Match report: Huddersfield Town 1 - 0 MK Dons

Dec 29 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Huddersfield Town 1 MK Dons 0

TOWN’S A-team took the plaudits, but it needed a spirited all-round effort to claim a crucial three points in an entertaining battle of promotion hopefuls.

Anthony Pilkington’s sublime 27th-minute strike settled matters after Alex Smithies had saved an 18th-minute penalty by Peter Leven, harshly awarded for handball by Joe Skarz.

And the one-for-all approach of the home side was illustrated when all nine standing outfield players became involved in a late melee after Tom Clarke was flattened by Luke Chadwick’s challenge.

The former Manchester United man, already booked for hacking down Gary Roberts in the first half, appeared lucky to escape a red card from referee David Foster.

The Tyne and Wear whistler did caution Lee Peltier and Jude Stirling after they squared up to each other, and also visiting striker Jermaine Easter.

It was a little on the ugly side and both Town, who had Roberts sent off retrospectively for his part in a skirmish at Bristol Rovers in August, and MK will wait to see whether there is any follow-up from the Football Association this time.

But at least it took the momentum out of the Dons’ late push for a leveller, although by that stage, the match could, and should, have been well out of their reach.

Cold turkey it may have been, but a dash of fiery sauce transformed this clash into a festive treat, and the fans were out of their seats in the 14th minute, when Peter Clarke’s header from Pilkington’s flighted free-kick flew past Willie Gueret and hit the keeper’s left-hand post before being scrambled away.

Little had been seen of MK attacking wise until David McCracken met Dean Lewington’s long ball and flicked in a shot which struck Skarz under the elbow.

It appeared a case of ball to arm, but referee Foster was well-placed and pointed to the spot, only for Smithies to block Leven’s low shot slightly to the right with his legs as he dived the opposite way.

Town seemed lifted by the escape, and after Gueret smothered from the onrushing Lee Novak, Pilkington, out on the left touchline, took possession from Nathan Clarke’s pass and cut in to the corner of the box before unleashing a dipping shot past Gueret and into the far corner.

It was a sweet sixth strike of the season by the former Stockport man, and Town would have had a second soon after had McCracken not made a great block to deny Jordan Rhodes.

At the other end, Leven and Chadwick both had shots blocked before Smithies saved from Sean Gleeson, while Gueret did well to push away Novak’s 40th-minute header from Rhodes’ flick-on.