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Dario surprisingly changed a few things around. First, not so surprisingly, Bankole came in for the injured Ince. Foster returned in place of Walker and Hulse replaced John Miles. Then the real changes came in, Sodje in for Tierney which at first i thought was a mistake as Sodje can't cross for toffee, he wasn't on the left though. Dario swapped Sodje to the right and Wright to the left. The only other big surprise was Dean Ashtons absence. Dario said he expected Dean to be on the bench, if not playing, but instead Paul Edwards was on the bench for the first time.
We weren't all there on Saturday. Brammers passing was dire. He found it difficult to find a red shit, maybe the bumpy pitch is to blame but surley he would still complete for than 30% of his crosses. Waltons clearences were nothing short of dodgey and early signs were bring the weak points out of Bankole. At the start it looked like we may have taken new tactics on - pressure them from the start. Wright went straight down the left into the area and his point blank save was stabbed away by the Hudders' keeper.
After that though we were on the back foot for 20 or so minutes. Huddersfield looked a neat(ish) passing side but their defence was a tad dodgey and their attack, well do they have an attack? they didn't produce any real clear cut chances. Suppose they had one or two long shots which were made look good by George in the goal. As the first half went on we gradually got into the game until controlling it. However passes were going astray and the ball was bobbling everywhere as the pitch looked in it's worse state yet.
Steve Jones was probably man of the first half working his socks off and chansing balls. Vaughan look uninterested at times and Sodje was getting forward and proving me wrong by putting a few useful crosses in. Rob Hulse doesn't look as threatening since he came back from injury though, although he is a handful, maybe not quite match fit?
In the second half we had more of the possesion and nearly all the chances. However the talking point, before the goal, was the sending off. Clear sending off and Huddersfield fans have admitted it. Brammer sent a long ball into the path of Jonah and with it just bouncing outside the area Jonah and the keeper went racing after it at full pace. Jones got a foot to it just to try and chip it over the keeper but the keeper palmed the ball away them clattered into Jones with two feet.... outside the area. Obviously a sending off and after Huddersfield moaned, and moaned abit more, Scott Bevan saw red, which obviously dazzled him as he forgot where the tunnel was.
Sodje missed a point blank shot when a free-kick was knocked in, headed down by Hulse only for Sodje to blast straight at the keeper from 3 yards. Hulse then was offside, after neat build up play from Brammer and Lunt Jonah cut inside the area and squared it but the linesmans flag was up. Hulse then messed up after Town keeper, Senior, shouted for the ball a Huddersfield defender instead floated a header at Lunt and with Senior way off his line it left an open net for Lunt to float a shot/cross into the box but Hulse got in the way and as he tried to direct it into the net he directed it wide.
As time went on i couldn't see a goal. Dario made last ditch efforts with Edwards getting his debut in place of Wright but the keeper was in magnificant form and not letting any long or short shots past him. Manyheaded for the exit but you only had to think of what Sodje did on tuseday to convince yourself to stay.
On the 90th minute Foster, of all people, knocked the ball into the area Hulse got up and connected brilliantly and headed it accross the face of the goal on target but that little rascle they had as a goal keeper made a superb save with, literally, his finger tips to keep it out but a unmarked Jones pounced on the ball and proffessionally smashed the ball into the roof of the net. His 4th in 3 games. Lack of goals from the team, apart from Hulse??? Who said that.... Oh yeah, CreweAlex.com. Ooops.
With Oldham and Bristol City dropping points in draws, Cardiff and Wigan winning that puts us 3 points ahead of Bristol City in 5th place but on level points with Cardiff in 4th place. We are 1 point behind Oldham in 2nd place but 12 behind Wigan in 1st. However. We have 1 game in hand over Oldham, Cardiff have 1 game in hand over us and 2 over Oldham but Bristol City are on the same amount as us. Cardiff play their game in hand over us on Tuseday at Port Vale... Come on Vale!
On Tuseday we face FA Cup giant killers Shrewsbury in the LDV Vans Trophy. A trophy i think we should win. Not only will more wins breed confidence and a trip to Cardiff be a great day out but winning it might be our little booster pack of confidence for the final leg of the season. It's away at Shrewsbury and we have sold over 950 tickets already and it is all ticket so if your going you need to get your ticket by 5pm on Tuseday and we are expected to take well over 1,000 to Gay Meadow.
Next league action is on Saturday away at Oldham. Thats 2nd Vs 3rd and could see us move ahead of Oldham if we win and still with a game in hand. After the heated affair between us and them at the end of December it's going to be a real cracker on the 25th so be there or you will miss a great match!