Nico Vaesen produced a master-class in the art of goalkeeping to keep battling
Bolton at bay and help Huddersfield take the glory in a thrilling five goal
encounter at the McAlpine Stadium.
The Town keeper pulled off a string of stunning second half saves as Bolton
poured forward in search of a dramatic equaliser.
Dean Holdsworth fired the visitors ahead on 19 minutes but Marcus Stewart
levelled for Town with a poachers' goal 15 minutes later.
Midfielder Grant Johnson's stunning volley gave the Terriers an interval lead
and set the stage for a pulsating second half, in which the home side went 3-1
up through home debutante Craig Armstrong virtually straight from the kick-off.
Michael Johansen's instinctive finish lit Bolton's fuse and sparked wave upon
wave of pressure from the visitors, but no matter how hard they tried they just
could not find a way past superman Vaesen.
Bolton had the better of a tentative first 15 minutes with Holdsworth heading
just over and strike partner Bob Taylor scooping a shot over the bar.
Huddersfield struggled to find their feet and cope with Bolton's superior
passing movements and went behind after a moment of class from Holdsworth.
The former Wimbledon man picked the ball up on the left hand side of the
18-yard box and skirted around the area, and numerous Town defenders, before
unleashing a clinical right foot drive past Vaesen for his 11th goal of the
season.
Town were nearly in double trouble a minute later but Vaesen produced a superb
reflex save to deny Taylor heading Bolton into a 2-0 lead.
The home side struggled to get any change out of the solid central defensive
partnership of Mark Fish, back from international duty, and utility man Robbie
Elliott, but Stewart's sheer endeavour provided the key.
Town's leading scorer chased a lost cause and won on a corner on 35 minutes.
With the wind playing havoc with aerial balls, Ben Thornley whipped in a
swirling free kick and Stewart coolly controlled Wayne Allison's flick-on before
swivelling on a sixpence to slot in his 21st goal of the season.
Five minutes before the interval Peter Jackson's men showed why they have only
lost once in 17 games at the McAlpine by rocking Bolton on their heels and
taking the lead.
Stewart and Allison once again linked up well to set up Johnson, who neatly
controlled the ball and blasted a left foot volley past Jussi Jaaskelainen via
the inside of the post from 20 yards.
The Terriers came out for the second half with their tails up and went 3-1
ahead thanks to a glorious strike from Armstrong.
The central defender, signed from Nottingham Forest last Friday, paid back a
slice of his £750,000 fee when he collected the ball from a corner and hammered
a left foot shot home from just inside the box.
But Town's boisterous band was silenced five minutes later when the visitors
pulled one back.
Scott Sellars' corner was partially cleared by the Town defence but Johansen
exploited their hesitancy to fire a first time shot home in style.
Wanderers powered forward in search of an equaliser and peppered the Town goal
in an action-packed final half hour.
Skipper Sellars dragged a shot inches wide, Claus Jensen hit the post with a
thundering drive and Taylor should have done better with a free header in front
of goal.
Vaesen was the Town hero once again when he bravely blocked Holdsworth's
effort in a one-on-one then picked himself up a minute later to brilliantly
block Taylor's close range, goal-bound effort.
Bolton's pressure was relentless and boss Colin Todd threw on Bo Hansen with
10 minutes to go as a final throw of the dice.
But Town held on for their 10th home win of the season, with Thornley hitting
the post late on, to the delight of the partisan 13,867 crowd.
Teams
Huddersfield: Vaesen, Phillips, Cowan (Edmondson 68),
Johnson (Facey 81), Armstrong, Gray, Beech, Hamilton, Stewart,Allison, Thornley.
Subs Not Used: Baldry.
Booked: Cowan, Gray.
Goals: Stewart 36, Johnson 41, Armstrong 46.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Cox, Whitlow, Frandsen, Elliott, Fish,
Johansen, Jensen, Holdsworth, Taylor (Hansen 78), Sellars.
Subs Not Used: Gardner, Todd.
Goals: Holdsworth 19, Johansen 50.
Att: 13,867
Ref: S Baines (Chesterfield).
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