Town Starting XI; Smithies, Dixon, Lynch, Clarke, Woods, Hammill, Southern, Clayton, Norwood, Scannell, Novak.
Town Bench; Bennett, Wallace, Arfield, Ward, Robinson, Gerrard, Lee.
The first half was a very uneventful display with both sides being described by many reporters as 'League One' class. Scrappy interplays along with a unwillingness to risk any real numbers in attack lead to very few chances being created by both Huddersfield & Bristol. If you had to choose which team was on top of the game you would have said the visitors but they could only carve out one goalscoring opportunity with all the possession which they had. Albert Adomah had fired wide from a free-kick before Jon Stead nearly got himself on the score sheet against his old club with a header which only just flashed wide of Alex Smithies upright.
Just two minutes before the interval it was the terriers who opened up the scoring and broke the deadlock at The John Smiths Stadium. Adam Clayton had been one of Town's better players in the first half and it was the midfielder which created the goal after feeding the ball for Novak who's cross was tapped in at the back post by Scannell. It was the wingers first goal for Huddersfield since joining in the summer from Crystal Palace and it repaid Grayson for giving him a chance in the starting lineup.
The terriers nearly gave away their one goal advantage immediately after the restart as they allowed Cole Skuse to fire in at goal only for a well positioned Keith Southern to deflect the shot wide.
Half Time: Huddersfield Town 1-0 Bristol City
After a pretty shameful first half performance from both sides, the second half got off to a much better tempo to the surprise of the on looking 12,000+ Town fans. Clayton used his keen eye for a pass to find Calum Woods' stampeding run but the right back couldn't beat Dean Gerken from a tight angle.
The visitors weren't causing the back four of Huddersfield any problems but a lapse of concentration by midfielder Keith Southern allowed Jon Stead a shooting opportunity but he failed to hit the target yet again. Clayton was the star man for the terriers now and he linked up with Hammill moments later for the on loan winger to show off his footwork before sending a curling effort just wide of the goal.
Alex Smithies was having a relatively quite afternoon compared to what he had been having for the terriers in their last two league games but he was on top form to prevent a Bristol City equaliser in the 63rd minute. Skuse had miss hit a shot for the visitors which had found its way through to Sam Baldock who's shot was brilliantly saved by smithies from just six yards out.
The game ticked slowly into the final ten minutes and Huddersfield should well of secured all three points in the 87th minute. Novak broke free from his marker before sliding a well placed pass into the feet of Scannell who could of grabbed his second of the game but the winger hesitated for too long and the chance soon was gone.
Bristol City threw numbers forward in the closing minutes of the match and Smithies was called into action once again for the terriers. A Bristol City cross was headed towards goal by McManus but Smithies expertly denied the visitors a deserved equaliser with a smart save just seconds before the final whistle was blown.
Full Time: Huddersfield Town 1-0 Bristol City
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