Beckett 79
Nightingale 87
Town's second string ended Nottingham Forest's 17-match unbeaten streak in the Pontin's Holidays League this evening thanks to late goals from Luke Beckett and substitute Lewis Nightingale (pictured) - a first at this level for the 17-year old Academy scholar. Their goals were the first at the Galpharm Stadium in seven games at Reserve-team level, but were just rewards for what was a good performance.
The Terriers started the game in a 4-4-2 formation, with England under-18 goalkeeper Alex Smithies protected by a back four of (from left to right) Aaron Hardy, Frank Sinclair, Tom Clarke and Danny Racchi. Malvin Kamara and Danny Schofield occupied the right and left wings respectively with Joe Skarz and Mitchell Bailey operating in the centre, leaving Luke Beckett and Lucas Akins to lead the line.
The opening twenty minutes of the game were keenly contested with a high tempo set by both sides, but no chances of note were created. Clarke started the game in good form, bossing former Rotherham striker Will Hoskins in the air, and Skarz saw plenty of the ball in his deep midfield role.
The first shot on goal was mustered by Town just before the half-hour mark after Schofield forced a left-sided corner. Skarz delivered a clever ball to the edge of the box for Bailey to attempt the volley, but the young midfielder almost found the top of the Pink Link Stand with his effort under heavy pressure from a couple of Forest defenders.
Two minutes later, Skarz opted to deliver his next corner into the box and Clarke should have done better with the free header that he put wide; the young defender mistiming his effort slightly.
Keeper Smithies made up for his own error in the 37th minute; first giving the ball away to Forest's Mark Byrne before saving the eventual shot on goal from an acute angle by Hoskins.
Lucas Akins saw his looping header from a Mitch Bailey right-wing corner cleared off the line at the near post two minutes later before Forest right-back Brendan Maloney beat Aaron Hardy by cutting inside him before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot straight at Smithies a minute later.
SUB - Frank Sinclair was substituted two minutes before the interval, with first-year scholar Spencer Harris his replacement at centre-back.
Forest crafted the last shot on goal of the half, but striker Ben Fairclough's weak left-footed effort from just inside the area was never going to trouble England custodian Smithies.
Half-Time: Town Reserves 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Neither manager made a change during the interval and it was Town who started in good fashion, with Joe Skarz's downward header from a deep Kamara cross in the 50th minute forcing 38-year old Forest 'keeper Barry Richardson into a routine save.
Forest then came within a whisker of opening the scoring a minute later; a Clarke foul on Fairclough on the left side allowed Byrne to whip in a dangerous, deep free-kick that big defender Hamza Bencherif headed towards goal. Smithies did brilliantly to scoop the ball away down low to his right before Matt Thornhill rattled the crossbar with a follow-up shot from ten yards out.
The away side had a good spell after going so close, but Town almost scored a spectacular opener in the 57th minute through Lucas Akins. The tall striker knocked a loose ball over the head of defender Tom Sharpe before advancing to the edge of the box and hitting a tremendous half-volley that beat 'keeper Richardson all ends up, only for the ball to strike the bar and rebound to safety.
By this point Town were effectively playing 4-3-3, with Kamara and Akins flanking Beckett in attack. Bailey and Skarz were sitting in front of the back four with Danny Schofield operating just behind Beckett in the centre.
SUB - Booty and Mitchell introduced Academy midfielder Lewis Nightingale after 67 minutes; the diminutive youngster replacing Mitchell Bailey.
SUB - Forest then made their first change of the evening after 71 minutes when James Reid replaced Hoskins.
A badly under-hit back-pass from Tom Clarke a minute later set Felix Bastians in on Smithies' goal, but Captain Aaron Hardy did marvellously well to get back alongside the tall winger to block his shot wide of the near post when a goal looked inevitable.
Town's corners were inventive all evening and Beckett almost headed home a low, driven Skarz delivery with fifteen minutes left; however, his effort was turned over the crossbar and to safety by Thornhill.
GOAL - Town did take the lead after 79 minutes and it was first-team top scorer Luke Beckett who inevitably netted the goal. Tom Clarke set Danny Racchi free on the right flank with a clever outside of the foot pass and the right-back crossed into the area, where Beckett got up above marker Sharpe to send a brilliant looping header into the far corner - leaving the goalkeeper with absolutely no chance.
SUB - Gavin Kavanagh replaced Joe Heathin Forest's second change of the game after 83 minutes.
Malvin Kamara then skied a decent chance on the edge of the box after good setup play from Akins and Schofield a minute later before
SUB - Forest made their third and final change with five minutes left when Ben Fairclough was replaced by Adam Newbold.
GOAL - Town then scored a second on the break to kill off the game, with substitute Lewis Nightingale getting his first goal at reserve team level. The move started with good hold-up play from Beckett, who played in Danny Schofield on the right side of the penalty area; the midfielder waited for Nightingale to make his near post run before sliding the ball across the face of goal, leaving the youngster with an easy close range finish.
The blonde-haired under-18 player had been lively since coming on and it was his pass that led to Akins screwing a shot wide from the edge of the box a minute later.
Mark Byrne blasted well over the bar for Forest as the fourth official indicated there would be two minutes of added time in what was the last meaningful action of the game.
Full Time: Town Reserves 2 Nottingham Forest 0
Huddersfield Town:
Alex Smithies, Danny Racchi, Joe Skarz, Aaron Hardy (c), Frank Sinclair (Spencer Harris 43), Tom Clarke, Malvin Kamara, Mitchell Bailey (Lewis Nightingale 67), Luke Beckett, Lucas Akins, Danny Schofield
Unused Substitutes: Curtis Roberts, Simon Eastwood, Daniel Codman
Nottingham Forest:
Barry Richardson, Brendan Moloney, Joseph Heath (Gavin Kavanagh 83), Alan Power, Hamza Bencherif, Tom Sharpe, Mark Byrne, Matt Thornhill, Will Hoskins (James Reid 71), Ben Fairclough (Adam Newbold 85), Felix Bastians
Unused Substitutes: Richard Tait, Shane Redmond
Attendance: 145
