Huddersfield Town 5 Yeovil Town 1: Virtuoso performance from lightning-quick Ward boosts Terriers

Huddersfield boss Mark Robins has backed striker Martin Paterson to keep scoring after watching his side thump Yeovil 5-1.
Danny Ward celebrates his goal.Danny Ward celebrates his goal.
Danny Ward celebrates his goal.

Northern Ireland striker Paterson made it two goals in two games, having scored only once since a summer move from Burnley.

After scoring against Derby on Boxing Day, Paterson revealed he had started wearing his lucky green Northern Ireland boots, with the names of his three children on them.

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Paterson returns to Turf Moor on New Year’s Day and Robins said: “Lucky boots? My message to Martin is to keep wearing them.

“Sometimes it takes time to settle into a new club for whatever reason.

“I know he can score goals and I never lost my faith in him. He is looking forward to going back to Burnley.”

Paterson’s performance, however, was overshadowed by that of pacy winger Danny Ward who scored two second-half goals and set up two others.

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Robins revealed that Ward pulled up with a hamstring problem after 20 minutes and he thought he might have to come off. “Danny was brilliant and that should have done his confidence the world of good,” said Robins, who substituted Ward straight after his second goal and Huddersfield’s fifth.

“But he had a tight hamstring from 20 minutes and that’s a worrying concern for Danny because he is so quick.

“But then I saw him run at lightning pace and I knew he was all right.”

On the victory, which puts Town within four points of the play-off positions, Robins said: “We scored five but I think we were good value for more. We have a healthy points tally but our first target has to be 54 points, then we can see where we are.”

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Yeovil went ahead in the 14th minute when Ishmael Miller forced the ball past Alex Smithies from close range.

The lead only lasted nine minutes as Ward got to the byline and whipped in a cross for Adam Clayton to slide home.

Ward then delivered a cross for Paterson to fire home unmarked.

Two minutes before the break Joel Lynch’s bullet header from Adam Hammill’s corner sealed it.

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Ward completed the rout with two goals in three minutes midway through the second half.

Both times he took passes from Oliver Norwood and smashed home unstoppable drives.

Huddersfield Town: Smithies, Smith, Wallace, Lynch, Hammill, Hogg, Norwood (Holmes 78), Clayton, Dixon, Ward (Scannell 69), Paterson (Stead 71). Unused substitutes: Woods, Gobern, Bennett, Gerrard.

Yeovil Town: Stech (Dunn 46), Dawson, Ayling, Fontaine, McAllister (Hoskins 69), Grant, Upson (Ralls 25), Edwards, Davis, Hayter, Miller. Unused substitutes: Foley, Moore, Lundstram, Morgan.

Referee: K Hill (Hertfordshire).

Man of the match: Danny Ward.