Huddersfield Town 0 Birmingham City 1: Terriers must dig deep, insists Powell

HUDDERSFIELD Town suffered their first home defeat in eight matches after a poor display against resurgent Birmingham.
Huddersfield's manager Chris Powell.Huddersfield's manager Chris Powell.
Huddersfield's manager Chris Powell.

Former Doncaster winger David Cotterill’s swerving 26-yard free-kick in the 70th minute was enough to sink Chris Powell’s side.

The first half was a turgid affair with Town creating just one chance when Darren Randolph did well to block from Grant Holt after Sean Scannell had scuffed his 40th minute shot from Lee Peltier’s low cross.

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Harry Bunn had two efforts on target from outside the area and the only shot to test Alex Smithies came from a shot from Cotterill.

Town had made three changes to the side which lost 5-0 at Norwich with Anthony Gerrard replacing Murray Wallace, who had been sent off with the game scoreless at Carrow Road.

Peltier replaced Tommy Smith at right-back and Bunn came in for Nahki Wells out on the left.

Birmingham scored the only goal after Gerrard had obstructed Clayton Donaldson, Cotterill’s free kick going over the wall and into the roof of the net.

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Town’s response was poor even though strikers Wells and James Vaughan were brought into action.

The closest they came was in stoppage time when Randolph went full length to keep out a shot from Town’s third substitute Joe Lolley.

Huddersfield are now deep in a relegation fight and boss Chris Powell said: “It’s very tight at the bottom but we are not in a position that we feel we should be in.

“Being the manager of Huddersfield Town I want us to be higher up the table and we have to keep strong and keep together.

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“Most teams go through runs like this and we have to look deep within ourselves and work hard to turn it round against Rotherham and Bolton over Christmas.”

Powell said the game had been too close to call and added: “The teams were either going to cancel each other out or a moment of quality would decide it, and that’s what happened.

“It was a wonderful strike. It was one of those free-kicks that players are trying these days and sometimes they come off and sometimes they don’t.

“We had a few chances, particularly towards the end when we were chasing the game, but we were beaten by a set-piece. We have to channel our disappointment and take it into the next game.”