Huddersfield Town

- Nahki Wells, Jacob Butterfield & Joe Lolley score

- Good win for Town in opening friendly

- Town debuts for Jason Davidson & Dean Whitehead

Goals from Nahki Wells, Jacob Butterfield and Joe Lolley gave the Terriers a win in a match full of chances, impressive play and fierce tackles in the sun at Nethermoor Park.

In the end Nahki Wells, Jacob Butterfield and Joe Lolley netted the first goals of 2015/16 as every player got a good run-out.

As you might expect, the Terriers saw plenty of the ball against their opponents, who have just been promoted to the National League; three tiers below the Sky Bet Championship.

Chris Powell fielded a mixture of youth and experience in his team for the opening half, with the side featuring trialist Martin Cranie; the 28 year-old defender having left Barnsley in the summer. 

Although Guiseley had the best chance of the opening 15 minutes – a header from veteran Andy Gray that went straight into the hands of Alex Smithies – Town should have been two ahead early on. 

Sean Scannell was tormenting teenage left back Joel Thompson on the right side, with the winger’s power and skill simply too much for the youngster, and it was his good play that led to a golden chance for Nahki Wells. Sean beat the full back and squared the ball across the face of goal for the Bermudian, but he got his feet in a muddle and contrived to miss from almost under the crossbar.

Moments later Scannell did it again to tee up Jacob Butterfield, but the midfielder placed his shot just wide of the far post from 12 yards. 

Wells wasn’t to be denied the next time, scoring his first of the season with aplomb. When Guiseley misplaced a pass in the centre circle, Duane Holmes picked up the ball and drove at the heart of the home side before playing a perfect pass into Nahki’s path in the area, where Town’s 2014/15 top scorer fired left-footed into the bottom corner.

Soon after Butterfield made it two, picking up a pass from first year pro Jack Senior and cleverly side-stepping a defender before firing into the bottom corner from a very narrow angle.

Guiseley got their goal in the final minute of the half from the penalty spot when Cranie – who had played well – was adjudged to have barged over left winger Luke Porritt as he looked to connect with a deep cross from the right. That allowed number 10 Nicky Boshell to step up and send Smithies the wrong way from 12 yards out.

The changes came for the second-half as Powell gave most of his charges 45 minutes, with chances coming slightly less regularly in the second period.

Adam Hammill looked lively down the Terriers’ left side, with his trademark stepovers in full force, whereas new boy Jason Davidson showed genuine athleticism down the same flank. Dean Whitehead was a steadying influence in midfield too.

It was Academy graduate Jake Charles who missed the first proper chance, blasting a volley way over the crossbar after doing brilliantly initially to bring down a pass from Joe Lolley and beat a man on his way into the area. 

At the other end, midfielder Gavin Rothery kept Lloyd Allinson honest with a low drive that needed pushing around the far post.

It took until the last minute for the final goal of the game to come – and it was well worth the wait. Joe Lolley received the ball just inside the Guiseley half and sprinted down the outside of the full-back before cutting inside, drifting into the corner of the area and curling a stunning shot into the top corner. Had it been in the Premier League, it wouldn’t have looked out of place.

Alex Smithies; William Boyle, Mark Hudson (c), Martin Cranie; Jack Senior, Jacob Butterfield, Duane Holmes, Tommy Smith; Harry Bunn, Nahki Wells, Sean Scannell

Town’s second-half team:

Lloyd Allinson; Jason Davidson, Joel Lynch, Murray Wallace, Joe Wilkinson; Adam Hammill, Duane Holmes (Sondre Tronstad), Dean Whitehead, Joe Lolley; Jake Charles, Harry Bunn (William Boyle)