MK Dons 1 Huddersfield Town 3: Clark puts penalty takers on spot in bid for perfection

Goals from Scott Arfield, Lee Peltier and substitute Danny Cadamarteri sealed a seventh win in nine for the in-form Terriers, while Mathias Doumbe netted a late consolation goal for the Dons.

The result extended Town’s unbeaten league run to 22 games and moved them three points clear of third-placed Southampton, who have two games in hand.

But Clark still wasn’t entirely happy as Huddersfield’s spot-kick woes continued after Arfield’s 63rd-minute penalty was saved by David Martin.

“The lads are having a little moan that I’m never happy but I’m always striving for perfection,” he said. “I thought they were the better side for the first 25 minutes and caused us lots of problems with their movement.

“But then we scored from a fantastic move and a great strike and we kicked on from there.

“I just wish I had someone who could score penalties.

“I never criticise anybody, I give it to the lads who feel comfortable doing it.

“But it’s so easy when we’re practising at the training ground – it’s completely different to a match day scenario.

“But we do have to try and sort it because we’ve had three or four opportunities now and that can just kill the game for you. It’s a terrific result but we’ve got three tough games left.”

Ian Bennett twice saved well from Dons forward Daniel Powell before Arfield put Huddersfield ahead from their first meaningful attack midway through the first half.

Arfield collected Gary Roberts’s square pass and blasted a 20-yard drive into the corner of the net past Martin to round off a swift counter-attack.

Peter Leven blew a golden opportunity to equalise for the Dons six minutes later when his low penalty was saved at full-stretch by Bennett after Peter Clarke had tripped Powell in the box.

And Peltier made him pay by heading home Roberts’s corner from close range to double the Terriers’ lead in the 35th minute.

Bennett then produced good saves to keep out Sam Baldock’s looping header, Angelo Balanta’s curling shot and Powell’s low drive as the Dons battled back.

But Huddersfield rode the storm and Arfield’s spot-kick was well-saved by Martin after Gary MacKenzie had scythed down Benik Afobe. Cadamarteri made it 3-0 six minutes later when he glanced a header into the top corner from Roberts’s pacey free-kick, before Doumbe headed in Leven’s corner at the death.

MK Dons: Martin, Doumbe, MacKenzie, O’Hanlon (Clayton 74), Lewington, Gleeson, Leven, Powell, Chadwick (Marsh-Brown 63), Balanta (Ibehre 71), Baldock. Unused substitutes: Searle, Vine, Chicksen, Flanagan.

Huddersfield: Bennett, Peltier (Cadamarteri 46), McCombe, Clarke, Naysmith, Kilbane, Hunt, Arfield, Gudjonsson, Roberts (Kay 90), Afobe (Novak 76). Unused substitutes: Colgan, Ward, Rhodes, Lee.

Referee: R East (Wiltshere).