Match Report; Cardiff City 1-0 Huddersfield Town

The Cardiff City Stadium

Huddersfield Town travelled to the Welsh capital of Cardiff to take on the side which are tipped to be fighting for automatic promotion at the end of the season. The terriers have had a disappointing pre-season and earlier on in the week got knocked out of the Capital One Cup after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Preston North End. This tie opened up The Championship for what is set to be an amazing, yet tough season for all the teams involved.

The team selections were announced before kick off at The Cardiff City Stadium and this is how the terriers lined up;

4-3-3
Smithies, Dixon, Lynch, Clarke (c), Hunt, Norwood, Southern, Clayton, Scannell, Novak, Arfield.

Jordan Rhodes was not selected in the squad after being announced to be suffering from a Grade One torn hamstring which ruled him out of Huddersfield's first Championship match in eleven years.

Rhodes cancelled out of the opening tie due to
a grade on hamstring tear

The home side started the better and soon were on the attack in front of a large crowd. Don Cowie linked up well with Heidar Helguson and after a neat one two, Cowie tried his luck from the edge of the area but his shot was sent harmlessly wide of Smithies goal. However, the best chance of the entire first half came for the terriers early on after Novak slipped a defence splitting pass through to Scott Arfield who went one on one with the goalkeeper. Arfield took the ball into the area before driving a low curling shot at goal which was well stopped by Ben Marshall in the Cardiff goal. It was a chance which should of really been taken especially in The Championship.

Huddersfield Town started to grow in confidence as the half progressed and they looked calm and collected as Cardiff struggled to break down the well organised formation that Grayson's men were holding. Oliver Norwood threatened the home sides goal from 25 yards out after he teed up a half volley which was dipping into the top corner before Marshall brilliantly pushed it away. It was then Cardiff who created the next half chance through Jordan Mutch who attempted to break the deadlock with a shot from the edge of the area but he could only go close to the frustration of the home crowd. With just five minutes to go in the first half, Norwood and Clayton played some good football before Norwood sent in a another dipping shot which forced Marshall into a full stretch save.

The Town Faithful

Craig Bellamy had been kept quite by Jack Hunt all game but just one minute from time he nearly provided an assist for the opening goal. A free kick was won by the newly named 'Red Dragons' and Bellamy swung in a cross which was met by the head of Helguson but his header smashed the crossbar of Smithies goal. Both sides went in at half time deadlocked at 0-0.

The second half started exactly as predicted with Huddersfield continuing to hold a strong shape and pressing Cardiff players into making hurried passes that often were intercepted by clever defending from the terriers. Jack Hunt was at the forefront of the first meaningful chance in the second half. On the hour mark, the young right-back cut inside from the wing passing Andrew Taylor before smashing a fierce shot just over the bar. Immediately up the other end, Smithies spilled a relatively easy shot which resulted in a goal line scramble as Peter Clarke was forced to clear off the line. Just a few minutes later, Arfield had his second chance of the game to open the scoring after dragging it past his marker in the box only to touch it too heavily before getting his shot away.

Bellamy came to life just twenty minutes from time and he pushed past Clarke with ease before pulling his cross back into the path of McNaughton who was brilliantly denied by the ever agile Smithies. Arfield was in the thick of the action yet again for the terriers as he sent a curling effort goalwards only for Marshall to push it behind and deny the deadlock being broken by the terriers. Just a minute from time it was Cardiff who had the opportunity to take all three points but substitute Joe Mason could only shoot over the bar from just eight yards out.

As the game progressed into stoppage time the game did get its first goal and it was the Cardiff fans which were sent into ecstacy. Joe Mason managed to knock the ball down into the six yards area where captain Mark Hudson reacted quickly to smash home for the home side. A cruel ending for the Town side who looked strong all game to be sent home with nothing. A thoroughly enjoying game which Huddersfield shoud be proud of & can take a lot of positives from before taking on Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.

Hudson celebrates his late winner
for Cardiff City

Full Time: Cardiff City 1-0 Huddersfield Town