Huddersfield Town 1, Chesterfield 2

Apr 19 2006 By Mel Booth, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TOWN'S hopes of moving solidly into the top two were crushed by a shocking second-half performance last night.

Leading through David Graham's brilliant 13th-minute header and dominating in entertaining style, Peter Jackson's side had an automatic promotion slot for the taking as they were roared up the tunnel at the break.

That chance had been lost, and possibly for good, by the time boos rang out at the final whistle following Paul Hall's double which gave battling Chesterfield six points at Town's expense this season and mathematical safety in League I.

So dramatic was Town's demise that they failed to create a single effort on target in the second 45 minutes.

Even Andy Booth - a surprise inclusion on the bench and sent on for the final 18 minutes - couldn't poach or create a late leveller as 492 travelling fans went wild and almost 13,000 others slipped away into the moonlight.

It was a sickening blow for Town - rekindling the bitterness of that last-day defeat at Cheltenham a couple of years ago - and I can't remember Jackson looking quite so gutted since then as he did last night.

He acknowledged Town's chances of automatic promotion now rely on other clubs slipping up, while there's also concern about only a three-point advantage on seventh-placed Swansea - especially as all the leading contenders have better goal differences than the Galpharm side.

Town's three matches left are against sides in the bottom five but, if they fail to re-fit the wheels which fell off so disastrously against Wayne Allison and Co, they can forget about any easy ride into possible post-season competition.

Playing with width, pace and passion in the first half, Town seized control and looked well set for the two goals and three points needed to elbow Colchester out of second.

Graham had a handful of chances including the one he put away, which followed excellent build-up from the two Dannys, Adams and Schofield, while Chris Brandon also had a fierce drive saved and Gary Taylor-Fletcher saw keeper Barry Roche scramble to smother his goalbound shot.