Match report: Huddersfield Town 2 - 2 Leeds United
Mar 1 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Huddersfield Town 2 Leeds United 2
A DEFT touch of Gary Roberts’ trusty left foot earned Town a deserved derby draw.
Just as it seemed League I’s last unbeaten home record might fall by the wayside, the winger popped up to steer home Anthony Pilkington’s deep cross 85 minutes into a roller-coaster West Yorkshire contest.
Town had led through Pilkington’s deflected 13th-minute drive, and could easily have been further ahead by the break.
But Leeds hit back in the second half and turned the match on its head with two goals in five minutes, Jonathan Howson and Luciano Becchio both heading home.
When Peter Clarke headed against Casper Ankergren’s right-hand post and the Danish keeper pulled off a fine save to deny Lee Novak from close range, it looked like it wasn’t going to be Town’s day.
But patience paid off as Lee Peltier played the ball down the right to Jordan Rhodes, who shielded it neatly and laid it back to Pilkington.
His delivery was sweet, and Roberts emerged at the far side of the penalty area to claim his seventh goal of the season and stretch his side’s unbeaten league run to 11 matches.
It was the second 2-2 draw between the rivals this season, and means Leeds haven’t beaten Town in five meetings.
And while some home supporters in a 21,764 tickets-issued crowd left saying their team should have won, there was no doubting the character and determination displayed by Lee Clark’s side.
Others would have crumbled after Leeds’ quickfire double (in the 61st and 66th minutes), but Town stuck to their guns and were rewarded in an dramatic finale.
They certainly had the better of the first half, restricting the visitors to just a handful of decent chances.
Click below for action pictures from Saturday's match
By the time Robert Snodgrass was denied by Alex Smithies, who tipped his 20th-minute shot wide, and Becchio hit the side-netting from the subsequent flag kick, Town were leading.
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