Match report: Walsall 2 - 1 Huddersfield Town

Sep 30 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Theo Robinson

TOWN were sunk by old boy Dwayne Mattis’s late strike.

Just two minutes of normal time remained when the midfielder shot home from eight yards out.

His goal completed a home fightback after Theo Robinson fired Town ahead in the 47th minute.

Darren Byfield levelled with a penalty before Mattis pounced to condemn Lee Clark’s side to defeat.

The Town boss made one change from Saturday’s goalless draw with Stockport, bringing in Jim Goodwin for a first league start of the season in place of Gary Roberts.

The Irishman slotted into central midfield alongside Antony Kay, with Danny Drinkwater playing on the right and Anthony Pilkington taking Roberts’ usual berth on the left.

Town had to deal with a wave of Walsall attacks in the opening 10 minutes.

Experienced striker Byfield made room for himself on the edge of the area and curled a left-foot shot just over while on-loan Manchester City defender Clayton McDonald hit Alex Smithies’ left-hand post with a header only to be pulled up for a foul.

Then keeper Smithies allowed Alex Nicholls’ inswinging corner to slip through his hands and was grateful to see Kay head clear.

Pilkington was penalised for a high foot on 21 minutes, and from Mark Hughes’ free-kick, Mattis brushed Smithies’ left-hand post with a header.

With centre-back Hughes in fine form, Town were struggling to make much impression up front, although Pilkington did make a good run in the 30th minute, with his cross looping up off a defender into the path of Theo Robinson, whose header was saved by Rene Gilmartin.

Jordan Rhodes then stabbed a shot from Robinson’s cross narrowly wide.

Joe Skarz’s 36th-minute foul on Nicholls gave Walsall a free-kick in a dangerous position 25 yards out, and Smithies did well to block from Richards.

Troy Deeney tumbled in a 38th-minute clash with Andy Butler, but referee Carl Boyeson waved away home penalty claims and instead booked the striker for diving.

Town’s first corner of the game didn’t arrive until the 44th minute, and when Drinkwater’s in-swinger was headed clear, Goodwin shot over from distance.