Huddersfield Town 1 Charlton Athletic 0: Rhodes would trade goals for promotion with Town

The young Scotland international made it 35 for the season in eclipsing Iwan Roberts’s 1991-92 haul for the club.

And there was a glint in his eye when informed that he still has the opportunity to break Town’s all-time scoring record of 42 set in the 1931-32 season by Dave Mangnall, who must have been a snip of a buy at £3,000 from Leeds United.

Even adding three zeroes to that figure has not been enough to make Town chairman Dean Hoyle sell Rhodes, 22 – who has also scored six goals for Scotland Under-21s this season before breaking into the senior team – such is his importance to the squad.

Like Mangnall, Rhodes was born in Lancashire but spending his formative years north of the border got him his chance with Scotland.

There were eyebrows raised when he stepped up to take what proved the match-winning penalty against the league leaders but that was nothing to do with him wanting to break the club record, explained the 6ft 2in striker after his first goal of the campaign from the spot.

“I had not given the record a thought. It was strictly about the three points today,” said Rhodes, possibly the most modest player in the game.

“Fortunately enough, we managed to grind out a 1-0 win – we haven’t had too many of them. I thought the defence was fantastic and it was a really good team effort. Tommy Miller is the penalty-taker and whenever he is on the field he will take them but, fortunately enough, it went in.”

Of his record number of goals, the League One player of the year continued: “Absolutely, the main aim is promotion and I would trade them all for promotion. We just have to take it a game at a time, starting with Carlisle. Any win is a good win and any goal is a good goal but it does bring Charlton that bit closer.”

Overhauling a 12-point deficit over the last eight games may prove beyond Town but the second automatic promotion place is certainly up for grabs with them just three points adrift of Sheffield Wednesday and with a game in hand.

The lunchtime showdown with the Owls at the Galpharm on April 7 is certainly going to be a significant encounter though third-placed Sheffield United, who are only a point behind Wednesday with a game in hand, are currently favourites to go up with Charlton.

The leaders, who had brought to an end Huddersfield’s Football League record unbeaten run in November felt hard done by on Saturday but Town deserved their victory after possibly their most disciplined performance of the season.

At times they looked like the away side, relying on swift counter attacks and the winning goal stemmed from one such rapier thrust.

It came in the 12th minute when Town cleared from a free-kick out to the left where Gary Roberts robbed Darel Russell, raced with him down the flank and was tripped by the Charlton player as he cut inside.

Rhodes calmly stepped up and tucked the ball into the right corner as goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who had pulled off a stunning save from the striker’s close-range header just two minutes before, was sent the wrong way.

Charlton hit back but Town showed they were not going to be intimidated by their muscular opponents with fully committed performances as Uruguyan midfielder Diego Arismendi proved a calming influence among the tackles with some punched passes through defensive gaps on his full debut after arriving on loan from Stoke.

His midfield enforcer, Antony Kay, had Charlton manager Chris Powell fuming after escaping a booking for a lunge on Scott Wagstaff in the centre circle which, ironically, left the Town man with a bloodied nose.

It proved an important decision by referee Carl Boyeson for, in the 56th minute, he had to act when Russell’s two-footed retaliation against Kay’s thumping challenge produced a straight red for the Charlton player and a yellow for the Town man – striker Lee Novak also being carded for shoving Russell back down to the ground.

Though it was a fascinating, full-blooded encounter, chances were at a premium largely due to some towering performances from the two Morrisons, Town’s Sean and fellow centre-back Charlton’s Michael. The only sniff of an equaliser came in stoppage time when central defender Leon Cort launched himself at the ball following a cross from the right but only headed over the bar.

Town manager Simon Grayson said: “It was important to produce that kind of performance.

“I thought it was a fantastic, positive atmopshere and the players responded to that.

“I asked the players to run themselves into the ground and they did that for me.

“There has been something missing over the course of the season and we are trying just to tweak a few things.

“Charlton are a good team, well organised, but we proved we are a match for anybody.”