HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0 LEICESTER CITY 2
Town finish season on home soil with defeat
Leicester City proved their status as champions with a professional performance to defeat Huddersfield Town by two goals.
Town barely threatened the Foxes with Sean Scannell having the home team’s best moments.
Terriers’ old boy Gary Taylor-Fletcher scored the first with a well struck effort before Wes Morgan netted from close range from a free-kick.
With their Championship status secured, Town made three changes to the starting line-up. Captain Peter Clarke replaced Murray Wallace, Duane Holmes came in to the side for Oliver Norwood and Sean Scannell replaced Danny Ward. Opponents
Leicester, who were crowned champions last week, made six changes to their starting line-up.
A chance fell to the Foxes as early as the second minute; after winning consecutive corners Matty James’s delivery found the unmarked Andy King, but his header was straight at the well positioned Alex Smithies.
Town grew into the game and looked to trouble the visitors; Adam Clayton’s strike from 25 yards flashed wide of Kasper Schmeichel’s goal.
Leicester looked a danger from set-pieces and another James delivery, this time a free-kick, found Chris Wood’s head but the New Zealand international could not direct it goal wards.
The Terriers best spell came mid-way through the first half with plenty of possession in the Leicester half. Adam Hammill’s cross found the head of Nahki Wells but the striker was adjudged offside. Town came again with Sean Scannell and he won a free-kick on the very edge of the area. However, Hammill’s free-kick was charged down and the chance came to nothing.
The visitors were displaying the quality that has seen them crowned champions this season and in the 31st minute they took the lead through former Town man Gary Taylor-Fletcher. The ball broke to James in his own half and the midfielder picked out Lloyd Dyer who in -turn found Taylor-Fletcher and the forward coolly slotted the ball past Smithies.
Town came close to drawing level in the 42nd minute, Scannell again caused Paul Konchesky problems and he skipped past Paul Konchesky to find Adam Hammill unmarked in the box, the winger’s shot was cleared off the line by Liam Moore to deprive Town of a worthy equaliser.
The Terriers started the second half brightly and skipper Peter Clarke won Town a free-kick 30 yards out. Clayton’s effort could not beat the crowd of Leicester players though, and the visitors broke as a result with Wood nearly doubling their lead from Dyer’s cross.
Leicester looked dangerous on the break as Town pushed for an equaliser. Persistent work from Scannell nearly fashioned a Town chance but the visitors defence held firm. At the other end the Foxes and the dangerous Dyer pushed for a second, but some frantic defending from the Terriers kept the deficit to one.
However, Leicester made it 2-0 in the 75th minute; a free-kick near the corner flag from James found Wes Morgan who poked it past Smithies.
Town made a double substitution, and handed a first team debut to Danish teenage midfielder Phil Billing and Joe Lolley replaced Hammill.
Town came close to pulling one back in the 87th minute, Lolley’s ball across goal found Wells with just Kasper Schmeichel to beat, but the striker could not divert it towards goal and Leicester cleared their lines.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1):
Alex Smithies; Paul Dixon, Peter Clarke, Anthony Gerrard, Callum Woods; Sean Scannell, Jonathan Hogg (Phil Billing, 75), Adam Clayton, Duane Holmes (Oliver Norwood, 63), Adam Hammill (Joe Lolley, 75); Nahki Wells
Unused subs:
Ian Bennett, Danny Ward, Murray Wallace, Tommy Smith,
