FA CUP: Huddersfield 6-0 Macclesfield: Pilkington takes top billing as Town coast way through

HUDDERSFIELD chairman Dean Hoyle got exactly the response he was looking for in the shape of a six-goal salvo after clear-the-air talks with his players and management staff.

Hoyle had blasted the squad in the previous week's programme notes following defeat at Oldham before having full and frank discussions with all concerned at the training ground.

Ahead of Saturday's tie, however, Hoyle had underlined his backing for his manager by stating: "I am one hundred per cent behind Lee Clark. Come rain or shine, he will be the manager of this football club at the end of the season."

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With everyone re-united, there was certainly no need to question Clark's job security as the temperatures plummeted to near-Arctic conditions at the Galpharm on Saturday as Town coasted into the third round.

Clark's charges, fresh from a 4-1 drubbing of Milton Keynes Dons in midweek, produced a splendid demolition job on League Two side Macclesfield.

The 4,924 supporters braving the bitter winter cold were certainly warmed by the performance of Huddersfield's No 11 Anthony Pilkington.

The 22-year-old further enhanced his growing reputation with an outstanding performance on the right of Town's midfield, his crowning glory coming 10 minutes before half-time, when he netted the second goal in spectacular fashion after fellow in-form team-mate Jordan Rhodes had put them ahead.

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"We had to be patient, but that's football," a visibly relieved Clark told the post-match inquest.

"You don't win games in the first minute. The clean sheet is as pleasing as the six goals, and there's a lot of quality in our team.

"People forget how young our players are, so it was a pleasing performance. The FA Cup is a special competition."

Huddersfield had taken two attempts to see off non-league Cambridge United in the first round of the world's oldest cup competition, thanks to stoppage-time goals from Lee Peltier and Gary Roberts, and Clark was happy to have avoided a repeat in what was Town's ninth game of a busy November.

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Clark paid due respect to his side's League Two opponents in his programme notes, warning Town to expect a "difficult" afternoon against a Macclesfield side who suffered their first defeat in seven games in midweek.

But the reality was anything but, as Huddersfield highlighted the gulf in class between the two divisions with two clear goal-scoring attempts within five minutes.

First, Pilkington made the first of many telling contributions going forward when he controlled the ball out of the air and squared the ball across the face of Jose Veiga's goal, narrowly out of the reach of the onrushing Rhodes.

Soon after, on-loan Arsenal man Benik Afobe squandered a free header inside the area, but the game was just 19 minutes old when Town went ahead.

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A powerful run from Roberts down the left was followed by a magnificent cross, which Rhodes gleefully headed past Veiga – thus beginning a period of dominance for Huddersfield which only ended with the referee's half-time whistle.

But not before Pilkington, a front runner for the PFA's League Two player of the month award, had had his say. Collecting the ball once again on the right, Pilkington cut inside two players before unleashing a stunning drive which nestled in Veiga's bottom right hand corner.

Afobe made it three before the break with his first Galpharm goal for his temporary employers, and Macclesfield manager Gary Simpson admitted: "The goal just before half-time killed us.

"We knew it'd be difficult with the quality they have – they stuck five past Rotherham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and they had the pace and the organisation. But we did contribute to our own downfall, and they got the goals. To be honest, it was damage limitation after their second."

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It was an exercise which, despite all Macclesfield's endeavour, ultimately proved futile as centre-back Jamie McCombe put the result beyond any doubt with Huddersfield's fourth goal four minutes after the restart.

The only two previous meetings between these two sides had seen the home side win 4-0, but Antony Kay, continuing in central midfield at Joey Gudjonsson's expense, ensured that history was not about to repeat itself by drilling home into the bottom corner for the fifth.

A weak backpass from former Terrier Nat Brown then sent Rhodes through on goal, but the young striker elected to square the ball for Roberts to seal a comprehensive victory.

"Without being disrespectful to Macclesfield, it could have been a match where we got double figures," said Clark, who confirmed Afobe will miss tomorrow's Johnstone's Paint Trophy semi-final trip to Tranmere Rovers to play for Arsenal's youth team. "There is room for a lot of optimism."

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Huddersfield Town: Smithies; Peltier, McCombe, P Clarke, Carey; Pilkington

(Arfield 73), Kay, Johnson (Atkinson 61), Roberts; Afobe, Rhodes (Lee 73). Unused substitutes: Bennett, Ridehalgh, N Clarke, Gudjonsson.

Macclesfield: Veiga; Reid (Hamshaw 59), Brown, Morgan, Chalmers; Draper, Sinclair, Daniel (Tremarco, 56), Nsiala; Bolland, Barnett (Mukendi, 56). Unused substitutes: Cudworth, Bencherif, Wedgbury, Lowe.

Referee: C Boyeson (East Yorks).

MATCH FOCUS

Hero: Anthony Pilkington

The match sponsors gave their man-of-the-match award to left-back Graham Carey, above, but any of Town's 10 outfield men could have staked a claim. Antony Kay and Jordan Rhodes worked tirelessly but Pilkington proved outstanding.

Villain: Nat Brown

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The former Town player's mistake for Huddersfield's sixth goal was inexplicable. Under no pressure, he underhit a back-pass to goalkeeper Jose Veiga and Gary Roberts and Jordan Rhodes did the rest.

Key moment

19th-minute: Jordan Rhodes scores his third in two games. After struggling to overcome Cambridge in the first round, there was visible frustration and tension around the Galpharm as Huddersfield failed to convert early chances into goals. Then Rhodes nodded in the cross from Gary Roberts – and the rest was lain-sailing.

Ref Watch

Carl Boyeson: As is often the case with such a one-sided drubbing, the referee's performance was hardly noticed but the East Yorkshire official was excellent. There was not one contentious decision given, and the referee rightly let the players be the stars of the show, not him.

Verdict

After crisis talks between chairman Dean Hoyle and the entire playing staff on Monday, Lee Clark got exactly the reaction he was looking for: two games, two wins and nine goals scored in the process. Rightly, he points out that Town are well-placed in the FA Cup, Johnstone's Paint Trophy and League One – but their next home game against leaders Brighton could be a stiff test of their promotion credentials.

Quote of the day

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To be honest, it was damage limitation time after Huddersfield's second goal.

– Macclesfield manager Gary Simpson.

Next game

Tranmere Rovers v Huddersfield Town, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, tomorrow, 7.45pm.

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