of the same and we shall be heading to Wembley!

Grayson Not Interested In Released Leeds Players

Rumours have been floating around linking Huddersfield Town with a few of the players which Leeds United have released under new manager Neil Warnock. Simon Grayson has however stated that he is not interested in any of the players yet but is focusing on the current squad he has aswell as promotion through the League One play-offs. This is what he had to say about the situation:

"Obviously we are at the stage of the year when players are being released, but what is happening at other clubs is really not my problem. I have to look to my group of players and focus the Yeovil game tomorrow and then our two big games against Milton Keynes Dons and try to ensure that we are playing against the likes if Leeds in the Championship next season."

Simon Grayson Only Concentrating On Promotion

Of the eleven players to leave Leeds United, five are to be released with their contracts not being renewed. These are Alex Bruce, Lloyd Sam, Mikael Forsell, Danny Webber & Maik Taylor. Any of them will undoubtedly be able to fit into any League One side and so it wouldn't surprise us if Grayson wasn't tempted to bring any of them to Huddersfield Town.

Jordan Rhodes To Be Rested Again

Simon Grayson has hinted that top goalscorer Jordan Rhodes may well be rested for the game against Yeovil. He was an unused sub on the bench for the away tie against Walsall which ended 1-1 and it may well be the same situation this week.

Jordan Rhodes Being Rested For The Play-Offs

Grayson has already said that the play-offs are the only things which matter bow but he still wants to see a strong performance from the terriers to end the regular League One campaign on a high. This is what he had to say about Rhodes:

“He has had a long hard season and has looked a little tired over the last few games, Jordan was quite happy with that decision because he has carried the goal-scoring burden for the club this season. We gave him a breather (against Walsall) and we may do the same (against Yeovil). Then he will be ready for the play-offs.”

We personally would like him to feature in the weekend clash between ourselves and Yeovil but can understand where Grayson is coming from. Would you like to see Rhodes back in action or see him rested for the play-offs against MK Dons?