Match report: Huddersfield Town 2 - 2 Cheltenham Town

Mar 23 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TOWN boss Lee Clark asked some questions of his squad last week – what he received were some right answers and some wrong ones!

Challenging his players to earn the right to wear the shirt next season, the Town manager was treated to yet another inconsistent performance from his team.

Credit where credit is due and Town did show character in fighting back to earn a draw after gifting the visitors two early goals.

But equally a realistic view of this display was that Town were facing a side rooted to the bottom of the table; who have had their squad decimated by injuries; who were forced to make running repairs from the first 10 minutes; who lost a man sent off on the hour and who essentially ended up playing with nine men as having used all their substitutes David Bird stayed on the field to make up the numbers despite being virtually immobile.

And if it is a question of maths then, since Town’s famous victory over Leeds United, the last seven games have seen four points taken from a possible 21. The report card has to read ‘must do better’.

It took a mere five minutes for Town’s concentration to crack as a hopeful ball forward was met by Tom Clarke, standing in for Andy Holdsworth who was counted out with an ankle injury, and he succeeded only in guiding the ball into the path of Leon Constantine and the striker raced in on goal and left Alex Smithies with no chance with a neatly lifted finish.