Neil Warnock's pleasure outweighs disappointment as Huddersfield Town claim 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers

The Terriers led Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at half-time by taking the chances that came their way against the run of play.

But after Joe Rankin-Costello scored around 73 seconds into the second half the play-off chasers bombarded the home goal.

When Tyler Morton hit a post with 11 minutes to go and Tomas Vaclik pulled off a string of saves, it looked as though Town might get a fourth consecutive victory.

But when the goalkeeper got down to Rankin-Costello’s stoppage-time header, substitute Ryan Hedges was able to convert the rebound for a 2-2 draw.

“I thought it was a cracking game in difficult conditions and they're a good side, aren't they?” reflected veteran manager Warnock. “We've played five good sides in the last five game and got 11 points. We've got to be delighted.

“We're disappointed we didn't win it because of the timing of the (equalising) goal but if we'd have known they were going to score in the first minute of the second half, we'd say we’d have done well to hang on.

“We defended really well, put bodies on the line and tackles. I don't think I can get any more effort out of the group of players than I've got here. They're all genuine kids.

“We can't be wide open or we'll get beaten like we did against Coventry and Burnley but they've taken it on board.”

And although he was well protected by his defenders, Vaclik still had enough to do to win the sponsors' man-of-the-match award.

“He might even be disappointed with the goal that he didn't push it away but he made some great saves,” said Warnock.

“I always say you get your points from your goalies – they win you a game and lose you a game – and he got us a good point there.”

But Warnock was also pleased with how well his side took their goals, though he felt they should have had more.

Defender Matty Pearson is their joint top-scorer in the league after four goals in his last three games took him to five and after 41 games without, Jack Rudoni has scored in consecutive games.

“What do you say about Matty Pearson? He's clinical at the minute,” said Warnock.

“Jack's run was fabulous. He'll score goals, Jack, I've no doubts whatsoever.

“These young managers look at the stats but I know he covers every blade of grass, that will do for me.

“I think if we'd have had their players with the breakaways we had (at 2-0), they would have scored three or four. We just made some the wrong decisions and the simplest of passes to put people through went astray, it bamboozled me.”

The win took Town to 43 points.

“We've got to get another... I don't know, five, seven points from the last five games,” said Warnock.

Opposite number Jon Dahl Tomasson was disappointed to drop two points, but gracious about it.

“The goals we gave away were soft goals,” said the former striker.

“Sometimes it's an opponent doing good things. Huddersfield have had some great results.”