Brentford 0, Huddersfield Town 1

Apr 25 2005 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Home keeper Nelson almost turned an innocuous Booth header into a 24th-minute goal, allowing the ball to bounce against his chest, then having to scramble it around the post.

Two minutes later, he was picking it from the back of the net as Abbott celebrated his 25th goal of the season, a deft chip from the edge of the penalty area after Lee Fowler dispossessed Pratley and Adnan Ahmed caught out the home defence with a lovely through ball from halfway.

The goal sparked Brentford into life, and centre-back Sodje, brother of former Town duo Efe and Akpo, headed narrowly over from a free-kick delivered by midfielder Jay Tabb, who was denied by Rachubka's brave dive as he raced on to Marcus Gayle's pass in the 31st minute.

Left-back Danny Adams blocked a close-range header from ex-Bradford and Barnsley striker Isaiah Rankin, then Rachubka produced a fine one-handed save to thwart Sodje, whose header from Kevin O'Connor's cross looked every inch a goal.

Gayle bent a free-kick wide while Talbot's 20-yard shot was well held as Town somehow reached the interval with their goal intact.

The pressure continued after the break, with Ahmed clearing Michael Turner's header off the line before Rachubka spread himself well to deny Tabb, who had both time and space.

The keeper showed good reactions to block as Andy Frampton's fierce shot took a deflection off Pratley, then McCombe recovered well to rob Burton as he bore down on goal.

Sodje and Burton both put chances wide before, after 88 minutes, Danny Schofield came agonisingly close to doubling Town's lead in their only real attack of the second half, breaking clear to shoot across the face of goal.