It has now been 376 minutes since Town conceded a goal after another solid display at the Galpharm Stadium this afternoon against Swindon Town. Phil Jevons' sixth goal in Huddersfield colours - scored in the first minute of the game - proved to be enough to pull the Terriers level on points with today's visitors as Ritchie's men keep on winning.
Town started the game in a 4-4-2 formation, with 'keeper Matt Glennon protected by a back four of Robbie Williams, Nathan Clarke, Robert Page and Frank Sinclair. Michael Collins and Danny Schofield occupied the right and left wings respectively with skipper Jon Worthington partnering Andy Holdsworth in the centre of the park. Luke Beckett and Phil Jevons continued to lead the line for the Terriers.
GOAL - Town took the lead in under a minute through Phil Jevons. An early push on Luke Beckett gave the Terriers a free-kick opportunity from around 45 yards; Andy Holdsworth curled a great in-swinging ball in from the left flank that was headed straight into the path of 'Jevo' by a Swindon defender, allowing the former Bristol striker to place the ball calmly past 'keeper Brezovan from around 6 yards out.
The goal - Jevons' 6th in Town colours - visibly shook the visiting players, but Lee Peacock mustered the next shot on target when he volleyed just wide of Matt Glennon's goal from the edge of the box having took advantage of some slack marking from the Terriers from a 4th minute throw-in.
Robbie Williams then almost presented Swindon striker Cox with a golden opportunity when he badly misplaced a back-pass a minute later, but Matt Glennon drove the forward wide of the goal and the opportunity vanished.
Andy Holdsworth was a lively figure in the Town engine room early on as the visitors pressed for an equaliser, but Town eventually got a grip on the game and forced their own succession of corners. Both Swindon wingers Roberts and Zaaboub were showing willingness to run at their respective full-backs, but were getting little change from Williams and Sinclair.
Robbie Williams' long range effort was easily claimed by Brezovan after 25 minutes as neither side created any opportunities of note. The partnership of Page and Clarke was looking assured again, whereas Town were trying to move the ball at the brisk pace that Andy Ritchie always demands.
Town created a good opportunity with ten minutes of the half remaining after the impressive Holdsworth chipped a ball into the chest of Beckett on the edge of the box; his first-time layoff found strike partner Jevons in space and he may have been disappointed not to find the target with his shot.
The first-half petered out with Town looking fairly comfortable - Frank Sinclair in particular impressing.
Half-Time: Huddersfield Town 1 Swindon Town 0
SUB - Swindon manager Maurice Malpas made one change during the interval, bringing on Michael Pook for the ineffective Moses Ashikodi.
Rob Page and Miguel Comminges squared up to each other early in the second-half after a tussle in the box, but no chances were created by either side early on as the game followed the pattern of the first 45 minutes.
Robbie Williams made one great headed clearance from a left wing cross after 54 minutes with Christian Roberts lurking at the back post, only for substitute Pook to scuff a shot wide from the resulting corner.
Danny Schofield then showed great skill to flick the ball over the head of Comminges on the edge of the box after 57 minutes, but he made too much contact with the ball when trying to repeat the trick over the goalkeeper and the ball drifted over the bar.
A minute later, several Town players put their bodies on the line to block a Roberts shot - again, just like Andy Ritchie had been asking since his arrival at the club.
Swindon were starting to press and left-winger Zaaboub volleyed a clever Roberts cross wide of goal from an acute angle in the next minute.
Town then went up the other end of the pitch and won a corner, but Rob Page could only head Holdsworth's delivery wide of goal under heavy pressure.
BOOKED - Ex-Town man Jamie Vincent was booked after 65 minutes for bringing down Frank Sinclair as the right-back skipped inside him on the flank.
Danny Schofield showed excellent technique to volley a ball that was dropping out of the sky towards goal from the edge of the box a minute later, but his effort went wide of Brezovan's left-hand post.
Town created a glorious chance to extend their lead after 69 minutes; Danny Schofield played a clever reserve ball behind the Swindon backline that Luke Beckett latched onto, but the top-scorer tried to finish himself and missed the target when strike partner Jevons would have had an easy tap in had the ball been squared.
SUB - The first Town change of the game came on the stroke of 70 minutes when Chris Brandon replaced Danny Schofield on the left wing.
BOOKED - Swindon striker Simon Cox entered the book on 75 minutes for kicking out at Rob Page off the ball.
SUB - Blair Sturrock replaced Zaaboub for Swindon in the same minute as Swindon switched to 4-3-3; Lee Peacock becoming a target man with Sturrock and Cox on either side.
SUB - Andy Ritchie was forced into a change as well, as an injured Jon Worthington had to be replaced. Malvin Kamara came on, allowing Michael Collins to move into his preferred role of central midfield. Andy Holdsworth took the captain's armband.
Phil Jevons then misplaced a right-wing cross three minutes later - almost into Brezovan's net; the 6' 7" 'keeper was beaten by the flight of the ball, but luckily for him the ball drifted onto the top of the netting.
Kamara's pace immediately caused issues for Vincent, with the right-winger getting past him on three separate occasions. Unfortunately for Town, the winger was inches away from his target with his crosses on every occasion.
SUB - Christian Roberts was then replaced by Anthony McNamee in Swindon's final change after 86 minutes.
Swindon pushed for an equaliser when the clock started to run down, launching an array of long balls towards the Town defence. Simon Cox back-headed an effort from a McNamee cross straight into the hands of Matt Glennon before Town changed shape slightly, leaving Beckett up front alone and pushing Jevons onto the left wing so that Brandon could assist Holdsworth and Collins in the centre of midfield.
SUB - As the referee announced four minutes of added time, a hobbling Michael Collins was replaced by David Mirfin. 'The Ox' took up a defensive midfield position.
Former Huddersfield loanee Jerel Ifil powered one late header way over the bar, but Hasney Aljofree wasted the best chance his side had all game in the dying seconds when he turned inside Rob Page but blasted his left-foot shot just over the bar.
Huddersfield Town
Matt Glennon, Andy Holdsworth, Michael Collins (David Mirfin 90), Nathan Clarke, Jonathan Worthington (Malvin Kamara 75), Robbie Williams, Danny Schofield (Chris Brandon 70), Frank Sinclair, Phil Jevons, Luke Beckett, Robert Page
Unused Subs: Alex Smithies, David Mirfin, Andy Booth
Attendance: 9,388
Visitors: 383
