Match report: Bristol Rovers 1 Huddersfield Town 0

Aug 22 2009 By Doug Thomson

AFTER the euphoria of the midweek mauling of Brighton, misery at the Memorial Ground.

Town faltered after changing their formation and failing to get a grip in the middle of the pitch.

They held out until the 83rd minute, when Jeff Hughes rifled home the second of two penalties awarded to Bristol Rovers to seal a fourth straight win for the home side and condemn the visitors to a first defeat in their fifth match of the campaign.

But Lee Clark’s side had been on the back foot for most of the contest.

And while a point would have been welcome, they couldn’t really complain at losing all three on a disappointing day in the West Country.

The manager’s plan was to add an extra man to central midfield, with Danny Drinkwater playing ahead of Antony Kay and Tom Clarke and behind sole striker Jordan Rhodes.

The theory was that Town’s three would master Rovers’ two (Stuart Campbell and Chris Lines) and bring advancing widemen Anthony Pilkington and Gary Roberts into play.

But it didn’t work out like that as Bristol bossed the game and created by far the clearer-cut chances.

Ironically, by the time the goal arrived, Town had reverted to 4-4-2 (Kay was replaced by Theo Robinson at half-time), but while the second half was more even, the visitors failed to create many genuine opportunities.

The only time the 610 away fans in a 6,952 crowd got excited was in the 71st minute, when Robinson raced onto Drinkwater’s measured through ball and looked like he was going to take the ball round Fraser Forster.

However the giant goalkeeper on loan from Wednesday’s Carling Cup second-round hosts Newcastle managed to divert the ball with his foot, and the moment was gone.