Wednesday 1 August 2012

Match Report: Crewe Alexandra 1-0 Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town travelled to Gresty Road to play Crewe Alexandra in their fourth pre-season friendly. Early team news confirmed the speculation that Keith Southern had joined up with the squad and would indeed make his debut as he was named in the starting XI. Alongside him was Oliver Norwood as Simon Grayson named a very strong side that lined up in a standard 4-4-2 formation.

The match started with the home side controlling possession as Huddersfield were penned back into their own half with Peter Clarke blocking the first shot of the game from Crewe's Pogba. Crewe were out to impressive the home crowd and just as Huddersfield started to come back into the game, through a lively Sean Scannell, the home side took the lead. The terriers were giving away dangerous free kicks in their own half and were punished as Westwood swung one into the box where Clarke was surprisingly shrugged off by Adam Dugdale who volleyed the ball into the net.

Huddersfield immediately went for the equaliser from the restart but Scannell's effort was blocked over the bar after a Danny Ward corner. Minutes later the visitors broke from a Crew corner through the ever impressive Scannell but his flat cross couldn't find Jordan Rhodes in the box and the breakaway goal was off the agenda. The game slowed down as Huddersfield started to obtain more of the possession and as half time approached a Jack Hunt cross was met by Rhodes but his shot was cleared off the line by goalscorer Dugdale and Crewe kept hold of their one goal advantage.

Three minutes before half time Danny Ward got the better of full back Davis and pressed forward only to see his low cross unmet by Rhodes who was agonisingly close to latching onto it in front of goal. The referee soon after blew for half time and Huddersfield went into the dressing room one goal down.

Huddersfield emerged for the second half unchanged but the first chance fell to Crewe Alexandra. Brendon Daniels slotted a great through ball past Jack Hunt who was beaten by Pogba but he failed to punish the terriers by shooting wide with a very tame effort. Fifteen minutes into the second half Simon Grayson made his first substitutions of the game by bringing on Clayton, Woods, Bennett & Oscar Gobern for Norwood, Dixon, Smithies & Ward.

A change of formation soon followed as Huddersfield formed a 4-3-3 to attempt to put more players upfront to grab an equaliser and Southern nearly provided one. Clayton had just been on the field 8 minutes but it was his excellent cross which was found by Southern's glancing header. The Town faithful thought they had got the equaliser but unfortunately it just went past the wrong side of the post. More subs followed by Grayson and Kay nearly made an immediate impact after he managed to get his head on a Clayton free kick but the attempt went well wide of the target.

Time was now ticking down and Huddersfield started to commit more men forward, searching for a late equaliser. Alan Lee was close to threading through winger Kallum Higginbotham but it was intercepted by a solid Crew defence and moments later the referee blew for full time at Gresty Road to finish a strongly competed friendly; Crewe Alexandra 1-0 Huddersfield Town.




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