Brighton 0 Huddersfield 0: Town can breathe easy after stalemate

Huddersfield Town ensured they will remain in the Championship with three games remaining thanks to this goalless draw at Brighton.
Huddersfield Town's manager Chris Powell (Picture: James Hardisty).Huddersfield Town's manager Chris Powell (Picture: James Hardisty).
Huddersfield Town's manager Chris Powell (Picture: James Hardisty).

The point for the Seagulls ended a run of three successive defeats, but their goal drought continues and they are now without a goal from one of their own players for nine hours and 20 minutes.

Albion are still not out of danger towards the bottom of the table and are seven points above the drop zone with three games left.

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Huddersfield, with only one defeat in their previous six games, recalled striker Ishmael Miller and he put an angled shot over early on after a strong run into the area.

On-loan Manchester United left-back Reece James headed away a dangerous cross from Mustapha Carayol before Terriers goalkeeper Alex Smithies claimed a header by Leon Best.

Huddersfield had a let-off when, after a corner by Dale Stephens, Lewis Dunk misdirected his header and Greg Halford put a close-range shot into the side netting.

The Terriers had the chance to break the deadlock when Miller found himself eight yards from goal, but his right-footed shot was palmed away by Albion’s goalkeeper David Stockdale.

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Midfielder Carayol, on loan from Middlesbrough, went close to hitting his first goal for Brighton when he put a shot against the crossbar. Miller then went close at the other end with a toe poke which went just wide.

After the break, Carayol had the chance to threaten inside the area but overran the ball and Huddersfield goalkeeper Alex Smithies was able to make a comfortable save.

Dunk should have hit the target for the Seagulls when he headed Stephens’s corner over before home manager Chris Hughton introduced striker Craig Mackail-Smith in place of Best.

Albion lived dangerously as both Jacob Butterfield and Wells were denied by the woodwork.

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Brighton: Stockdale, Saltor, Halford, Dunk, Bennett, Kayal, Stephens, Calderon, Teixeira (O’Grady 80), Carayol (LuaLua 59), Best (Mackail-Smith 68). Unused substitutes: Greer, Forster-Caskey, Ince, Walton.

Huddersfield Town: Smithies, Smith, Hudson, Lynch, Scannell, Butterfield, Gobern, Coady, James, Miller, Wells (Wallace 90). Unused substitutes: Edgar, Hogg, Murphy, Lolley, Carroll, Majewski.

Referee: A D’Urso (Essex).