Huddersfield Town beat Liverpool in friendly at Galpharm Stadium

Oct 27 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CENTRE-BACKS Jamie McCombe and Nathan Clarke showed their prowess in the opposition penalty area as Town earned a 2-1 friendly win over Liverpool.

A half-term holiday crowd of 1,610 saw former Town loanee Nathan Eccleston strike within 90 seconds of his Galpharm return.

The 19-year-old curled home a shot from the edge of the area after being set up by Thomas Ince, whose dad, former Manchester United and England star Paul, was watching from the stand.

A Liverpool side including Dutch frontman Ryan Babel showed some neat touches, but Town, with Scott Arfield influential in midfield and Jordan Rhodes and Joe Garner both starting the game, competed well and levelled in the 23rd minute, when McCombe hooked home at the far post after keeper Brad Jones fumbled Aiden Chippendale’s corner from the Town right.

Former Ajax man Babel, fighting to become a fixture in the Liverpool starting side, was denied by Nick Colgan in first-half stoppage time, Town’s on-loan Grimsby goalkeeper sliding out to block as the Reds counter-attacked.