Huddersfield Town 3 Charlton Athletic 1

Aug 30 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A COMPREHENSIVE victory and plenty more to be pleased about besides.

Jordan Rhodes, Jamie McCombe and Gary Roberts were the men on the mark as Charlton were condemned to a first League I defeat of the season.

That’s four for the campaign for Rhodes, a first for the club for McCombe and a first of the season for Roberts, his sweet volley putting Town three to the good and ensuring Charlton’s stoppage time reply, a deflected shot by on-loan West Ham player Matt Fry, was ofconsolation value only.

Lee Clark’s side more than deserved the three-point haul which puts them sixth in the table, and while this was a very solid all-round team display, there were some stand-out individuals.

Well done Liam Ridehalgh for an excellent debut, the 19-year-old left-back negating the threat of highly-rated Scott Wagstaff to such a degree that the winger was replaced with 20 minutes still remaining.

And there was another highly encouraging bow by Alan Lee.

At 32, the new frontline arrival from Crystal Palace is at the other end of the age range.

But the way he kept Charlton’s defence occupied – and the ovation given as he made way for Joe Garner after 87 minutes – suggests he could become as popular at Town as he was down the road at Rotherham.

With Lee Peltier serving a one-match suspension, Scott Arfield produced a fine show at right-back, while Graham Carey tormented Charlton down both flanks and set up two of the goals.

Then came Antony Kay, handed his first start of the season after coming off the bench in the Carling Cup tie at Everton and responding with a no-nonsense show alongside the slick-passing Joey Gudjonsson.

Town had to be patient for their breakthrough, but two goals in quick succession late in the first half rewarded their earlier domination.

McCombe and Lee had both tested Ross Worner with headers and Carey with a low shot by the time the Charlton stopper was left in no man’s land by Rhodes’ sweet 39th-minute lob, the chance having been created by Kay’s crunching challenge and Gudjonsson’s neat through ball.

Less than 60 seconds later, Town had strong penalty appeals turned down by Lancashire referee Graham Salisbury after Worner slid out and Rhodes tumbled as he chased a Roberts pass.

But the debate over whether it should have been a spot kick or a corner was short-lived, because Town fans soon had another goal to cheer.