Fleetwood: Gareth Seddon (86)
A predominantly young Huddersfield Town side were put through a thorough test by Blue Square Premier side Fleetwood Town this evening ahead of the 2010/11 season, eventually going down by a single goal.
The Terriers, managed by Development Coach Paul Stephenson, battled gamely throughout the ninety minutes but were eventually undone by a late header from seasoned campaigner Gareth Seddon and struggled to break down the home side during the game.
Town's young side made an encouraging start, with Chris Atkinson sending the ever-impressive Aidan Chippendale away down the left channel inside the opening two minutes. Left-back D'Arcy's cross was eventually cleared, but it had served the home side a warning that the lively winger was a definite threat.
Ian Bennett's loud instructions to his young defence could be clearly heard across Highbury Stadium on the evening and the back four looked very solid in the early stages. However, the home side's first shot on goal followed on the stroke of the 10th minute when one-time Town trialist Jamie Mullan cut in from the right wing and hit a shot that cannoned narrowly wide off a defender's legs.
Former Yeovil midfielder Anthony Barry then hit a powerful long range shot two minutes later, but Bennett watched it drift comfortably wide of the post.
The Terriers had a strong wind in their faces during the opening 45 minutes and several defensive clearances got held up in the breeze. The home side, who were promoted to the Blue Square National last season, started to enjoy the better of possession around the quarter hour mark but couldn't craft any chances of note.
The best chance of the game to date fell to former Town midfielder Ian Craney in the 20th minute, but he was thwarted by a great save from Bennett. Left back D'Arcy misjudged the flight of a high ball, allowing Mullan to race to the by-line and deliver a cross; striker Curtis knocked it back to the former Accrington man, who cleverly side-stepped Chris Atkinson before shooting hard and low, only to see Bennett push the ball around his post.
The game suddenly sprung to life and Fleetwood hit the post barely a minute later when Curtis flicked a left-wing cross past the reach of Bennett, but from that attack the Terriers mounted a great break. Atkinson drove across the halfway line with the ball before cleverly sliding a pass into the path of Croft, who crossed to the back post - unfortunately, striker Birtles hit his volley into the floor and the goalkeeper easily gathered.
Bennett was on hand again to expertly gather in a driven cross from Mullan in the 24th minute before Chippendale was on his bike again, robbing right-back Beeley of the ball on halfway before advancing and crossing brilliantly to the near post. His delivery was cleared to the edge of the box, where Atkinson will have been disappointed to place his effort straight at the legs of a defender on the follow-up.
A short corner, worked between Croft, Atkinson and Hughes in the 31st minute, allowed Croft to shoot straight at the goalkeeper from a narrow angle before the ball was delivered straight up the pitch to striker Curtis, who forced Bennett to turn his 25-yard drive around the post. From the resulting corner, big defender McNulty drove a shot on the turn straight at the Town custodian.
Home centre-back Linwood headed Craney's free-kick harmlessly wide of goal in the final five minutes of the half, which ended goalless.
HALF-TIME: FLEETWOOD TOWN 0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0
The Terriers kicked off in the second half, but the first chance fell to the home side. The left-back played a ball over the top of Liam Ridehalgh and into the path of Brazilian striker Magno Vieira, but as the home man entered the area the Town skipper made it back alongside him and blocked his shot, which trickled into the path of Ian Bennett.
The height and physicality of central midfielder Nathan Pond was a major outlet for the home side but Town were dealing with it well and winger Croft was the next man to try his luck at goal in the 56th minute. Cutting inside from his right wing position, he switched the ball onto his left foot on the edge of the Fleetwood area but screwed his shot badly wide of goal.
Craney's 59th minute snapshot was always comfortable for Bennett and he gathered easily.
SUB - The home side made their first change in the 61st minute when Pond was replaced by Jamie McGuire.
The home side were still on top possession-wise, but Michael McCaffery's right wing cross caused havoc in the home penalty area in the 65th minute - with goalkeeper Hurst rushing from his line to claim and getting nowhere near it! Luckily for him, a defensive colleague was on hand to clear the ball to safety.
SUB - Paul Stephenson made his first change in the 66th minute, with first-year Academy scholar Warrick Charlton replacing Shane Birtles in attack.
Jim Goodwin was well positioned to clear Mullan's dangerous cross upon the restart before Lee Croft did some sterling defensive work, tracking the run of winger Barry down the Town right and showing impressive strength to shadow the ball behind.
SUBS - Fleetwood made several changes in the 75th minute with Curtis, Barry and Vieira replaced by Seddon, Miles and Thorpe.
With a quarter of an hour to go the Terriers started to move the ball around well and Chippendale's excellent cross flashed across the face of goal, narrowly evading Croft at the far post.
Giant defender McNulty's header from Craney's 79th minute corner was tipped acrobatically over the bar by Bennett.
SUB - Fleetwood made another change with ten minutes left; Simon Grand replacing Linwood in defence.
Trialist Hughes played a neat one-two with Chippendale in the left channel moments later to free up space for a shot, but he bent the ball wide of the far post from 25 yards out.
Home sub Lee Thorpe then rattled the post with a back post header from another Craney corner and it looked for all the world like he would nod home the rebound, but somehow he diverted the ball straight into the waiting hands of 'keeper Bennett - who was still on the floor following his original dive!
SUB - Town introduced another second year scholar - midfielder Adam Colton - for McCaffery in the 84th minute. This saw the Terriers switch to a 4-3-3 formation, with 16-year old Charlton leading the line.
GOAL - Fleetwood then scored through substitute Gareth Seddon in the 86th minute to settle the game in their favour. From a quickly taken throw-in down their right flank substitute Miles found the space to deliver an excellent cross, from which Seddon ran in and powered a header past the helpless Bennett.
FULL TIME: FLEETWOOD TOWN 1 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0
Town's Team (4-4-2):
Ian Bennett; Aidan D'Arcy, Greg Pearson, Liam Ridehalgh (c), Jim Goodwin; Aidan Chippendale, Chris Atkinson, Bryan Hughes, Lee Croft; Michael McCaffery (Adam Colton 84), Shane Birtles (Warrick Charlton 66)
Unused Subs: Matty Crooks, Jordan Porter, Harrison Blakey, Dave Melling
Fleetwood Town:
Danny Hurst, Shaun Beeley, Alan Wright, Anthony Barry (John Miles 75), Steve McNulty (c), Nathan Pond (Jamie McGuire 61), Ian Craney, Magno Vieira (Lee Thorpe 75), Jamie Mullan, Paul Linwood (Simon Grand 80), Wayne Curtis (Gareth Seddon 75)
Unused Subs: Scott Davies, John Miles, Peter Cavanagh
Attendance: 526
