Will Boyle and Kieran Phillips score the goals

- Huddersfield Town B draw with Blackburn Rovers XI
- Many senior players get important minutes
- Young Terriers pull back from two goals down

Several of Danny Schofield’s senior players got important minutes under their belts on Saturday morning as Town B drew 2-2 with a Blackburn Rovers side at the Millers Oils High Performance Complex.

Will Boyle played the full game, whilst Connor Mahoney and Ryan Schofield played a planned hour – with Friday night substitutes Jack Rudoni, Yuta Nakayama and Jordan Rhodes all played the first half too.

In the end, the Young Terriers needed to come from two goals down against an energetic, impressive opposition side to take a share of the spoils, with skipper Boyle and second half sub Kieran Phillips netting the goals.

Rovers started the game on the front foot, and took the lead inside six minutes when a forward span well and made it to the dead ball line before firing a great low ball across the face of goal for the winger to advance onto and tap in.

Jon Worthington’s side did grow into the game thereafter, enjoying decent spells of possession, but the visitors doubled their advantage midway through the first half when midfielder Myles Bright was adjudged to have bundled over an attacker inside the Town penalty area. The taker put the ball down the middle of goal, with Schofield diving to his right.

Boyle’s goal reduced the deficit in the 34th minute. Town won a corner on the right through full back Brodie Spencer and Mahoney swung a beautiful delivery towards the back post, where the tall former Cheltenham Town captain rose highest to nod the ball to the goalkeeper’s right.

The much-changed Town side performed better in the second period, and could have scored before Phillips’ late equaliser.

First centre back Loick Ayina nodded another Mahoney corner wide when Boyle was probably better positioned to make contact with the ball.

Schofield was alert at the other end to block a close range shot after Krasniqi gave the ball away in a dangerous area, but Town soon had the ball in the net just before the hour mark – only for a late offside flag to rule it out. It was a great shame, as the move was fantastic; Bright, Mahoney and the impressive Ben Jackson exchanging passes for the latter to cross and Phillips to finish at close range.

Jackson continued his impressive pre-season form and went close to scoring himself in the 68th minute, striding onto a loose ball on the halfway line and driving at Blackburn before thundering a drive inches wide of the far post.

In the end, Jackson had a pivotal role in the 88th minute equaliser. Receiving a pass from Boyle, he slipped the ball down the left touchline for Brahima Diarra, with the Frenchman holding the ball up and returned the pass as the left back overlapped. The ball was slightly behind the Academy graduate, but Ben did brilliantly to whip a cross perfectly onto the head of the striker, who nodded past the stricken ‘keeper.

Town’s first half team (4-2-3-1)
Ryan Schofield; Brodie Spencer, Loick Ayina, Will Boyle (c), Yuta Nakayama; Myles Bright, Etienne Camara; Connor Mahoney, Jack Rudoni, Danny Grant; Jordan Rhodes

Town’s second half team (4-2-3-1)
Ryan Schofield (Jacob Chapman, 60’); Brodie Spencer, Loick Ayina (David Adewoju, 60’), Will Boyle (c), Ben Jackson; Ernaldo Krasniqi, Ben Midgley; Connor Mahoney (Aaron Rowe, 60’), Brahima Diarra, Myles Bright; Kieran Phillips

Unused substitutes
Luke Daley, Conor Falls

Goals
Will Boyle (34’), Kieran Phillips (88’)