Battling Sheffield Wednesday held on for a point in their quest for First
Division survival despite the dismissal of second-half substitute Gerald Sibon.
The Dutch striker was booked in the 74th minute for fouling Huddersfield defender
Thomas Heary on the halfway line and then just 60 seconds later Sibon up-ended
on-loan striker Peter Ndlovu right in front of Blackpool referee Mark Cowburn
who did not hesitate in issuing Sibon with his marching orders.
Sibon had been on the field for only 12 minutes and the sending-off was his
only telling contribution to the game.
The game began in a lacklustre fashion and seemed more like a pre-season
friendly than a tough Yorkshire derby between two relegation-haunted sides.
Huddersfield had the better of the few chances created in the first half with
Delroy Facey forcing keeper Kevin Pressman into a save from a left-foot
piledriver on 23 minutes.
Thirteen minutes later Simon Baldry fired in another 20-yard effort which
Pressman did well to beat out.
At the other end Ashley Westwood went close on 33 minutes with a far post
header which flashed inches wide of Nico Vaesen's left hand post from an Ian
Hendon cross.
The pattern continued in the second period with Huddersfield on top.
Defender Jon Dyson, making his 200th appearance for Town, ran from deep to
head just over Pressman's bar.
And Ndlovu struck a 20-yard drive which skidded past Pressman's left-hand
upright after a jinking run past two defenders nine minutes later.
Earlier, Efan Ekoku just failed to connect with a dangerous ball from Owen
Morrison across the face of the six-yard area which the grateful Vaesen
collected.
In the closing stages Huddersfield laid siege to Wednesday's goal but, despite
being a man short, the defence, well marshalled by former England international
Des Walker, held firm.
Wednesday clung on to a point and registered their first clean sheet in 14
games. The quality of their defensive play under pressure will give boss Paul
Jewell renewed confidence as he tries to save the club from the drop.
Teams
Huddersfield: Vaesen, Heary, Lucketti, Dyson, Vincent, Baldry,
Holland, Moses, Ndlovu, Facey, Gallen (Thornley 86).
Subs Not Used: Margetson, Irons, Gray, Gorre.
Booked: Holland, Heary.
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Westwood (Lescott 45), Walker, Blatsis,
Haslam, Hamshaw (Sibon 62), Quinn, Hendon, Harkness,
Morrison (O'Donnell 76), Ekoku.
Subs Not Used: Bromby, Stringer.
Sent Off: Sibon (75).
Booked: Westwood, Sibon.
Att: 18,931
Ref: M Cowburn (Blackpool).
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