Match Report: Peterborough 4 Huddersfield Town 2

Aug 23 2010 By Doug Thomson

THE pre-match entertainment from a singing trio wearing cowboy hats and jackets sparked memories of Brokeback Mountain.

And just like the film, there was no happy ending, at least for Town.

There were highs, with Anthony Pilkington hitting the bar before Jordan Rhodes and Graham Carey put Lee Clark’s side two goals to the good.

But they were outweighed by the lows as Peterborough pulled one back in first-half stoppage time, with keeper Alex Smithies making an unusual handling error, before turning the game on its head with two goals in as many minutes soon after the restart.

As Posh turned the screw, Town failed to respond with sufficient power, and Smithies had been beaten for a fourth time before late pressure provided fleeting hopes of a fightback which failed to materialise.

It was a big disappointment, particularly since Town were seeking a fourth straight clean sheet and given the way they started so brightly, and it shows Clark’s new-look team is still a work in progress.

Shorn of the experienced Gary Naysmith through suspension, the manager handed full debuts to loan pair Carey (Celtic) and Damien Johnson (Plymouth), leaving Gary Roberts on the bench.

Carey slotted in at left-back and Johnson was paired with Joey Gudjonsson in central midfield, Scott Arfield switching to the left.

And while Posh made the early running – Aaron Mclean’s downward header bounced just over the bar before Kelvin Langmead screwed a shot off target from a great position – Town were soon giving as good as they got.

Gudjonsson fired well over after good approach play by Pilkington, who then fired a screamer of a shot against the bar, keeper Joe Lewis, who seemed to know little about it, looking on in relief as the ball hit his back but went for a corner rather than over his own line.