Match Report: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Burnley

Huddersfield Town managed to pick up their first three points and their first win in The Championship for over eleven long years. The terriers sent Burnley home across the border with zero points after dominating the majority of the play in an impressive performance under the manager Simon Grayson. The team news, as always, was released around thirty minutes before kick off and this is how the terriers lined up on the field of play;

Starting XI; Smithies, Dixon, Lynch, Clarke (c), Hunt, Scannell, Southern, Norwood, Clayton, Vaughan, Rhodes.

Huddersfield started the match off in a basic 4-4-2 formation which saw Vaughan partner Rhodes upfront, However the early breakthrough for the terrriers came from the big central defender, Joel Lynch, who' glancing header from a Norwood corner was deemed to have crossed the line to the delight of the home crowd. This was the first time Huddersfield had taken the lead in The Championship this season and they could of well doubled it in the 14th minute. Scannell was causing his usual problems down the wing and his victim this time was Trippier who he brushed past before putting a ball into Rhodes in the box. Rhodes met the ball with his head but it crashed off the crossbar and was cleared to safety by the visitors who had begun the game on the ropes.

Huddersfield were playing some very nice football which was allowing them to dominate things in the middle of the park. Clayton was denied by a dedicated Burnley skipper, Jason Shackell before he watched Rhodes' effort being brilliantly saved by Lee Grant in the visitors goal. Clayton continued to drive the team forward with his attacking runs and he was regularly firing shots at goal which were troubling both Burnley's defence and goalkeeper. However, Burnley did have the ball in the back of the net just before half time.

David Edgar fired a shot in at the terriers goalmouth in the 44th minute which rippled the back of the net after bouncing off the woodwork. However, the linesman did have his flag up after deeming Charlie Austin was interfering with play in an offside position. Half time.

Lynch gave the terriers their first half lead,
His glancing header was deemed over the line

The teams emerged for the second half revitalized but once again it was the home side which controlled matters. Keith Southern tried his luck from 20 yards out but his effort was blocked superbly by Chris McCann. On the hour mark, Huddersfield deservedly doubled their advantage over Burnley when Rhodes netted his second goal in just two games. The Scottish striker was given the ball in the penalty area after great interplay between Clarke, Hunt & Lynch had seen the terriers progress fastly up the pitch. Rhodes turned in the box with the ball at his feet before smashing it home from tweleve yards out.

Huddersfield were now two goals to the good & Burnley continued to struggle to make any sort of impact on the game with a resilient Huddersfield defence holding strong. Burnleys strikers, Vokes & Austin just couldn't get into he game as every ball was being won by the two centre backs who were playing extremely well. Peter Clarke was leading by example as he rose on numerous times to win the aerial challenges against Austin. Burnley did start to look more threatening towards the end of the game as they went in search for the goal which would get them back into the match.

However, it wasn't meant to be as the home side saw the game out with some slick passing play being carried out by the midfield. Lynch was rightly awarded the man of the match award for a superb display which has cemented the Welsh defenders place in the starting eleven.

Full time: Huddersfield 2-0 Burnley