TOWN 2 MK DONS 0
Huddersfield Town recorded a third win of the campaign against MK Dons, with Nahki Wells and substitute Jamie Paterson grabbing the goals.
Town doubled their clean sheet tally for the season on the night, with the win moving the Terriers above MK Dons, who were level on points before the match kicked off.
Chris Powell produced an unchanged starting line-up but had to make changes with bench selection as Kyle Dempsey, Mustapha Carayol and James Vaughan where unavailable and replaced by Development Squad players Duane Holmes, William Boyle and Flo Bojaj.
Karl Robinson made three changes from the Dons’ win against Blackburn as Rob Hall, Simon Church and Ben Reeves dropped out for Samir Carruthers, Nicky Maynard and Carl Baker.
In the first minute, Martin Cranie fed the ball into Sean Scannell, who tricked his way past Dean Lewington and fired a ball onto the head of Ishmael Miller but his effort went wide.
A couple of minutes later, former Huddersfield player Antony Kay was booked for a poor challenge on Nahki Wells.
On five minutes, Josh Murphy went round Cranie and flashed a ball in toward Nicky Maynard, whose boot was inches away from making contact.
Down the other end, a good run from right back, Jordan Spence, ended in the ball at the feet of Samir Carruthers but the shot was blocked by Joel Lynch.
Just after ten minutes in, Jordan Spence sent a deflected pass through to Nicky Maynard, who saw Jed Steer off his line and attempted a dinked shot over him but it had insufficient power and the on-loan keeper held easily.
Twenty six minutes in Man of the Match Dean Whitehead robbed the ball from Jake Forster-Caskey and played in Ishmael Miller, whose shot was turned around the post by David Martin.
A minute later a MK Dons player fired a ball in towards Nicky Maynard’s head but defender, Mark Hudson, did well to stop the striker from making contact with the ball. Soon after Hudson defended excellently to stop Josh Murphy running through the Huddersfield defence.
Just after half an hour played, both Scannell and Cranie were booked in quick succession for tough fouls on Dons players.
Jason Davidson then steamed into the opposition half and fired a fearsome shot wide of the goal.
Just on half time, Huddersfield had to withstand increase aerial pressure from MK Dons as Joel Lynch remained solid at the back.
Into added time at the end of the first half and Jason Davidson produced a lovely left footed cross, only for a leaping Nahki Wells to nod it over.
The last play of the first half was a Huddersfield free kick, which was hit straight into the arms of David Martin by Emyr Huws.
The second half began and Nicky Maynard was given a ball over the top to chase, but Steer saw the danger and came out of his box quickly to clear the danger.
Ten minutes later, the Terriers had penalty appeals waved away by the referee as Harry Bunn surged into the box and went down.
Two minutes after, the goal came – thanks largely to a huge error from Dons centre back Kyle McFadzean. The Terriers had planned to press the Dons high all evening and under pressure, he inadvertently slipped in Nahki Wells who went one on one with David Martin and finished comprehensively to give Town the lead.
Less than a minute later, there was almost another goal, this time Nahki Wells slipping in Ismael Miller, but his shot, at a difficult angle, was off target.
Just after the hour mark, a deflected ball into the box looped into the air but Jed Steer managed to get a glove to it ahead of Maynard’s head and Joel Lynch cleared it away.
Ten minutes later, Jake Forster-Caskey and Joel Lynch were booked for an off the ball collision together.
With fifteen minutes to play, the MK Dons manager decided to change his options up front bringing on Simon Church for Nicky Maynard. And two minutes later, Chris Powell decided to reply by bringing off goal scorer Nahki Wells to a standing ovation for Nottingham Forest loanee, Jamie Paterson.
With just ten minutes to go and after neat play, the ball fell to Ishmael Miller inside the box who slipped in Sean Scannell, who had his shot deflected wide to hit the side netting.
Minutes later, after a Huddersfield corner, MK Dons broke with Josh Murphy releasing substitute Daniel Powell whose shot went just over the bar
On the ninetieth minute, a moment of worry for Terriers fans as Jed Steer stretched to collect a cross the ball slipped out of his hands; however the ‘keeper managed to grab it before a MK dons player could pounce.
A minute into injury time, Ismael Miller was replaced by young striker, Flo Bojaj, for his debut and the Under 21’s top scorer almost made the dream start by setting Scannell away. His powerful shot was palmed away by David Martin into the path of Paterson, but the attacker couldn’t get his feet right and missed the ball.
Deep into injury time, Sean Scannell was replaced by Tommy Smith to hold onto the lead, but seconds later the lead was doubled. Goalkeeper David Martin’s pass out of defence was read by debutant Bojaj and he found Jamie Patterson, who coolly stroked the ball past the custodian to send the home fans wild as Huddersfield took all three points.
Town’s team (4-4-2):
Jed Steer; Jason Davidson, Joel Lynch, Mark Hudson (c), Martin Cranie; Harry Bunn, Emyr Huws, Dean Whitehead, Sean Scannell (Tommy Smith, 90); Ishmael Miller (Flo Bojaj, 90), Nahki Wells (Jamie Paterson, 77)
Unused subs:
Joe Murphy, Duane Holmes, Philip Billing, William Boyle
