Huddersfield 2 Hartlepool 1

Nov 22 2009 Sunday Sun

“I thought Huddersfield went at us from the off. We scored and could have had a second, but it was tough to cope,” said Turner. “I think this game showed what sort of league we are in – big club, big crowds, lots of pressure – and we stood up to the task well. They worked to a high tempo and some of our technically better players found it difficult.

“We defended well and it’s a bit disappointing in the way the goals came, but I have no complaints.”

The home side were always going to press for a leveller, but in the first-half the closest they came was when Peter Clarke headed over from a corner. Pools were defending with spirit and it was epitomised when Neil Austin headed away under pressure, before Ritchie Humphreys flung his body in the way of a Antony Kay piledriver.

James Brown, with a curling shot on 45 minutes deflected wide, went close, but Pools didn’t have many more chances after that. It was all Huddersfield.

Within 120 seconds of the second half starting, they had won two corners and a vital touch from Peter Hartley cleared under pressure.

But the signs were there when Antony Pilkington whacked a free-kick off the bar from 25 yards.

When he was soon awarded another, he this time struck the post with Flinders diving across goal. But the loose ball crashed off Hartley’s shins for a lucky leveller.

The winner came 11 minutes later, with left-back Robbie Williams skipping past Neil Austin and firing in with his under-used right foot.

A couple of half-chances aside, Pools never looked like levelling. And it doesn’t get any easier either – Southampton are the visitors to Victoria Park come Tuesday.