Match report: Huddersfield Town 2 - 0 Scunthorpe United

Dec 29 2008 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

It was 10th-placed Town’s seventh win in nine League I games, and their first in five clashes with Scunthorpe, who dropped from fourth to sixth after a first defeat in five outings.

While both influential midfielder Goodwin and centre-back Andy Butler started against their former club, Scunthorpe had ex-Town men David Mirfin and Paul Hayes on the bench, the latter coming on after 72 minutes and fluffing a good late chance.

That was pretty much the story of the contest for Nigel Adkins’ side, who were always keen to attack (as their goal tally of 42 from 23 games shows) but had only four genuine efforts on target.

The first, a long-range 13th-minute drive by the impressive Grant McCann, proved too hot for teenage Town goalkeeper Alex Smithies to handle, the ball popping out of his grasp to May, who fired home only for his celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.

Seven minutes later, Gary Hooper’s lay-off from a McCann free-kick fell to Sam Togwell, whose rising shot hit Smithies’ left-hand angle of post and bar, much to Town’s relief.

McCann curled a 25th-minute free-kick over, while late in the first half, Andy Holdsworth made key blocks to deny Hooper and May, but otherwise Town were in command, even if their closest chances had both come as early as the fourth minute, when Togwell deflected Keigan Parker’s shot on the turn for a corner taken by Roberts and from which Nathan Clarke had a powerful header blocked by Togwell.