THERE’S no need to panic, but Huddersfield Town badly need a present of points this Christmas.

Simon Grayson’s side will reach the halfway point of the Championship campaign at Crystal Palace on Saturday having shown they can mix it with the best in the second tier.

But after such a promising start following promotion, they have lost their way over the last six games, picking up only two points and sliding from the play-off zone to 17th.

They’ve been without strike pair James Vaughan and Jermaine Beckford for the bulk of the those matches, and the sight of the latter appearing from the bench after an hour of Saturday’s clash was a boost.

Out for the previous five games with a hamstring injury, the on-loan Leicester man was unable to conjure an equaliser (leading from the eighth minute through Robert Koren, Hull didn’t score their second until stoppage time).

But he did show the occasional spark – keep in mind he needs to regain match sharpness – and with Alan Lee also thrown into the mix for the final 20 minutes, Town might have snatched something.

Sadly, and despite having plenty of the ball, they were unable to fashion a genuine chance on David Stockdale’s goal.

And the match ended on a sour note when Alex Bruce, the former Town loan defender and son of Hull and ex-Town manager Steve, was shown a straight red card for a shove on Lee, who was accused of throwing an elbow and may be punished retrospectively.

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Lee has shown he can make an impact at this level, and will be missed if absent against former club Palace, who with their tricky wingers, are likely to provide another tough test.

Promotion-chasing Hull’s forte is crisp passing – almost every player in amber and black looked comfortable on the ball – and quick movement of players not in possession, so providing options, stretching opponents and pulling them out of shape.

And while Town certainly weren’t lacking in effort and application, they were too often careless in passing and unable to create any momentum.

They gave it a go, finishing the game with Vaughan, Beckford and Lee up front, having started by matching Hull’s 3-5-2 system, with Jack Hunt and Danny Ward essentially employed as wing-backs in front of a back three of Peter Clarke, Anthony Gerrard (up against one of his old clubs) and Joel Lynch, who was given a tough afternoon by on-loan Sunderland wing-back Ahmed Elmohamady.

Adam Clayton was his usual lively self, Keith Southern was solid if not spectacular on his return from a three-match ban and Oliver Norwood created some problems with his set-piece deliveries.

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But the midfield bite which has proved so telling when Town have won matches this season was lacking, and clearly the frontmen function better with their support.

Vaughan and strike partner Lee Novak both foraged, but there was little to be had in the way of pickings, with the latter coming closest for Town with a 23rd-minute overhead kick which went just wide.

It was in the third minute of time added on by World Cup final referee Howard Webb that on-loan Sunderland midfielder David Meyler drilled in Hull’s clincher from Jay Simpson’s pass, but he had hit the bar previously.

And to be fair, after Koren had profited from Stephen Quinn’s delivery early on, the home side always looked like they had a second goal in them.

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