Smithies is planning a survival celebration this time

Two hours of largely non-descript football as the two League One play-off final combatants cancelled each other out was nothing to write home about. But the penalty shoot-out that followed more than made up for that in the drama stakes.

Six of the first eight spot-kicks were missed – something the national stadium had never seen before. Nor, as the drama continued to unfold, had it staged a shoot-out getting round to the two goalkeepers having a go from 12 yards.

Smithies, of course, held his nerve before Sheffield United counterpart Steve Simonsen blazed over to signal the end of Huddersfield’s 11-year exile from the second tier.

A little under a year on from those scenes of wild celebration among those at Wembley clad in blue and white, Town’s players and fans are hoping to stage another party as they take on Barnsley on the final day of a crazy season in the Championship. A point will be enough to keep the Terriers up and Smithies, in his 15th year with the club, knows exactly what is at stake.

“Hudddersfield Town need to stay in this division,” said the 23-year-old ahead of a contest that, if won by third-bottom Barnsley, will see David Flitcroft’s men leapfrog their hosts in the table.

“The chairman (Dean Hoyle) has put a lot of money into the club, both in investment on players and all the development work going on at the training ground.

“I’ve been here since I was seven or eight years old so know just how much hard work has gone in and how far Huddersfield Town have come. It is our job to make sure we stay there.

“The big plus for us is it doesn’t matter what happens elsewhere. Our fate is in our own hands. We win and that is that. We will be safe. It is ‘do-able’ and that is what we are aiming to do.”

In any other season, Huddersfield would be safe right now. A year ago, for instance, the 57 points Town have collected this term would have been enough to finish 17th. Two years earlier, it would have guaranteed 13th place.

The reason why the Terriers are still in danger of the drop with five more points than any other team has been relegated from the second tier with in the past is down to the terrific form of the sides at the bottom.

Since the turn of the year, Barnsley have the fifth best record in the division with 33 points from 20 games. Peterborough have claimed a point less, while Sheffield Wednesday have 30.

Huddersfield have collected 25 in the same period – the 17th highest in the Championship – but it is their form in the last few weeks that has given hope to supporters and players alike going into the final day.

“Three wins from our last four games is a decent record,” said Smithies. “It shows we have finished in style and that can only give us confidence and belief.

“We showed that last week (when winning 3-1 at Bristol City), as we went to a team feeling down in the dumps and got the result we wanted.”

On the unpredictable nature of Huddersfield’s first season at this level since 2001-01, Smithies added: “The season has been unbelievable. Who would have thought you’d need so many points to stay up?

“I can’t imagine any team will have gone into the last day of a season knowing that they could finish 12th or 22nd. But that is our position now. It just shows how mad this division has been.

“We have done well to pick up a couple of wins lately. The table shows that we needed them.

“People all over the country are talking about how bizarre it is. From our point of view, it is strange to find yourself in a situation like this, but the big thing is safety is in our own hands.

“A draw will be enough. Obviously, we are going into it trying to win. But even if the result does not go for us then there is a chance we would stay up. We are really confident of getting the job done ourselves.

“We could have been safe last week but, unfortunately, the other results went against us. The big thing, though, is we have a great chance this weekend to do the job.

“Out of the teams who can go down, we must be one of the favourites to stay up. We are really confident that we can get the result we need and get the job done.”

With 110 League One appearances to his name, Smithies recognises just how hard Town fought to escape the third tier.

One of three play-off disappointments that preceded last May’s Wembley triumph over Sheffield United came against today’s visitors in 2006.

After finishing fourth, Peter Jackson’s Terriers were the overwhelming favourites to reach the final after triumphing 1-0 at Oakwell in the first leg only to crash to a 3-2 aggregate defeat.

Smithies, 16 at the time and about to become a first-year professional, recalls: “I played for the Academy and came to as many first-team games as I could, whether we were in the Championship, League One or the bottom division.

“So, I was at the play-off games. Andy Ritchie was the Barnsley manager then, and he obviously came here. It was such a disappointing night, as everyone was confident after the first leg.

“The atmosphere was great that night and I’d expect it to be similar this time. I reckon the ground will be packed for such an important game.”

With more than 20,000 tickets sold, Town are set to be watched by their biggest crowd of the season at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Providing the point needed to guarantee safety is claimed, Huddersfield will be able to reflect happily on an eventful first season back in the Championship that saw manager Simon Grayson, who took them up, replaced by Mark Robins amid a worrying slide down the table.

Smithies said: “After coming up from League One, we knew there would be no respite in the Championship, and that it would be a massive challenge.

“We actually started the season well, but maybe then a bit of complacency set in. We got punished as a result, but we then turned it around and have got ourselves in a pretty good position.

“Depending on the results this weekend, we might finish 12th or we might go down. That shows how tough the division has been.”

On today’s game, Smithies added: “I don’t suffer from nerves. I am more excited, to be honest. After how the results didn’t quite go for us last weekend, I couldn’t wait for the Barnsley game to come round. Everyone is the same.”

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