Brentford 3 Huddersfield Town 0: Town chief Clark left fuming by defensive blunders as Colchester narrow the gap in fight for play-offs
The Terriers' play-off hopes took a big blow as they crashed at Brentford on Saturday, with Clark left fuming over his side's defending at Griffin Park.
Only goal difference separates Town from seventh-place Colchester, and the Galpharm Stadium chief says his side need to put their head in where it hurts if they are to get a result against the Saddlers.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe said: "Defenders have got to be prepared to get a nose broken and a cut in the face. They've got to be brave to stop the ball going into the net.
"I expect all my players to put their neck on the line. They should be doing all they can to defend with pride and honour.
"I was disappointed with how we defended against Brentford after going one down.
"We were creating chances but the next two goals were very poor from our point of view.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"We have to turn this around on Tuesday night now, without a doubt.
"We're all very disappointed, but we need a performance and a result.
"We lost 2-1 to them earlier in the season, but that counts for nothing."
After a goalless first-half, Huddersfield handed the hosts a golden chance to break the deadlock when left-back Dean Heffernan handled the ball in the box.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBees top scorer Charlie MacDonald made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Gary Roberts wasted a glorious chance to equalise for the visitors, shooting straight at Wojciech Szczesny from close range.
And they were made to pay shortly after when Lewis Grabban grabbed a second for the Bees.
Carl Cort sent the on-loan Millwall winger in the clear, and he fired past Alex Smithies to put the hosts two goals to the good.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMacDonald rubbed salt into the visitors' wounds when he added a third late on to wrap up the points after catching central defeder Neal Trotman napping.
Trotman almost made atones when he headed against the bar in the dying minutes. Town did have a golden chance to pull a goal back in stoppage-time, but Roberts blazed over from the spot after having been brought down by the goalkeeper, who had saved an initial effort from Theo Robinson.
Huddersfield's problems had begun in the pre-match warm-up when right-back Lee Peltier suffered an ankle injury and had to be replaced by Tom Clarke. First-year professional Jack Hunt took his place on the bench.
James Berrett had also been given a start on the right due to injury to Anthony Pilkington but was later replaced by on-loan Liverpool striker Nathan Eccleston.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBrentford: Szczesny, Foster, Legge, Osborne, Wood, Grabban (Saunders 87), Diagouraga, Bean, Weston, Cort, MacDonald. Unused substitutes: Price, Blake, Hunt, Strevens.
Huddersfield Town: Smithies, T Clarke, P Clarke, Trotman, Heffernan (Williams 83); Drinkwater, Collins, Berrett (Eccleston 74), Roberts; Rhodes, Robinson. Unused substitutes: Eastwood, Nathan Clarke, Pearce, Chippendale, Hunt.
Referee: A Hall (West Midlands).
Man of the match: Carl Cort.