The Terriers grabbed an important three points on this chilly January evening as Phil Jevons scored his fifth goal in the famous Blue and White stripes to see off AFC Bournemouth at the Galpharm Stadium. The game was unspectacular but the Town side worked very hard throughout and Rob Page was at his commanding best on his home debut.
Town started the game in a 4-4-2 formation, with goalkeeper Matt Glennon behind a back four of Robbie Williams, home debutant Rob Page, Nathan Clarke and right-back Michael Collins. Skipper Jon Worthington and Andy Holdsworth formed the Town engine room with Malvin Kamara and Danny Schofield on the right and left wings respectively, leaving Luke Beckett and Phil Jevons to lead the attack. Frank Sinclair was a late withdrawal after hurting his back in the pre-match warm-up, with Kamara stepping in.
The Terriers tried to get the ball down in the early stages and threatened through an excellent early free-kick from Robbie Williams that flew across the opposition area, but the visitors also posed an attacking threat and it took a good block from new boy Page to stop a decent-looking Lee Bradbury effort on it's way to goal after nine minutes.
It looked like the Terriers had taken the lead a minute later but a superb on-the-line block from defender Josh Gowling denied Phil Jevons of the opener. Michael Collins whipped a great low ball across the box from the right side and the former Bristol City striker beat defender Perrett to it, beating 'keeper Stewart with a powerful low shot. Unfortunately for the on-looking Town fans, Gowling got back to clear the ball to safety.
Malvin Kamara was then denied by a good sprawling stop from 'keeper Stewart on the stroke of 19 minutes after a Phil Jevons effort had been blocked on the edge of the area by defender Perrett.
Bournemouth's Shaun Cooper warmed the palms of Matt Glennon with a long range free-kick after a Danny Schofield foul on Danny Hollands after 21 minutes before the normally reliable Town custodian spilled a Cooper corner behind his goal in a hair-raising moment a minute later.
Town had enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening twenty minutes but Bournemouth came back into the game and enjoyed a good spell of pressure without ever truly threatening the Huddersfield goal. In fact, the next effort on goal came from Jevons just before the half-hour but his speculative effort flew tamely over the away crossbar.
GOAL - Just as the game was in a quiet, scrappy period, the Terriers opened the scoring on the stroke of 34 minutes. Danny Schofield won his team a corner on the left side allowing Andy Holdsworth whipped in a good near post ball that ricocheted off Rob Page and into the path of Phil Jevons, who joyfully slammed the ball home from very close range.
Town were on top again following the strike and Malvin Kamara was unlucky that neither of his strikers got on the end of his decent cross after he robbed left-back Warren Cummings of the ball before sprinting on from the halfway line. Unfortunately, the Sierra Leone international was too quick for his teammates as well as the Cherries' defence.
Bournemouth were trying to play fairly directly using target man Sam Vokes, but again it was Town who looked more likely to grab the next goal as Kamara volleyed a Jon Worthington pass narrowly over the bar from ten yards out after 41 minutes.
All in all, Town were just about good enough for their half-time lead but Andy Ritchie was probably insisting on an increase in the tempo during the interval.
Half-Time: Huddersfield Town 1 AFC Bournemouth 0
SUB - Kevin Bond made one change at half-time, replacing midfielder Shaun Cooper with tricky winger Max-Alain Gradel.
The Cherries had deployed striker Jo Kuffour in a slightly withdrawn role in the first 45 minutes but he was much further up the pitch in the second period, with Gradel showing early promise down the left side.
However, Matt Glennon's excellent distribution after collecting a 48th minute corner allowed Kamara to outpace defender Neil Young into the box, where his outside of the boot effort went straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.
Robbie Williams went close to breaking his Galpharm Stadium duck on 59 minutes when he struck a 30-yard free-kick just wide of Garreth Stewart's left-hand post following a foul on Jon Worthington.
SUB - AFC Bournemouth were forced into a second substitution after 62 minutes when Brett Pittman replaced the injured Lee Bradbury. Pittman, usually a striker, was deployed on the left wing with Max Gradel switching to cover Bradbury's right wing position.
Luke Beckett then solidly connected with another Andy Holdsworth corner a minute later, but his header went straight at the goalkeeper.
The second-half had continued on from the scrappy first and it was more a case of endeavour from Town as opposed to flowing football. Strikers Jevons and Beckett in particular were working very hard for the Terriers.
One decent passage of play between Beckett, Collins and Kamara allowed the latter to cross into the box where Danny Schofield had made a good run in off the wing. He beat his marker to the header after 73 minutes, but it wasn't anywhere near powerful enough to trouble Stewart in goal.
SUB - Andy Ritchie made his first change with 14 minutes remaining, introducing James Berrett into the game in place of Danny Schofield.
Luke Beckett almost capitalized on a misplaced back-pass with just over ten minutes remaining, attempting a lob over on-rushing goalkeeper Stewart from the edge of the box that drifted inches wide of the right-hand post.
SUB - Bournemouth made a final throw of the dice with nine minutes left, replacing Sam Vokes with former Southampton man Jo Tessem.
SUB - Andy Ritchie then followed suit, introducing Andy Booth for Luke Beckett.
Berrett, occupying an unusual left-wing spot, easily beat Gradel on the dead-ball line before volleying hard at the competent Stewart with five minutes remaining before Malvin Kamara put in a great ball from the opposite flank that Phil Jevons turned straight at the custodian.
A minute later, Phil Jevons turned right-back Neil Young inside out before feeding the ball to a speeding Jon Worthington on the edge of the box; the Town skipper side-footing the ball narrowly wide.
Commanded by the magnificent Rob Page, Town comfortably saw out the final few minutes to grab a valuable - if not glamorous - three points.
Huddersfield Town
Matt Glennon, Andy Holdsworth, Michael Collins, Nathan Clarke, Jonathan Worthington (c), Robbie Williams, Danny Schofield (James Berrett 76), Phil Jevons, Malvin Kamara, Luke Beckett (Andy Booth 83), Robert Page
Unused Subs: Alex Smithies, David Mirfin, Danny Racchi
Attendance: 7,359
Visitors: 117
