Huddersfield 2 Rochdale 1: Pilkington injury casts shadow over Town win

Winger Pilkington, who has scored 14 goals this season, was carried off with a suspected broken leg after an hour.

Pilkington went down in his own area and it was immediately clear by the reaction of players and fans that the injury was a bad one. He was quickly attended by medics and St John’s Ambulance staff.

Pilkington was treated for at least six minutes on the pitch before being taken away on a wheeled stretcher to a standing ovation. He was then rushed to hospital.

Town extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches with a first league goal from Benik Afobe and a sublime lob from Gary Roberts.

Afobe, on loan from Arsenal, showed composure beyond his 18 years to finish from inside the six-yard area after Jordan Rhodes’s effort was blocked.

Roberts then struck in the 33rd minute when he spotted Owain Fon Williams off his line and produced a stunning angled chip.

Rochdale had proved dangerous before Town’s goals and Alex Smithies, making his first start in 13 matches after injury, produced a great instinctive save to keep out Chris O’Grady’s powerful header.

Gary Jones pulled a goal back in the seventh minute of stoppage time and Smithies made a one-handed stop from Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro with seconds left.

Huddersfield Town: Smithies; Hunt, Kay (McCombe 44), P Clarke, Jordan; Pilkington (Lee 63), Arfield, Kilbane, Roberts; Afobe, Rhodes. Unused substitutes: Colgan, C Atkinson, Cadamarteri, Novak, T Clarke.

Rochdale: Fon Williams; Wiseman, Dawson, Holness, Widdowson; W Atkinson, Barry-Murphy, Jones, Kennedy, O’Grady; Dickinson (Akpa-Akpro 77). Unused substitutes: Edwards, Thompson, Done, Adams, Gray, Williams.

Referee: N S Miller (Co Durham)