Huddersfield 3 , Walsall 1

Oct 17 2005 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TOWN are sitting proudly on top of League I - and deservedly so!

Peter Jackson's side never really hit top form on Saturday at the Galpharm, but they were still way too good for Walsall.

It was fitting that Andy Booth's 100th League goal for the club should set Town on the road to a victory wrapped up by Pawel Abbott's excellent double.

And the scoreline could easily have been more emphatic as in-form skipper Jon Worthington and the evergreen Booth both rattled the woodwork.

It mattered not in the final analysis, however, as three points and confirmation of Southend's defeat at Doncaster catapulted Town to the top of the table.

Over 11,000 home fans lapped it up and rightly accorded a standing ovation at the end.

They've seen better performances this season, but Town look as though they've got the promotion bit between their teeth and that's encouraging with almost a third of the season gone.

While Walsall briefly got on terms with a Paul Smith header from Mark Kinsella's free-kick in the 31st minute, Town bossed the opening half with some fluent passing play.

They were more patchy in the second half, allowing Walsall one or two unnecessary chances, but the result was put beyond doubt 12 minutes from time when Abbott grabbed his 11th goal of the season.

It came from a Nathan Clarke long throw-in flicked on by Booth and was finished from close range with a real poacher's instinct.

His first strike, in the 34th minute, was from much the same mould too, only this time it was created by Schofield's skilful run and cross after Clarke had sent a raking pass down the righthand side.