English Football Chat - Championship Match Reports & Fan Forum UK

Match Reports

RSS Feeds

Team Directory

Premiership

Championship

Articles

Shop4Real

The football season has started
HOORAY!!!!!!

Football4real.co.uk

•	Match Reports
•	Articles
•	Team Directory
•	World Cup News
•	Premiership News
•	Championship News
•	League One News
•	League Two News
•	FA Cup News
•	League Cup News
•	Scottish News
•	Welsh News
•	European News
•	International News
•	Shop4Real
•	League Tables
•	About RSS Feeds
•	About Us
•	Contact Us
•	Privacy Policy

VIEW MATCH REPORT

Friday 12 May 2006
Barnsley 0-1 Huddersfield
Gary Taylor-Fletcher gave Huddersfield a deserved lead in the first leg of the League one play-off semi-final at Barnsley.

Huddersfield seized the initiative in their Coca-Cola League One play-off semi-final against Barnsley, after taking advantage of a mix-up between Paul Heckingbottom and Nick Colgan.

This first-leg clash at Oakwell looked set to finish goalless until Heckingbottom got in the way of his goalkeeper following a cross from Andy Booth, with Gary Taylor-Fletcher getting the last touch before the ball crossed the line.

It was a typically tense clash, although both sides were denied by the woodwork as the first half ended goalless.

Danny Schofield and Barnsley's Martin Devaney had both hit the woodwork earlier in a full-blooded Yorkshire derby.

Schofield was first to rattle the the post in the seventh minute and shortly before the break Devaney raced clear at the other end only to see his curling effort skim the crossbar.

Skipper Paul Reid returned to Barnsley's starting line-up in place of Dale Tonge, but striker Paul Hayes settled for a place on the substitutes' bench following a recent groin injury.

Likewise for Huddersfield, captain Jon Worthington was recalled to the starting line-up after his suspension, while veteran striker Andy Booth and defender Andy Holdsworth also returned.

As expected both sides opened at helter-skelter pace, but it was the visitors who were first to threaten when David Graham wriggled free and found Schofield just inside the box, with the latter's shot thumping back off Colgan's right-hand post.

Soon after Graham fired over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area.

Barnsley responded with Chris Shuker dragging a shot wide following Brian Howard's free-kick, but it was all too frenetic for cohesive football.

Daniel Nardiello saw his shot deflected for a corner and soon after Shuker's low cross rolled tantalisingly wide.

Colgan then denied Schofield, the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper rushing off his line to smother the winger's hurried close-range shot.

There was enough excitement to warm a vociferous crowd towards the interval with a typical play-off encounter delicately poised.

Nardiello flashed a shot narrowly wide two minutes after the restart before some neat build-up on the edge of Huddersfield's penalty area allowed Shuker to drive low into goalkeeper Paul Rachubka's hands.

Fired-up Barnsley then threatened again when defender Reid turned sharply in the box and shot into the side-netting.

Nardiello fired a superb volley that Rachubka dealt with in equally impressive fashion, tipping the ball over for a corner in the 66th minute as Barnsley threatened to make the breakthrough.

Tykes boss Ritchie sent on Tommy Wright and Paul Hayes for Nardiello and Richards and counterpart Jackson responded by withdrawing Graham in favour of Pawel Abbott.

The game appeared to be heading for a goalless draw as the clock ticked down, but with five minutes remaining Reid and goalkeeper Colgan got in a mess and Taylor-Fletcher pounced to bundle the ball home.

The goal gives Peter Jackson's side a crucial advantage ahead of Monday's second leg at the Galpharm Stadium.