Timid Huddersfield Town make progress but it could have been much better against QPR

After a day in which the teams hunting Huddersfield Town down queued up to drop points, the Terriers seemed to lack the belief to take a firm grip of the opportunity presented to them.

A 2-2 draw was hardly cause for despair but what was more concerning was a trait we have seen in the Terriers before - a reluctance to push themselves and take total control of games. It cost them against a Queens Park Rangers team who could argue with some justification they were the more worthy winners of a game which only really caught fire in the second half.

But the biggest blemish was an object - it looked like a golf ball - thrown onto the field after 79 minutes.

Considering what good support the home fans gave their team in the first half in particular, it would be a pity if there were to be any serious repurcussions for that. Coach Carlos Corberan, though, will have to concentrate in conjuring more courage from his team.

Ten minutes in, everything was going so well for the Terriers - perhaps a little too well.

Luton Town had beaten Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers and Millwall had all dropped points.

With the sun out and the home fans in good voice, they were given something to sing about after just seven minutes. Jonathan Hogg, whose son JJ was one of the mascots, ran in front of the near post and glanced Danel Sinani's corner beyond the far post. At least that is where it would have gone had Yoann Barbet not made such a Horlicks of his clearance, slicing the ball into the net.

From there the game slumped into a bit of a stupor with little action at either end. As time went on, though, QPR began to have the better of it.

Sam Field controlled the ball nicely only to volley over and headed a free-kick over after Sinani got on the wrong side of Sam McCallum as he attempted a tackle.

In between time Danny Ward produced a poor shot after being fed in by Harry Toffolo and his stirker partner in a 4-4-2, Sorba Thomas curled a much more dangerous one, but it went wide all the same.

Still, an equaliser felt more likely than a second Terriers goal and so it proved, Huddersfield unable to cut out McCallum's low cross and Luke Amos arriving onto it to tap in.

Corberan changed things at the interval, Duane Holmes coming on for Danny Ward and Hogg dropping into a back three as the Terriers went 3-5-1-1.

It quickly brought dividends, Toffolo heading his team back in front with their first effort on target after 54 minutes.

Some patient build-up play saw the ball worked out to Ollie Turton, who produced an excellent cross to his now fellow wing-back. Toffolo, though, seemed to think he was a No 9, judging by the quality of his header.

Minutes later it could have been 3-1, Jon Russell winning a header at the back of the box, Jimmy Dunne inadvertently flicking on and McCallum forced to clear off the line.

But once more, they took their foot off the Rs' throat.

Almost immediately the dangerous Ilias Chair volleyed an equaliser after Turton could only head a cross to him.

And from 2-2, at least until the final kitchen-sink-throwing minutes, Mark Warburton's side looked the more likely, Levi Colwill only able to touch Chair's ball from the left through, though perhaps he did enough to make it too difficult fir George Thomas at the back pst.

Luke Amos put a free header from another CHair header wide and although Huddersfield threw everything at it in stoppage time, it was out of keeping with the timidty that went before.

Progress was made but it could have been even better.

Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Turton (Pipa 90), Colwill, Lees, Toffolo; Sinani, Russell, Hogg; O'Brien; Thomas, Ward (Holmes 46).

Unused substitutes: Blackman, Anjorin, Rhodes, Koroma, Sarr.

Queens Park Rangers: Westwood; Odubajo, Dunne, Barbet, McCallum; Field, Dozzell; Amos (Adomah 85), Chair; Thomas (Austin 83); Dykes (Gray 83).

Unused substitutes: Johansen, Ball, Sanderson, Mahoney.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancashire).