Huddersfield Town 4 Brentford 4: Old Trafford victory would end Ward’s play-off agony

The 19-year-old scored his first Galpharm goals in Huddersfield colours to lay down a marker for inclusion in Lee Clark’s play-off plans before speaking about last season’s disappointment on loan with Swindon.

Ward was part of a three-pronged attack which took the Wiltshire side to the League One final where they lost out to Millwall, who, like Huddersfield this time, had finished third in the regular season.

“I was unbelievably gutted to lose at Wembley, for us to have gone all that way and lose was really disappointing but, hopefully, I can make that right second time around and get Town promoted,” said Ward, who has made two Premier League appearances with parent club Bolton.

The winger, who scored against Town for Swindon last season, has proved an ideal replacement for Anthony Pilkington, who suffered a dislocated left ankle as well as a break to the fibula bone above his ankle in March.

“I have seen a lot of Pilks and he’s a fantastic player and what happened to him was so unfortunate but, hopefully, I can fill his boots and get Huddersfield up,” added Ward, who was responsible for Town’s other two goals and who was denied a hat-trick by a great save in stoppage time.

Manager Lee Clark enthused: “Danny was outstanding, fantastic and could have had five or six. He was the biggest threat all day coming in off the line and he showed at Brighton last week that he has a hammer of a left foot.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing him and Pilkington in the same team but talk of having him next season is a long way away. I would say that Owen Coyle is a very good manager and he sees talent so whether Danny might be ready for Bolton I don’t know but I shall certainly be asking the question because he is a player I would love full time here at Huddersfield.”

With Town stretching their record unbeaten run to 25 games, Clark was prepared to gloss over this dreadful defensive performance ahead of the play-off semi-final first leg at Bournemouth on Saturday.

What it did teach him, however, was the importance of Kevin Kilbane to the side, his late introduction in front of the back four bringing some stability to the side.

Kilbane has been called up for the Republic of Ireland’s friendlies against Northern Ireland and Scotland this month and the Euro qualifier against Macedonia on June 4 but Clark says that will not prevent him featuring in the play-offs. “He’s got an agreement about friendlies – when you’ve got about three million caps (109 actually) you don’t need to play in friendlies,” said Clark.

“I would have preferred to have got young Hatib Cham (Academy striker, 17) on as he is an exciting prospect but it wasn’t a game for him today.

“Kevin showed how important he is. He’s one of those who you don’t realise how important he is until he’s not there. It was a good thing for me because it made me realise that. I’d done it for two reasons – to see how we could play without him but also to give his legs a little rest because he’s 34 and has never missed a minute’s training.

“Today and the Notts County game when he travelled back from duty with Ireland are the only games he hasn’t started. So I just wanted to give him a breather. But it was plain as black and white just how important he is to the team.”

Of the play-offs, Clark said he had no preference over which team he would prefer to face, adding: “We are hopeful, confident but not complacent.”

They certainly know now that there is no way they will get through to the Old Trafford final on May 29 without sticking to the high tempo which was missing against Brentford. This was a game when both defences failed to turn up so goalkeepers Simon Moore and Ian Bennett can be partially absolved for their blunders – without their saves the scoreline could easily have been doubled.

Ward struck first in the 14th minute, intercepting on halfway and bursting down the middle before cracking home Town’s 100th goal of the season.

Two minutes later, the Brentford defence backed off and Ward let fly again, Moore parrying the ball into the net.

Brentford attacked with gusto and grabbed a lifeline in stoppage time, Peter Clarke stretching for a through ball but only diverting it for Jeff Schlupp to score in off the far post.

Schlupp got his second soon after the break after being sent in by Myles Weston but substitute striker Lee Novak fired Town back in front after another attempt from Ward had been beaten away.

A cross from Sammy Saunders skimmed Town’s bar but it was a momentary reprieve as Bennett made a hash of clearing a back pass, leaving Lewis Grabban an open goal.

Ward switched flanks to the left and whipped in a cross for Benik Afobe to tap home and make it 4-3 but Grabban struck again as Brentford worked the ball across from the right.

It was not until Kilbane was introduced that Town stabilised, the Irishman going close with a header which was cleared off the line before Ward was denied his hat-trick by Moore’s great save.

[email protected]