Town are still searching for their first home League win of the 2008/09 season after a disappointing defeat to Tranmere Rovers this afternoon. The Terriers took a first-half lead through Liam Dickinson's second goal in four games, but were undone by goals from Edrissa Sonko and Ryan Shotton. Manager Stan Ternent rang the changes in the second-half, but his side could not find a breakthrough against a resilient Tranmere side.
Town started the game in a 4-4-2 formation, with 'keeper Matt Glennon behind a back four of Andy Holdsworth, skipper Chris Lucketti, Nathan Clarke and Dave Unsworth. Ian Craney and Michael Collins continued their new partnership in central midfield, with Michael Flynn and Gary Roberts occupying the left and right wings respectively. Up front, Liam Dickinson partnered Keigan Parker, who was making his first start for the Terriers.
The Terriers managed the first shot of the game inside a minute through a move stared and finished by Ian Craney. He originally seized on a loose ball in midfield and passed to Gary Roberts, whose pass released Parker down the right. He slipped Craney the ball inside the area, but his first-time effort was always well wide of the near post.
Town were passing the ball brilliantly in the early stages and created another good chance in the third minute. Craney and Roberts fed the ball out to the left, with the latter's ball across the edge of the box being hammered inches wide by Michael Flynn.
Michael Collins tried his luck with a long range effort that went straight at Tranmere custodian Danny Coyne a minute later before Keigan Parker put a shot on the turn well wide on the stroke of five minutes. All in all, it was an impressive opening from Stan Ternent's side.
Tranmere managed their first attempt at goal in the 10th minute; a giant long-throw from right-back Shotton was nodded wide at the near post by Chris Greenacre.
A minute later, away midfielder Antony Kay skied a snapshot from just inside Matt Glennon's area after a corner was only half-cleared by Town.
Tranmere were on the attack and left-winger Sonko headed a cross from fellow wide-man Moore in the 12th minute.
Big centre-back Ben Chorley headed a left-wing corner from one-time Town loanee Andy Taylor wide of the near post in the next minute.
GOAL - Town then took the lead in the 17th minute through a brilliant free-kick from Liam Dickinson. The Derby loanee was subject to a high-footed challenge on the right edge of the Tranmere area and with left-footers Unsworth and Roberts shaping to shoot, he bent the ball into the near post despite a strong hand from Danny Coyne.
Town continued to push for a second and went close in the 20th minute. Nathan Clarke found Parker down the right channel, who did well to collect and lay the ball back to Gary Roberts; his whipped cross found the head of scorer Dickinson at the near post, but his flick drifted just wide of the far post as everyone watched on.
BOOKING - The Town bench was furious on 25 minutes when defender Ian Goodison caught Dickinson off the ball with an elbow. A scuffle ensued, involving Tranmere's Chorley and Michael Flynn, with the Jamaican defender ending up in the book. He could consider himself very lucky that his punishment was so lenient.
The game entered a scrappy, battling period thereafter and neither side could get a clear chance on goal. However, Town were unlucky not to double their lead in the 37th minute.
Good interplay through the middle of the park from former Accrington duo Roberts and Craney led to the former slipping Keigan Parker in on goal at an acute angle. Defender Ben Chorley did well to block his shot, but 'keeper Coyne did even better to keep out Dickinson's ferocious follow-up - tipping the ball over for a corner.
From that right-sided corner, Gary Roberts' delivery was headed towards goal strongly by Nathan Clarke but Coyne pulled off an amazing save, tipping the ball onto the bar before it went safely over.
GOAL - Unfortunately for the Terriers, Tranmere scored a simple equaliser in the 39th minute. Defender Goodison played a long ball to the edge of the Town box from his own half where battling striker Chris Greenacre chested it down into the path of winger Edrissa Sonko, who placed a controlled volley into the near post from twenty yards when in acres of space.
Michael Flynn had the ball in the Tranmere net in the 43rd minute after Coyne spilled a deep Holdsworth cross, but the assistant referee had already flagged for offside. As it was, defender Goodison's wayward long-shot was the last action of the first-half as referee Laws brought it to a close.
HALF-TIME: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 TRANMERE ROVERS 1
The second-half started in the same battling fashion as the first, but it didn't take long for Rovers to score a second.
GOAL - The away side were awarded a free-kick in the Town right corner in the 50th minute after Gary Roberts was adjudged to have dragged down left-back Taylor and from his free-kick, big defender Ryan Shotton made no mistake with a free header from around 12 yards - powering it to Matt Glennon's left side.
SUB - Manager Stan Ternent responded to going behind by bringing on Danny Cadamarteri and Robbie Williams as 53rd minute substitutes, replacing Dave Unsworth and Ian Craney. This change saw 'Cads' go to the right wing, with Michael Flynn moving into the centre of midfield.
Tranmere should have scored a third in the 57th minute; right-back Shotton nutmegged marker Williams before releasing Chris Greenacre in on goal, but his powerful drive clipped the outside of the left-hand post before going wide.
Robbie Williams whipped a tremendous free-kick into the Tranmere box in the 58th minute after Liam Dickinson was shoved over by marker Chorley down the Town left, but somehow the ball evaded Michael Flynn at the near post and drifted wide for a dead ball.
SUB - Ternent made his final change as early as the 59th minute, bringing on Jon Worthington for Keigan Parker. Town changed to 4-3-3 at this point, moving Cadamarteri and Roberts up in support of Dickinson and moving Worthy into central midfield.
Defender Chorley nodded a near-post corner from Andy Taylor inches wide of goal in the 63rd minute.
Town were well on top after their change of formation, but couldn't quite craft a clear-cut opportiunity.
BOOKED - Jon Worthington entered the book in the 70th minute for a late challenge on Edrissa Sonko down the right touchline.
Worthy was the next man to try his luck two minutes later and he did well to turn and volley the ball on his weaker left foot after a Gary Roberts cross was headed up in the air, but the ball ended up going over the bar.
Michael Flynn linked up well with winger Roberts a minute later, turning the ball inside full-back Taylor for the midfielder to run onto. Unfortunately, his shot from the angle beat both 'keeper Coyne and the far post.
Town were bossing possession, but the experienced Goodison was playing brilliantly at centre-back for Tranmere.
SUB - Tranmere made their first change of the game in the 80th minute, replacing striker Chris Greenacre with Craig Curran.
Robbie Williams was soon on hand to head a strong drive from the substitute away from the goalline.
In the last ten minutes, Tranmere had the ball in the Town goal twice but saw both ruled out for offside. Then Town created a great chance to draw level in the 86th minute, but Michael Flynn headed Cadamarteri's brilliant left-wing cross agonisingly wide of the near post.
Town applied the pressure with the minutes ticking down, but other than a scuffed Michael Flynn effort in added time they were kept at bay by the impressive Rovers defence.
FULL-TIME: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 TRANMERE ROVERS 2
Huddersfield Town
Matt Glennon, Andy Holdsworth, Michael Collins, Ian Craney (Danny Cadamarteri 53), Nathan Clarke, Keigan Parker (Jon Worthington 59), Michael Flynn, Gary Roberts, Chris Lucketti (c), David Unsworth (Robbie Williams 53), Liam Dickinson
Unused Substitutes: Jim Goodwin, Luke Beckett
Town Booking: Jon Worthington (70)
Tranmere Bookings: Ian Goodison (25), Edrissa Sonko (90)
Attendance: 13,352
Visiting: 513
