Defeat, inflicted in the second minute of stoppage time, was definitely harsh on Huddersfield Town.

But the lessons have to be learned in terms of both this season and next.

With each match, it seems, the chasing teams are getting that little bit closer.

A place lower than at the start of play, Mark Robins’ men are 17th in the Championship, 10 points above the relegation zone, and thankful for the 43 points gathered up to the start of March.

The bulk of the sides below have 18 points left to play for, but in third-bottom Barnsley’s case, it’s 21, and in fourth-bottom Charlton’s 24.

How much better everyone connected with Town would feel if Ipswich could be beaten back at the John Smith’s tomorrow evening.

Manager Robins always said there would be sticky spells as he worked to embed the pass and move system he believes will push Town forward.

But he can’t have envisaged one would go on as long as this.

It’s now seven games since Barnsley were bushed aside so impressively at the start of March.

Town went nap that happy afternoon, with five different names on the scoresheet.

It gave hope that top scorer James Vaughan’s injury woes might not be felt as sharply as feared.

But there have been just the same number of goals since, with only three points claimed from the last 21 up for grabs.

Nahki Wells has netted three of those last five goals (Adam Hammill got the other two).

Huddersfield Town (0) v Bolton Wanderers (1) - Nahki Wells
Huddersfield Town (0) v Bolton Wanderers (1) - Nahki Wells.

And given Bolton boss Dougie Freedman’s pre-match dig at the £1.3m Town record signing – “I think he’s struggled with his price tag,” said the Wanderers chief – the stage seemed set for Wells to make a scoring statement.

But despite putting in a shift, the Bermudian was unable to get the better of Adam Bogdan in the away goal.

The Hungarian was also equal to Bolton old boy Danny Ward. who looked Town’s most likely scorer.

Ward is trying his best to make up for Vaughan’s absence, but struggling to make some decent chances count.

He had two well-struck shots, but one hit the right-hand angle while the other was parried, and two headers, one going just over and the other bringing a smart save from Bogdan.

Town also looked on in frustration as Bolton captain Jay Spearing made two goalline clearances, from headers by Oscar Gobern and Wells.

The stats show Town had 56% of possession and 23 efforts (both on and off target) to Bolton’s 11.

Yet Wanderers got their goal, neatly volleyed home on the turn by substitute Joe Mason, who is on loan from Cardiff, from a corner by South Korean wideman Chung-Yong Lee, who had taken over the flag-kick delivering duties from Spearing.

Huddersfield Town (0) v Bolton Wanderers (1) - Joe Mason scores Bolton's late winner
Huddersfield Town (0) v Bolton Wanderers (1) - Joe Mason scores Bolton's late winner

Adam Clayton and Paul Dixon both slipped up in the moments preceding the winner as Town’s susceptibility to set-pieces again reared its ugly head.

The defensive effort had been pretty good, with Anthony Gerrard making a string of well-timed and crucial challenges.

But during the kind of run Town are on, any lack of concentration seems to be punished.

As is often the case, Hammill always looked like he might prise Bolton open, either with an assist or an effort of his own, but in the event, couldn’t.

And the midfield will need to be that bit more on top of their game if Ipswich, beaten 2-0 at Blackburn, are to find it grim up North for the second time in four days.

And Mick McCarthy’s men will be equally as eager to win as Town as they aim to keep their play-off hopes alive.

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