Match report: Huddersfield Town 2 - 1 Colchester United

May 3 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LEE NOVAK’S getting into a great habit of scoring last-gasp winners.

Having sunk Walsall three games previously, this match was even deeper into stoppage time when the Geordie hitman struck his 14th goal of the season.

The 21-year-old’s volley from Gary Roberts’ beautifully-flighted free-kick – awarded for Marc Tierney’s foul on the lively Nathan Eccleston – came four minutes and 10 seconds after the 90 mark, and was literally the last kick of the contest.

And how vital it could prove to be, with Town heading into their last game of the regular season at Exeter on Saturday knowing that at the very least, victory in Devon would elevate them to a final placing of fifth, and depending on results elsewhere, could even yield second spot and automatic promotion!

The play-offs, of course, are a far more likely scenario, and a final billing of third or fourth would bring home advantage in the semi-final second leg, whoever it turns out to be against.

Town will want to be far slicker than on Saturday, when they produced a scratchy performance against a Colchester side keen to prove a point after slipping out of the race for the play-offs the previous week.

While Town produced the clearest-cut chances, on too many occasions, the visitors were allowed too much time and space, and deserved the 77th-minute equaliser slotted home by ex-Carlisle winger Simon Hackney after bustling substitute Kayode Odejayi forced a rare slip from skipper Peter Clarke and put a low ball into the danger zone.

Town survived a scare soon after, when Anthony Wordsworth seized on Tom Clarke’s mistake and tested Alex Smithies with a firm shot.

But having seen the advantage provided by Theo Robinson’s first-half penalty wiped out, at least they responded by upping the tempo, with substitutes Novak and Eccleston both looking eager to take their chances.

Eccleston came agonisingly close to setting up Novak after a playing a neat one-two with Jordan Rhodes in the 83rd minute, with his final cross just out of reach for the former Gateshead man.

Then Novak’s shot on the turn from Roberts’ pass was blocked by Paul Reid before Rhodes headed just over from Danny Drinkwater’s centre.

Photogalleries of match action and a special fans gallery on the next page.