Carling Cup match report: Huddersfield Town 3 Stockport County 1

Aug 12 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TWO sweetly-taken goals by new boy Jordan Rhodes eased Town into the second round of the Carling Cup.

The former Ipswich frontman made it three in two games with strikes in the 45th and 48th minutes at the Galpharm last night.

Fellow summer signing Theo Robinson added a third after a powerful 74th-minute run as Lee Clark’s side turned on the style against their League I rivals, whose sole consolation was David Poole’s 88th-minute effort.

Town boss Clark rang the changes after Saturday’s 2-2 opening-day League I draw at Southend.

There were three Clarkes in the starting side, with Nathan coming in for Andy Butler to play alongside Peter in central defence and Tom replacing suspended midfielder Michael Collins.

Joe Skarz was handed the left-back berth ahead of Robbie Williams while Rhodes and Lee Novak, who came off the bench to inspire the comeback at Southend, took the frontline slots in place of Robbie Simpson and Theo Robinson.

Town fashioned the first chance of the game five minutes in, but Anthony Pilkington’s header from a Gary Roberts cross was off target.

But the home team had a left-off four minutes later, when keeper Alex Smithies spilled Michael Rose’s corner and Antony Kay had to be alert to clear the danger.

Tom Clarke fired well over from a good position on the edge of the box, and Roberts sliced wide when set up by a quickly-taken free-kick before veteran keeper Paul Gerrard, who was on trial at Town this time 12 months ago, stooped low to collect Pilkington’s 22nd-minute drive.