Chesterfield 0 Huddersfield Town 2: Terriers strike duo keep up promotion pressure

The relegation-threatened home team made the brighter start but two goals inside four minutes put Town in control as they maintained the pressure on second-placed Sheffield United in the fight for automatic promotion.

Chesterfield were on top for the first 20 minutes and Huddersfield had goalkeeper Alex Smithies to thank for blocking Alex Mendy’s 20-yard shot before Tom Clarke cleared the loose ball for a corner in the 21st minute.

But two minutes later, against the run of play, Huddersfield took the lead.

The scorer was Lee Novak, who powered home a 20-yard shot from Antony Kay’s pass for his 13th goal of the season.

Jordan Rhodes made it 2-0 shortly afterwards when he turned home a cross from Jack Hunt, who had a lengthy spell on loan with Chesterfield last season. It was Rhodes’s 34th goal of the campaign.

Gary Roberts almost made it three on the stroke of half-time when his chip shot hit the underside of Chesterfield’s bar before being cleared for a corner.

Chances were few and far between in the second period but the Terriers rarely looked troubled.

New loan signing Diego Arismendi was brought on with 10 minutes to go and there was loud applause from the travelling fans when Rhodes was replaced by Danny Cadamarteri with two minutes left.

Chesterfield: Lee, Hurst, Trotman, Thompson, Smith, Allott (Ajose 72), Talbot, Moussa, Mendy, Bowrey, Westcarr. Unused substitutes: Fleming, Whitaker, Lester, Ford.

Huddersfield Town: Smithies, Hunt, P Clarke, Morrison, T Clarke, Kay, Gudjonsson (Arismendi 79), Roberts, Ward, Novak (Lee 70), Rhodes (Cadamarteri 88). Unused substitutes: Bennett, Arfield.

Referee: C Sarginson (Staffs).