Match report: Huddersfield Town 1 - 0 MK Dons

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.

The goalmouth action continued in the second half, as Roberts came close twice in three minutes, first curling a shot onto the roof of the net, then firing across the face of goal as he cut in from the right following Novak’s clever overhead pass.

Chadwick’s header from Lewington’s cross was narrowly off target, while Gueret saved from Rhodes before Town’s top scorer missed a great chance for a 16th of the season, shooting over after Tom Clarke was unable to connect with Novak’s cross, Roberts and Peltier having also been involved in a fluent passage of play after 65 minutes.

A double substitution by MK boss Paul Ince, who introduced Jermaine Easter for on-loan West Ham man Nigel Quashie and Sam Baldock for Lewis Gobern, gave his side extra impetus.

Leven headed wide and Chadwick came close before McCracken blocked Novak’s strike and Rhodes’ close-range 72nd-minute finish from Pilkington’s cross was ruled out after the latter was given offside.

The busy Rhodes, testing the Dons defence at every opportunity, saw one header fly over, another saved by Gueret and a third go just wide before Easter poked an 81st-minute effort too high.

It was all getting a touch frantic, but Town stood firm for a very welcome clean sheet and a first double of the League campaign following their 3-2 win at MK in September.

Lee Clark’s side also regained fifth place after losing it to the Dons on Boxing Day, when Paul Ince’s men won at Stockport as Town were inactive following the Carlisle postponement.