Huddersfield Town 0, Blackpool 1

Nov 13 2006 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TORRENTIAL rain poured like a veil of tears upon the misery that was Town's FA Cup exit.

What little quality was on offer was slowly drained from the contest by mother nature and the outcome settled by a highly controversial penalty decision.

It went against startled Town centre-back Nathan Clarke, who could do nothing to avoid a driven cross by Keigan Parker at little more than umbrella distance in the 69th minute.

Midlands referee Andy Hall - who was terribly inconsistent with his bookings - decided it was deliberate hand to ball and loan man Wes Hoolahan made no mistake from the spot with a firm left-foot drive after a dummied run-up.

Few in a crowd of 6,597 - including many of the 1,570 who made the trip from Blackpool - agreed with what appeared a harsh decision.

But then you got the impression it wasn't going to be Town's day when, after a mind-numbingly bad first half, they went perilously close to taking the lead early in the second.

Clarke, again, was at the centre of attention and, indeed, the centre of the pitch as a poor clearance from Blackpool keeper Rhys Evans fell nicely to him in the circle.

Spotting the keeper still well off his line, Clarke used the prevailing wind to launch a terrific shot which bounced over Evans and hit the bar.

As the ball rebounded, leading scorer Gary Taylor-Fletcher seemed certain to score, but he delayed the follow-up just long enough for Shaun Barker to make a goal-saving challenge and Evans smothered any remaining danger.

It was that sort of day for Town.