Clean sheet comes first as Huddersfield Town draw but stay bottom of Championship

Despite the fact they remain bottom of the Championship, Huddersfield nearly snatched a late winner in dramatic fashion against Swansea. Substitute Danny Ward registered the Terriers’ first effort on target in stoppage time and had a goal-bound shot cleared off the line by Nathan Wood.

Russell Martin’s Swans enjoyed 76 per cent of possession and had Michael Obafemi rattle the crossbar, but found Terriers goalkeeper Lee Nicholls was in inspired form.

Boss Mark Fotheringham said: “It was an important point for the group and our priority was the clean sheet.

“We’re getting harder to break down. I just think we look really solid. We really deserved that point today.

“There are real leaders growing in this group and they’re improving every week.

“When the game really opened up at the end, it felt like if anyone was going to win it was going to be us and I’m a bit sad not to have the three points.

“But I have to calm myself down and understand the situation. I lived every emotion of the game there today as head coach.

“It’s the biggest challenge I’ve faced as a coach, but I believe that when this club goes onto bigger things, we’re all going to be ready for it. The games are relentless, and I never get too high when we win or too low when we lose.

“Our priority now is to get every player back in the building and we have to be patient with the guys.

“They’ve been out for a lengthy period and they have to get up to speed straight away.”

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls, Lees, Helik, Mbete-Tabu (Spencer 75), Kesler (Holmes 65), Kasumu (Mahoney 86), Rudoni, Ruffels, Thomas, Rhodes (Ward 64), Jackson (Diarra 86). Unused substitutes: Bilokapic, Ayina.

Swansea City: Benda, Wood-Gordon, Darling (Naughton 71), Cabango, Latibeaudiere (Paterson 78), Grimes, Fulton, Manning, Cooper (Okoflex 70), Ntcham (Cundle 71), Piroe (Obafemi 61). Unused substitutes: Fisher, Stevens.

Referee: B Toner (Lancashire).