Match report: Huddersfield Town 1 Carlisle 0
Apr 14 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
And five minutes before Booth struck, visiting substitute Lewis Neal somehow contrived to miss both the ball and a gaping goal after an incisive low cross from right winger Cleveland Taylor.
Other than that little was seen of Carlisle as an attacking force, with Greg Abbott’s team looking strangely lethargic and Town January transfer window target Danny Graham having a quiet game.
Town struggled to find any rhythm in the first half, when a string of passes went astray and Roberts had a 14th-minute volley blocked before boss Clark had to deal with the loss of right winger Pilkington to a groin strain.
His solution was to switch Cadamarteri from his lone striker role to the right and put Booth up front, with the 35-year-old’s ability to hold the ball up proving useful, although Jim Goodwin was unable to keep his shot on target when set up in the 45th minute.
In other first-half chances, Pilkington shot over, picking up his injury in the process, and Collins headed wide from Liverpool loanee Martin Kelly’s cross before having a well-struck shot saved by Williams after linking with Roberts.
Meanwhile it was frustrating that Town couldn’t find a way through when forcing four corners in two minutes midway through the opening period.
The home side certainly looked livelier after the half-time pep talk from Clark, who made it clear in the build-up to the game how much he wanted to set the record straight after Town’s dismal 3-0 defeat at Carlisle on Boxing Day.
His side have certainly chalked up more handsome victories, but as noted in the post-match discussions, sometimes wins have to be ground out and at least Town showed they can do that.
Now they are up to ninth in the table, their second-highest placing of a frustrating campaign, and will aim to continue their strong finish to the League I programme by forcing another win at Walsall on Saturday.
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