A young Town Reserve side put in a very impressive performance against a much more experienced Walsall eleven at the Galpharm Stadium this evening but were undone by a controversial 42nd minute red card for left-back Tom Jackson (pictured) and a single goal from the resulting set-piece. Several Town players did very well throughout the game and the home side created the better quality chances; the watching Andy Ritchie must have been very pleased with what he saw in a game that the Terriers didn't deserve to lose.
John Dungworth's side lined up in a 4-4-2 formation as the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of the game, with Academy goalkeeper Alex Smithies behind a back four of Tom Jackson, Daniel Codman, Shane Killock and Jack Hunt. In midfield, Matthew Young and Danny Racchi took the left and right wings respectively with James Berrett and Mitchell Bailey in the centre behind strikers Daniel Broadbent and Luke Malcher.
Walsall's team contained some very experienced players; former Gillingham 'keeper Bertrand Bossu had the number one shirt, veteran Ian Roper started at centre-back, the long-serving Darren Wrack occupied the right wing and ex-Chesterfield winger Paul Hall took up the left midfield position.
The first shot of the game came on the stroke of two minutes when Wrack used the dummy run of right-back Richard Taundry to good effect, coming in off the right wing and striking a scuffed left-foot shot comfortably wide of Alex Smithies' goal from the edge of the box.
Charlton Davies then volleyed a ball well over the bar from 25 yards out in the 5th minute.
Paul Hall then got in behind Jack Hunt, who was making his debut at Reserve team level on the night, but hit his volley straight at Alex Smithies from 15 yards.
Mitchell Bailey then stung the palms of visiting goalie Bossu with a vicious strike from a very acute angle a minute later.
Town enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening quarter of an hour, playing through midfield at every opportunity with the combination of Bailey and Berrett dropping deep to get the ball from the defenders. Debutant Hunt was doing very well down the right side for the Terriers, defending well against his more experienced opponent Hall and overlapping Danny Racchi to good effect.
Another good passage of play in the 17th minute saw the Town players claiming for a penalty after Luke Malcher was seemingly hauled down by centre-back Mannie Smith when trying to get on the end of an excellent cross by Matthew Young.
Hall had started to drift inside and his shot from the right side was easily pushed over the bar by Smithies a minute later.
The move of the game so far came after 24 minutes when James Berrett picked up a loose pass from Hall before slipping a perfectly weighted through-ball to Daniel Broadbent, who had made an intelligent run to get between centre-backs Roper and Smith. Broady easily outpaced Smith as they raced towards the edge of the box, but his final touch pushed him a little wide of goal and his shot was easily dealt with by Bossu.
Daniel Codman's heart must have been in his mouth in the 28th minute as his diving header knocked a Paul Hall cross towards his own goal - and inches wide of the post.
From the resulting corner, the young Town side broke excellently and almost scored. The ball was cleared swiftly out of defence and to the right side, where Mitchell Bailey swung an excellent low ball across the box to Luke Malcher whose shot was well saved by the feet of Bossu.
BOOKING - Mitchell Bailey was then booked on the half-hour mark by referee Richardson for kicking the ball away; it was his second yellow of the Pontin's Holidays League season.
James Berrett then had two chances from a Bailey corner in the 32nd minute - failing to properly connect with the initial header before chasing the ball and prodding it just over the Walsall bar from close range.
The game was going from end to end now and Hall's right-wing cross was met on the volley by Darren Wrack at the back post a minute later; he pulled his shot away from goal, but striker Joao Batista Mawete headed it back towards the net from 6 yards and forced Alex Smithies into a great reaction save.
SENDING-OFF - The Town left-back Tom Jackson became the first player to receive their marching orders in a Reserve game this season when the referee adjudged that he brought down Paul Hall when the veteran was in on goal, although a long way out.
GOAL - From the resulting free-kick, midfielder Darren Wrack scored. The long-serving Walsall man hit the 25-yard free-kick into the bottom right corner, although the ball took a wicked deflection on the way to beat the diving Alex Smithies.
Danny Racchi filled in at left-back for the remaining minutes of the half, with Luke Malcher dropping into right midfield.
From a late injury-time free-kick, Smithies pulled off another reaction save as Mawete turned another Wrack free-kick towards goal with his head.
It seemed a shame that the half ended on such a sour note, as Town had played some really good football in the first-half and should have been in the lead before Jackson was dismissed. As it was, they trailed by a single goal at the interval.
Half-Time: Town Reserves 0 Walsall 1
There were no changes by either side at half-time, but Walsall striker Alex Nicholls showed his intent within a minute of the restart by forcing Smithies into a fine save low down to his near post.
With Town now a bit narrower in midfield - playing a central three since the dismissal - Walsall saw a lot of the ball in the opening stages of the second period.
BOOKING - Natan Sansara was booked by Mr. Richardson in the 53rd minute for a crude challenge on Matthew Young on the halfway line.
Walsall were seeing the large majority of possession by now, but Town crafted a brilliant chance on the hour mark through some intrepid work from Shane Killock. The big centre-back robbed Batista Mawete of the ball on the edge of his own box before advancing to the halfway line and releasing Danny Broadbent with a great ball in behind the Walsall defence. Broady easily outpaced veteran Ian Roper - who clipped his heels on the way through - before trying to chip the advancing 'keeper, only to see his clever effort drift inches over the bar.
SUB - Walsall made the first change of the evening after 63 minutes, replacing Charlton Davies with Chris Hanna.
James Berrett then tested Bertrand Bossu with a long shot two minutes later as Town came into the ascendancy once again.
BOOKING - Alex Nicholls was then booked by the referee in the 70th minute for failing to retreat the full ten yards for a Town free-kick.
James Berrett then picked up a clever quick throw from Alex Smithies before passing to Danny Broadbent, whose 30-yard piledriver went just wide of Bossu's left-hand post.
Substitute Chris Hanna then tried his luck, but placed his edge-of-the-box shot wide of Smithies' left-hand post.
A great cross from Mitchell Bailey on the right then picked out Luke Malcher brilliantly in the box, but the diminutive striker got underneath the header slightly and gently looped the ball into Bossu's hands.
David McDermott then played teammate Chris Hanna inside the area with 7 minutes left and the substitute tried to cleverly lob Alex Smithies, but only succeeded in hitting the bar.
SUB - First-year Academy scholar Dave Heagney was introduced by John Dungworth after 85 minutes; the young Irish striker replacing Luke Malcher, who did well to get through so much of the game on his return from injury.
SUB - At the same time, Walsall replaced Joao Batista Mawete with Hassan Bacchu.
Mitchell Bailey then hit a shot straight at the Walsall goalie from the edge of the box with the last attempt on target of the game.
Huddersfield Town
Alex Smithies, Jack Hunt, Tom Jackson, Mitchell Bailey, Daniel Codman, Shane Killock, Danny Racchi, James Berrett, Daniel Broadbent, Matthew Young (c), Luke Malcher (Dave Heagney 85)
Unused Substitutes: Lewis Nightingale, Curtis Roberts, Stephen Brook, Spencer Harris
Booking: Mitchell Bailey 30
Sending-off: Tom Jackson 42
Walsall
Bertrand Bossu, Richard Taundry, Natan Sansara, Charlton Davies (Chris Hanna 63), Mannie Smith, Ian Roper, Darren Wrack, Joao Batista Mawete (Hassan Bacchu 85), Alex Nicholls, David McDermott, Paul Hall
Unused Subs: Harry Harris, Leon Quarless, Joel Skeldon
Booking: Natan Sansara 53, Alex Nicholls 70
Attendance: 133
