Match report: Huddersfield Town 2 Gillingham 1

Dec 14 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Huddersfield Town 2 Gillingham 1

NEVER mind Jedward, Town have got Rhovak!

And while another series of The X Factor fades from the memory as fast as a Chinese takeaway, the Galpharm faithful will be hoping their favourite duo will still be going strong come May.

Both grabbed goals for the second week running, Rhodes his 15th of the campaign and Novak his eighth, as Town came from behind to grind out victory over stubborn Gillingham.

The Kent side have got the worst travelling record in League I – just a point from 10 matches going into this contest – but they had the tonic of a third-minute goal.

And they worked hard to hold onto their lead until Novak’s 40th-minute shot and Rhodes’ header in first-half stoppage time tilted it in Town’s favour.

The home side had by far the better of the second-half chances, but were unable to add to their tally, meaning neither the manager nor supporters could rest easy until the final whistle.

Gillingham went into the game without first-choice goalkeeper Simon Royce, revealed as the player who had injured a knee in a car accident only when the teamsheets were released half an hour before kick-off.

But his deputy Alan Julian performed well, making a fine save from Rhodes and two from Gary Roberts, who in the absence of Anthony Pilkington (suspended) and Robbie Williams (on the bench) took the free-kicks.

Town also hit the bar through Antony Kay, whose fifth caution of the campaign means he will serve a one-match ban at Norwich on Saturday, while Rhodes had a header cleared off the line, all of which gives an indication of the pattern of play.

The closest Gillingham came to an equaliser was in the 59th minute, when Alex Smithies saved Kevin Maher’s shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Hopefully Smithies’ hesitancy at the Gillingham goal won’t count too much against him when Football Association representative Joe Corrigan makes his report, because such lapses have been few and far between.

The 19-year-old appeared to be caught in two minds as Simeon Jackson smartly stayed onside before racing onto Maher’s defence-splitting pass, first coming then retreating, giving the Canadian international the chance to measure the chip which brought his 13th goal of the season.