Huddersfield Town 1 Leeds United 0

Last updated : 16 April 2008 By Footymad Previewer

Andy Holdsworth headed the only goal of the game as Huddersfield gained some revenge for their 4-0 drubbing at Elland Road earlier in the season.

With both sides reduced to ten men after first-half red cards for Jonathon Douglas and Jon Worthington, Town had much the better of the second half and possibly deserved the win in front of a season's best crowd of 16,413 at the Galpharm.

The good news for Leeds on the night was that play-off rivals Walsall also lost to Bristol Rovers.

Leeds suffered a blow before kick-off when Jermaine Beckford failed a fitness test, so Tresor Kandol started up front alongside Dougie Freedman.

The big striker quickly showed his power in the air but the visitors failed to create many openings whilst Andy Booth appealed in vain for a penalty when he claimed Paul Huntington had pulled him back in the penalty box. Chris Brandon also made an appeal against the same player just before the break.

After Robbie Williams went close for Huddersfield, Douglas was booked for a foul on Michael Collins in the 32nd minute and six minutes later the Leeds captain appeared to trip Worthington and was given a second caution.

But the home side found themselves reduced to ten men also when Worthington challenged Casper Ankergren for a ball.

Lubo Michalik reacted and when the pair squared up to each other, referee Paul Taylor showed the Leeds defender yellow and the Terriers' midfielder red, having already booked him for a foul on Jonny Howson earlier.

The Whites had their opportunities, but Brad Johnson (12 mins), Neil Kilkenny (24) and David Prutton (88) were wasteful with free-kicks from useful positions while Freedman curled an eighth-minute shot just over, and Howson (33rd minute) and Paul Huntington (84th) both had shots deflected for corners.

Johnson also miscued a 63rd-minute cross when Kandol was in space after Richardson's testing 50th-minute centre was cleared by Nathan Clarke.

In the second half, veteran Booth went close, while Collins' fierce effort slammed against the bar.

Holdsworth got the winner after 76 minutes when his header cracked against the woodwork and went in, after good work by substitute Joe Skarz.

Minutes later, Skarz himself could have made it two but his shot finished on the roof of the net. Then Freedman went agonisingly close in five minutes of added time.