Huddersfield Town 1 Burnley 3: Terriers not brave enough, claims Wagner

Burnley's Stephen Ward (left) scores his side's first goal of the game.

The Clarets stretched their unbeaten run to 14 matches and march on at the top of the table.

Vokes’ return to goalscoring form has mirrored Burnley’s transformation into title favourites.

Unbeaten since the trip to Hull on Boxing Day, Burnley had the game won by half-time with all four goals coming in the first 45 minutes.

Goals from Stephen Ward and Vokes put the Clarets in charge. Joe Lolley pulled one back for the home side before Ben Mee sealed it in first half stoppage time.

Burnley looked every inch champions in waiting - and a side full of confidence. They went ahead in the 14th minute putting Huddersfield under pressure with two successive corners.

The first from David Jones on the right was cleared from under the crossbar by Dean Whitehead for a corner on the other side.

Jones crossed over to take it and whipped in the delivery. Michael Keane headed down and Ward hooked home.

The Clarets doubled the lead in the 30th minute when Andre Gray cleverly slipped a pass through Martin Cranie’s legs which set George Boyd away down the right.

Boyd squared into the box for Vokes to get in ahead of his marker and slot in from close range.

Huddersfield had plenty of possession but chances were few until a minute from the break when Lolley pulled a goal back.

Whitehead’s long ball found Tommy Smith who moved forward down the right before checking inside and finding Lolley who stepped past a defender and smashed home an angled drive.

Huddersfield thought they were back in the game but Burnley restored the two-goal advantage in added time.

It was another set piece move as Jones took a corner on the right and Mee launched himself to plant a flying header past Jed Steer.

With the game won by half-time Burnley were content to defend in the second half and for all their possession Huddersfield could not break them down.

The Burnley defence held firm and there were only glimmers for Huddersfield in the second period.

Jason Davidson rapped the woodwork and sub Jamie Paterson volleyed over when well placed but the points were always safe for Burnley.

Huddersfield head coach David Wagner said his side were not brave enough and lost the game in the first half.

“Burnley are the best team in the league and if you are to beat the best team you have to be brave, and we weren’t,” he said.

“At half-time I said we had to accept the situation. I said we can lose this game but we have to learn from the first half and impose our identity.

“We had good chances to score but we have to accept this defeat. If you play our style of football mistakes will happen but we are still creating chances. We made mistakes for the corners and were punished.”

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