Huddersfield Town 4 Walsall 3: Terriers survive fright to pull clear of play-off rivals

The man with the microphone at the Galpharm Stadium certainly needs to think before he speaks in future.

As Walsall's 10 men walked down the tunnel for the start of the second half, they were listening to claims that the game was already 'in the bag' from the ardent Huddersfield Town fan.

Fatal last words.

Although Town secured a dramatic victory in stoppage time, they were still given the fright of their lives by a Walsall side that had been reduced to 10 men early on.

In the end, it took late, late goals from Antony Kay and Lee Novak to dig the Terriers out of a hole which could easily have been so costly in terms of play-off qualication.

Chairman Dean Hoyle thinks the quality of the football now being played by Town is the best in 20 years.

But manager Lee Clark will have been far from happy with the way his side pressed the self-destruct button after racing into a 2-0 interval lead.

Ahead courtesy of a Theo Robinson penalty and Jordan Rhodes's 22nd goal of the season, Town went to pieces before finally snatching victory from a the jaws of defeat.

A mix-up between goalkeeper Alex Smithies and defender Peter Clarke sparked the Walsall revival and allowed Troy Deeney to score with a simple tap-in.

Clarke had been looking to shepherd the ball back to Smithies under pressure from the Walsall striker.

Smithies, however, opted to try and kick the ball clear and it struck Deeney before rolling towards the line.

Deeney levelled for the Saddlers, just six minutes later, hitting a half-volley over the goalkeeper's shoulder from just inside the box.

Smithies tipped a Richard Taundry free-kick over the bar before substitute Alex Nicholls made it 3-2 and stunned the home crowd seven minutes from time.

Some supporters were already heading for the exits when Antony Kay equalised in the 90th minute. Thousands were soon in dreamland when substitute Novak scored the winner deep into added time.

With seventh-placed Colchester United losing at Charlton Athletic, the victory lifts sixth placed Town three points clear of the chasing pack ahead of another crucial home game with third-placed Millwall on Friday night.

Town manager Clark made two changes to the side beaten by Brentford at the weekend.

Fit again winger Anthony Pilkington replaced James Berrett while Kay, back after suspension, replaced Michael Collins in the centre of midfield. Striker Novak was also back on the bench after a five-match injury absence.

Town's first opportunity fell to Gary Roberts on 12 minutes but the winger's 25-yard drive fizzed narrowly wide

It sparked a period of intense pressure by the Terriers in which Roberts was denied again at the far post and Walsall goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin dashed off his line to make a vital block at the feet of Robinson.

The Saddlers' resistance was finally broken from the penalty spot and, to add insult to injury, captain Mark Hughes was sent off for the foul on striker Rhodes.

It was the second time in four games that Hughes had seen red but, once Rhodes had checked inside as the pair chased a through ball, it was virtually impossible for the former Everton defender Hughes to do anything else.

Referee David Webb ruled that Hughes had pushed Rhodes in the back and Robinson duly scored his fifth goal in six games.

With Walsall a man down, manager Chris Hutchings had to remove winger Steve Jones and send on replacement centre-half Clayton McDonald.

Town kept up the pressure and created a string of further goalscoring opportunities before the break.

A Rhodes header flew narrowly over the bar, a Roberts drive was inches too high, and an attempted clearance hit Robinson before landing marginally the wrong side of the post.

Walsall's season was already over before last night's game and the departure of Hughes left them with a mountain to climb.

It was no surprise when Rhodes bagged Town's second in first-half stoppage time – prompting the unwise words from the man with the microphone.

If goal difference is needed to decide who finishes sixth in this season's table, this could have been a golden opportunity to pull clear of Colchester.

Fortunately for Town, all's well that ends well. But surely no-one will take anything else for granted between now and the end of the season.

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Huddersfield Town: Smithies; T.Clarke, Heffernan, Trotman, P.Clarke; Pilkington, Drinkwater, Kay, Roberts; Robinson, Rhodes (Novak 77). Unused substitutes: Eastwood, N.Clarke, Pearce, Berrett, Williams, Eccleston.

Walsall: Gilmartin; Westlake, Hughes, Smith, Vincent; Jones (McDonald 22), Mattis (Bradley 80), Taundry, Gray; Byfield (Nicholls 45), Deeney. Unused substitutes: Ince, Parkin, O'Keefe, Richards.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham)