Paul Hayes Celebrates Opening The Scoring

Town completed the double over local rivals Bradford City with a confident display at the Galpharm Stadium this afternoon. The victory seemed assured from the opening minutes when Hayes put the Terriers in front with his first goal for the Club. Bradford rarely threatened and Schofield ensured the points for Town and caretaker Gerry Murphy with a well taken effort.

GOAL: Town started brightly and had their first chance to take the lead as early as the second minute when a great surging run down the right flank from Michael Collins resulted in the midfielder crossing to the near post for Hayes who was just beaten to the ball by a brilliant covering tackle from City's David Wetherall.

The resulting Andy Taylor corner was half cleared at the near post back to Taylor whose cross was missed by the Bradford defenders at the near post allowing Hayes to steal in and head the Terriers in front and grab his first goal for Town since arriving on loan.

Bradford skipper Mark Bower went close for City on seven minutes when a Marc Bridge-Wilkinson free kick from just inside the Town half was latched onto by City skipper Mark Bower whose header looped over Matt Glennon's cross bar.

Town continued to pass the ball impressively, but it took until 21 minutes for either side to have another effort on goal and it came from the boot of Bradford's Ben Parker whose effort was charged down in the area by a commanding Frank Sinclair. Parker managed to get the ball back in the box but Steven Schumacher achieved the rare feat of hitting the upper tier of the Panasonic stand with his effort from the edge of the area.

BOOKING: Luke Beckett was the first player to be entered into referee Kettle's book on 23 minutes for a foul on Bower.

Town almost capped a great passing move on 24 minutes after Taylor-Fletcher and Hayes combined brilliantly to carve open the Bradford defence, the ball finally reaching Luke Beckett in the area, but his shot was blocked by a combination of Schumacher and Wetherall.

BOOKING: Jon Worthington received his ninth caution of the season on the half hour mark after an altercation with Billy Paynter.

David Mirfin had City keeper Donovan Ricketts scrambling across his line on 35 minutes when he latched onto Andy Taylor's free-kick from the left touchline but the big defender guided his header wide of the mark.

Schumacher had a good opportunity to level the scores on 37 minutes when he benefotted from a mix-up between Fletch and Holdsworth but skied his shot over the bar from a tight angle after being forced wide by Sinclair.

City had their best chance of the half soon after when Moses Ashikodi managed to stay onside and was played through on goal by Paynter. Clean through, he looked certain to score but Holdsworth made a breathtaking covering tackle to take the ball away from the striker.

Paynter was involved again moments later but his weak shot did not match the quality of his turn good turn.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher forced Ricketts into a near post save on 43 minutes when he caught Wetherall's clearing header full on the volley at the edge of the area.

Matt Glennon took no chances on the stroke of half time when a speculative effort from Omar Daley took an unusually high bounce off the Galpharm surface, causing the Town stopper to palm the ball over his bar for a Bradford corner.

BOOKING: In the first minute of the three added on Paynter was finally booked after a late challenge on Mirfin.

Half Time: Huddersfield Town 1 Bradford City 0

BOOKING: Within ten seconds of the restart Omar Daley clattered skipper Worthington and picked up the first booking of the half.

Seconds later, Paul Hayes went looking for his second of the game when he hit a snap shot from the edge of the area which never troubled Ricketts in the Bradford goal.

Beckett benefited from Bower's misjudgement of a bouncing ball soon which allowed the Town striker in behind the City defence to hit a speculative effort from long range which dipped the wrong side of the bar.

BOOKING: Paul Hayes became the third Town player in Kettle's book on 49 minutes after a foul on Richard Edghill.

Paul Hayes went close again on the hour mark when he hit a volley from the edge of the area which skewed off his left foot and wide.

Bower made a superb saving tackle on 71 minutes when Hayes played Fletch through on goal but the City skipper made a good block in the area.

GOAL: The Galpharm faithful were sent into raptures on 74 minutes when Danny Schofield increased the Terriers' lead. Paul Hayes was involved, picking up the ball in midfield and playing a pin-point pass for the onrushing Schofield who beat the offside and, once one-on-one on Ricketts, there was only one outcome as the midfielder coolly curled the ball round the stranded keeper.

Youga had a good chance to pull one back for the visitors almost immediately when he latched onto Bridge-Wilkinson's free-kick form left but headed wide of the mark.

SUB: On 76 minutes Edghill replaced Eddie Johnson

SUB: Murphy made his first change of the game almost immediately replacing Jon Worthington with Matty Young, the Town skipper leaving the field to a standing ovation.

BOOKING: Ashikodi was booked on 80 minutes for dissent to the referee's assistant.

SUB: On 84 minutes Omar Daley was replaced by Joe Colbeck

The game threatened to boil over as the half drew to a close as both sides were involved in an altercation. Referee kettle halted the game for several minutes then played a drop-ball after issuing cards to Eddie Johnson and then Gary Taylor-Fletcher.

Hayes had a gilt-edged chance to make it three on 84 minutes when Beckett's brilliant ball behind Bower played the loan striker through on goal but Ricketts did enough to deny the loan man his second of the game.

As the fourth official signalled five minutes of added time Beckett could have made it three but, having cut in from the left flank, fired straight at Ricketts.

Full Time: Huddersfield Town 2 Bradford City 0

Attendance: 14,772

Travelling: 3,471