Watch one of the best Huddersfield Town performances at the John Smith's Stadium
- Flashback to Town’s emphatic win over Crystal Palace at the McAlpine Stadium
- Watch Clyde Wijnhard’s hat trick capped off with an acrobatic stunner
- An hour of match action available for free via #HTTV
We’re all missing football, so we thought we’d brighten your Saturday with an hour’s highlights of one of the best performances to ever grace the John Smith’s Stadium!
The Terriers’ second home game of the 1999/00 season proved to be a memorable one for Town fans as Steve Bruce’s Terriers put on a show for the home faithful, with visitors Crystal Palace dismissed with a 7-1 thumping.
The class of Town’s first goal was a sign of things to come. Clyde Wijnhard showed the Palace full back a clean pair of heels, cutting in from the right-hand side. His pass found Marcus Stewart, who had the poise to flick the ball into the path of an arriving Chris Beech. The midfielder’s side-footed effort squirmed past Fraser Digby in the Palace net to put the Terriers into the lead.
Town’s second and Wijnhard’s first of the afternoon had an element of fortune about it. The forward latched onto a scuffed shot by Marcus Stewart to bury his second goal of his Terriers career since signing from Leeds United that summer.
The Palace full backs were then undone on the flanks. Some neat play from Town down the Eagles’ left-hand side saw the ball work its way to Kenny Irons on the edge of the box. Irons buried his effort low into the bottom left corner to bag his first goal for Town and all but seal all three points for the Terriers before half time.
Town began the second half as they ended the first and added to the score line two minutes after the restart. Substitute Rob Edwards produced an audacious flick around the Palace full back and his cross found Marcus Stewart in the box. After taking one touch to get the ball out of his feet, the forward buried the ball low into the far corner to get his name on the score sheet.
Wijnhard then stamped his authority on the game by netting his second and Town’s fifth. After being released down the flank, the Dutchman showed good strength to beat Andy Linighan and, after faking an effort, slid the ball under the onrushing Digby to further compound the misery on the travelling Palace fans.
The sixth goal was the pick of the bunch and again came from Clyde. Beech latched onto a loose ball and played a quick one-two with the Dutchman. Beech’s tempting cross was met by Wijnhard and the Dutchman connected expertly with a bicycle kick to secure his first hat trick in Town colours.
The away side gave their travelling support something to cheer by netting a consolation. Linighan met a corner from the left-hand side and his powerful header deflected in off Clinton Morrison and past Nico Vaesen in the Town goal.
Despite this slight blot, Bruce’s side would have the last laugh. A crunching tackle from Beech retrieved the ball for Town deep in the defensive third. The tireless midfielder released substitute Ben Thornley who split open the Eagles defence with a pin-point pass to Stewart. The forward doubled his tally by coolly touching it around the goalkeeper to slot home Town’s seventh and final goal of the afternoon.
You can watch extended highlights of the game below via #HTTV!