Hartlepool United 2 Huddersfield Town 1

Last updated : 11 March 2008 By Footymad Previewer
Hartlepool made it three wins on the trot with an impressive attacking performance that deserved a more emphatic winning margin.

They were always the better team, but had to go through a nervous final quarter of the game after Huddersfield narrowed the gap to a single goal in an end-to-end second half.

Huddersfield showed first as a blustery wind blew heavy showers across the pitch and home keeper Arran Lee-Barrett did well to save at the feet at Chris Brandon after a good move by the visitors.

But once Hartlepool settled they took control and, after Michael Mackay's shot was saved at the second attempt by Matt Glennon and Antony Sweeney's effort was deflected wide for a corner, they took the lead on 30 minutes.

Big defender Sam Collins got on the end of Jamie McCunnie's right-wing corner and powered his header into the net for a copy of his first goal for the club - which was scored against Gillingham on Saturday.

It should have been two a few minutes later when Joel Porter did well to dispossess a defender wide on the left and squared the ball for Mackay in front of a gaping goal, but he somehow managed to screw his shot wide.

Huddersfield battled to come back into the game and just before half-time a long throw from the right gave them a chance, but as the ball bounced awkwardly in front of him, Luke Beckett scooped his shot high over the bar.

Mackay needed only four minutes of the second half to make amends for his earlier miss by heading in from ten yards after a right-wing cross from Antony Sweeney, who himself had hit the post seconds earlier.

But Town came back on 64 minutes when defender Nathan Clarke got on the end of a left-wing corner from Andy Holdsworth and powered in a downward header.

But Hartlepool stayed on top and, with Sweeney smashing a shot against the underside of the bar and the home attack creating chance after chance, Huddersfield always had to work hard in defence.