Plymouth Argyle 2 - 1 Huddersfield Town: Doug Thomson's match report
HUDDERSFIELD Town came unstuck as Plymouth took the Devon Expressway to victory.
Two well-taken goals by Bradley Wright-Phillips, the former Manchester City and England junior striker who is trying to get his career back on track in this far-flung Football League outpost, were enough to condemn Town to a first defeat in four matches.
Both came the direct way, with New Zealand’s World Cup striker Rory Fallon flicking on booming kicks from on-loan Tottenham goalkeeper David Button for Wright-Phillips, the son of former Arsenal and England ace Ian Wright, to shoot past Ian Bennett, who has been unbeaten in the previous two games.
And the second, in the 66th minute, was enough to send Town and their 597 fans back up the A38 on their 310-mile return journey hoping for a bounce-back win at home to struggling Walsall on Saturday.
There was one moment for manager Lee Clark and the travelling faithful to enjoy in the form of Anthony Pilkington’s fifth goal in four games and seventh of the season.
It came in the 19th minute, two after Wright-Phillips had put Plymouth ahead, and completed a neat move begun by left-back Liam Ridehalgh’s throw-in.
Alan Lee flicked it on to fellow frontman Lee Novak, whose pass found Graham Carey in space.
The Celtic loanee headed for the byline before pulling back an inviting cross which Pilkington lashed into the roof of the net.
It was the perfect response to Wright-Phillips’ opener, angled home after ex-Barnsley man Fallon rose to nod on a free-kick launched forward by Button, and reflected a positive start by Town against a home team showing six changes to that beaten 2-0 at Notts County the week before.
Carey had already tested Button with a free-kick 30 yards out, while Joey Gudjonsson was only just over with a drive from even longer distance, and other than a run of three successive corners, little had been seen of Peter Reid’s side before Wright-Phillips struck.
Lifted by their equaliser, Town pushed forward, and quick-thinking Peter Clarke freed Pilkington with a swiftly-taken free-kick, only for the goalscorer to rush his shot, while Novak, set up by Lee Peltier, held off Reda Johnson’s challenge but put his effort over the bar.
At the other end, Bennett did well to collect an awkwardly looping header by Craig Noone before holding a low shot by Conor Clifford, brought in on loan from Chelsea on Friday afternoon.
