Danns Looking To Push The Terriers Up The Table

Danns has joined the terriers on loan until the
end of the current 12/13 season

Neil Danns has assured Huddersfield Town fans that the club can still compete for a play-off spot this season despite a poor run of form which has seen them slip down the Championship league table. The terriers have recently gone ten games without a win before battling hard to defeat Charlton by one goal to nil and Danns knows exactly what is needed in this league to pick up vital points.

Match Report: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Huddersfield Town faced one of the toughest tests they have encountered in The Championship this season when Wolverhampton Wanderers came to The John Smiths Stadium. The visitors were sitting pretty in third place and were coming to take on the terriers in very good form with five wins out of the last six games but Grayson's men were revitalized after picking up all three points before the international break against a very tough Birmingham City side at St Andrews.

Town's Team; Smithies, Woods, Gerrard, Clarke, Hunt, Ward, Norwood, Southern, Clayton, Vaughan, Beckford

Town's Bench; Bennett, Dixon, Novak, Lynch, Scannell, Arfield, Lee

Huddersfield started the game positively with sleek passing and strong defending and with just eleven minutes on the clock, the terriers forced Wolves into conceding their first goal in their last three away games. Jack Hunt was the provider for one of the best goals ever to be scored at The John Smiths Stadium as his inch perfect cross was met superbly by the head of James Vaughan who sent the ball flying across the face of goal and into the back of the net.

Vaughan's goal for the terriers is his third since joining
on season long loan from Norwich

The midfield of Huddersfield were working hard as per usual and Clayton was looking on the money when he nodded the ball down into Vaughan's feet who crossed to the back post, just inches away from Beckford who could well of doubled the terriers lead if he had connected with he cross. Wolves were not looking a bad team but Huddersfield were dominating the pace of the game. However, the visitors got their first real chance of the game through a Bakary Sako free-kick which went just inches over the bar of Alex Smithies goal.

Jack Hunt had already provided an assist and his confidence was sky high as he ran once again at the Wolves defence before firing an effort just wide of the mark. Moments later Adam Clayton linked up with former Leeds United team mate Jermaine Beckford to give the terriers an unlikely two goal lead. Clayton whipped in a superb delivery from the right wing for Beckford to scissor kick into the back of the net in extraordinary fashion. The on loan striker put his name into hat for goal of the month...if not the season.

Beckford celebrates after doubling the terriers lead
with a stunning finish.

Wolves looked a beaten side after the second goal had gone in but they were nearly given a lifeline as Woods made a mistake which allowed Sako in at goal but he could only curl his effort wide of Smithies goal to the annoyance of the visiting fans. Chances continued to come for the home side and Town could of been at least four or five up before half time with both Vaughan & Beckford having great chances to take the game beyond Wolves but it wasn't meant to be for the strikers.

Half Time: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Simon Grayson's team started the second half as they had finished the first and within a minute Beckford was causing Wolves problems yet again. Roger Johnson luckily recovered well as the striker closed down on the visitors goal after a superb pass from Oliver Norwood had set Beckford free. Ten minutes later, Wolves got their first chance on goal in the second half as new signing Jermaine Pennant crossed to the back post where Kevin Doyle met the ball with his head. The effort was goal bound but Huddersfield skipper Peter Clarke was on his top form and blocked the effort to keep his sides two goal lead.

With just over an hour on the clock the visitors managed to get themselves back into the game as Sylvan Ebanks-Blake stabbed home a tame shot only for it to sneak past Smithies off the post. The shot had also received a heavy deflection off Peter Clarke which ultimately gave the goalkeeper no chance in denying Wolves their away goal.

Wolves were playing the much better football now of the two teams and were buoyed after getting themselves back into the game from an unlikely goal scoring chance. Sako was the main problem for the terriers as he continued to skip away from his markers to push the visitors forward. Sako was the creator of Wolves' first goal and he went close to getting his name on the score sheet but his shot whistled inches past the post. The game was ticking ever so slowly now for the home side who looked tired after such a gut busting first half effort and they were starting to hang on against a never ending onslaught of Wolves attacks.

In the 79th minute Wolves had a corner which was met by the head of David Edwards who beat his marker but could only send his header smashing into the upright. Smithies was well beaten by the effort and it looked almost certain that Town were going to give away their two goal lead but they hold strong in the final minutes to get their home form back to winning ways.

Full Time: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Vaughan's First Huddersfield Town Interview

James Vaughan has joined The Yorkshire Club on a season long loan and gave an insight into why he has chosen the terriers instead of numerous other clubs. Vaughan was announced Town's latest signing this afternoon and will bolster Grayson's attacking options immediately for the clash against Burnley on Saturday;

"It has been a very quick turnaround but hopefully I will be involved in some way tomorrow. I am here to play first team football so the sooner the better really. I want to help the Club do well and on a personal front score some goals. I didn't want to go out on a short term deal; I have done that before and I didn't really want to do it again. With the loan being season long it gives me time to bed in, get to know the players and then hopefully push on earn a starting place and help the team progress."

Vaughan did feature heavily in Norwich City's pre-season campaign but the striker believes that his chances of first team football at the Canaries was very slim;

"When we returned for pre-season I knew pretty quickly that if I wanted to play first team football then I was going to have to make a move. Once the season started properly I wasn't involved too much and after speaking to the manager he said that it would probably be a good idea to have a look elsewhere for first team football."

"Huddersfield made it clear that they were interested in me and they did all they could to get the deal done as quickly as possible. I have a few friends who have played at the football club before and they had nothing but good words to say about it. It is a club that I feel is going in the right direction and I am looking forward to being a part of it."

James Vaughan did admit that these two friends were Lee Peltier & Anthony Pilkington who used to play for the terriers before moving onto different clubs respectively;

"I spoke to both of them and they both said that I would enjoy it up here and that it was a fantastic place to play football."




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Vaughan Joins Terriers On Season Long Loan

Simon Grayson has captured his latest signing in the form of James Vaughan from Norwich City. The vastly experienced striker has joined Huddersfield Town on a season long loan with possibly the option to permanently purchase him after this. Vaughan has been linked heavily with the terriers over the last 48 hours but its only today that the club has officially announced that the striker has signed.

Grayson was keen to state that Vaughan is a different kettle of fish compared to the other strikers at the club and praised both his commitment & work rate as reasons to why he has been brought into the squad;

"He is a different type of striker to the ones we currently have at the Club and crucially he has plenty of pace. He is a determined character with a high work rate and he is a player with something to prove. He has played at this level before and is comfortable at it, which is perfect for us."

"He has had some problems with injuries in the past but he has had a good pre-season behind him and comes to us fully fit. We have agreed a sensible deal with Norwich to protect us and I look forward to working with James over the coming months.

James Vaughan has had a successful past in football which includes playing for Everton in the UEFA Cup as well as featuring in an FA Cup final & the striker is sure to make his mark here at Huddersfield Town




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