Huddersfield Town 1 Scunthorpe United 0: Novak strike could be the spark for play-off success

For Town were in desperate need of a boost to morale after three successive defeats which began with the 2-0 home loss to Sheffield Wednesday which effectively knocked them out of the running for automatic promotion.

“That goal was massive,” admitted midfield colleague Scott Arfield after Novak’s 89th-minute strike condemned Scunthorpe to an unlucky defeat, although they had the compensation of knowing they were safe from the drop following results elsewhere.

“It’s taken us to another stage and, hopefully, we can go that one step further this season and get the win in the final, though we are not looking too far ahead,” said Arfield, part of the team which lost to Peterborough in last season’s play-off final at Old Trafford.

“Lee has that ability to strike and step up to the plate when Jordan doesn’t score and I’m delighted for him because it rewards the work ethic he shows in every game.

“We are really confident going into the play-offs although it was important to get back to winning ways today.”

Regarding the Owls defeat, the young Scot admitted: “It was a hard game but one we believed we were going to win. We had the confidence and ability to go on but it just wasn’t to be on the day. They were better than us on the day and deserved it but now it is up to us to get back to the way we know we can play football and get the results that we need.”

For much of the opening hour on Saturday, Town loooked like a team going through the motions, just waiting for the play-offs and a final at Wembley to come around.

Injury-decimated Scunthorpe buzzed around them, shading possession yet being unable to break through as Town, to their credit, held their shape.

Manager Alan Knill had brought back striker Bobby Grant from loan at previous club Accrington Stanley just 48 hours earlier and he struck the woodwork twice in different circumstances.

The first came after Ian Bennett, who saved two penalties at Glanford Park in the earlier meeting and was in for head-wound victim Alex Smithies, produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Robbie Gibbons.

The Town goalkeeper was beaten, however, in the 27th minute when Grant curled a free-kick beyond the four-man wall only to see it rebound off the far post.

A goal would have punished Town for not taking an earlier chance when Gary Roberts took a return pass from Novak into the area but produced a weak finish straight at goalkeeper Sam Slocombe.

Scunthorpe’s plan to retain possession and deny service to the Town frontmen had worked a treat in the opening half but Arfield slipped Rhodes through on the hour mark only for the Scotland international to spoon his one opportunity off target.

Roberts was then caught in possession helping out at the back and Grant slipped in Jimmy Ryan to strike against the outside of the post.

The troublesome Grant should have claimed the points for The Iron in the 78th minute when Bennett did well to parry a rasping shot from Gibbons but the ball fell for the unmarked Grant, who shamefully smashed it against the bar and saw it fly dead.

Cue Town’s response which left Scunthorpe centre-back Paul Reid feeling he should have handed his protective facial mask to Novak for his burglary act.

Roberts, in central midfield, knocked a glorious ball through, Reid, who had broken his nose three times in Scunthorpe’s cause this season, slipped and Novak took advantage to race down the middle and smash home a shot which went in off Slocombe.

It ensured a play-off against MK Dons – yet who gains home advantage in the vital second leg of the semi-final for finishing fourth remains up for grabs.

Manager Simon Grayson is relaxed over where his new charges finish. “People keep asking me if it is important to finish above MK but to me it makes no difference,” said Grayson, who has taken Blackpool up via the same route.

“First and foremost, we wanted to be in the play-offs. Ideally, yes you want to have momentum but there are teams who have stumbled into the play-offs and gone and got promoted. There is no right way or wrong way how you get there. It is two lottery games before a one-game lottery.”

Grayson admitted it was important to restore confidence and said: “One or two have realised that in the last couple of weeks they have not played as well as they could do. We have let them know about that and, hopefully, this could be the springboard to promotion now.”

Regarding their recent jaded displays, he added: “We have been looking at many factors. It’s been a long season physically and mentally. The mental side of it is has been trying to keep that unbeaten run going all the time; physically, they had not too much time off in the summer. We have tried to rest them up, get the right balance and you could sense today that they were getting that little bit of spark back.”