HUDDERSFIELD Town boss Lee Clark is expecting a tough run-in for the automatic promotion spots in League I.

His side have the advantage that they face all their top four rivals at home, with Sheffield United the first up at the Galpharm Stadium tomorrow night (7.45).

However, following last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to fifth in the table MK Dons and now two successive blank weekends following the call-off at Leyton Orient, Clark does not expect anything but a battle.

“They are all fantastic clubs (at the top) and all have got fantastic managers,” said Clark, a nominee for the Manager of the Month award which went to Charlton’s Chris Powell.

“I know Karl (Robinson at MK Dons) and Danny (Wilson at Sheffield United) pretty well, but I don’t know Gary (Megson at Sheffield Wednesday) quite so well.

“But obviously I know that Gary has been a successful manager in the past.

“Both Sheffield United and Wednesday are huge clubs, MK are on the up and, of course, there is Chris (Powell) who is doing so well at Charlton, and the people at Stevenage can be very proud of what they are doing as well.

“It is going to be very tough from now until the end of the season, but we have good players, strong individuals and, most of all, a fantastic squad.”

Town are due at Stevenage on Tuesday, February 28, while the home meetings with Charlton and Wednesday are on March 24 and April 7, respectively.

And after new signing from Falkirk midfielder Kallum Higginbotham made an impressive start to his Town career in his debut against the Dons, manager Clark has underlined he expects young defender Murray Wallace, back with the Bairns on loan after he signed for Town, to make a similar impact when he returns to Huddersfield for next season.

“He is really one for the future, he is a fantastic young player and a future Scottish international,” said Clark.

“He is just 18 years of age, left-sided and he is only going to get better.

“We have beaten off some strong competition for him as well, so we are absolutely delighted with what happened during the deadline week.

“The deal is very similar to what happened when we signed Lee Novak and one of the reasons Falkirk were willing to sell him to us was because we were prepared to do this kind of deal in January.

“All three clubs who were in for him – ourselves, Ipswich and Brighton – were told that the signing would be done only on those terms.

“It would have been good if we could have played him straight away, but that was Falkirk’s stipulation.”

Due to circumstances beyond their control, Stevenage have been unable to get the tickets printed for the game against Town on February 28. The sale date will have to be postponed until they arrive at the Galpharm.

Due to the game call off there will be no lunchtime webchat today. The webchat will return next Monday at 12.30pm.