TOWN’S PURSUIT OF CHAMPIONSHIP TOP TWO REMAINS ON COURSE

Izzy Brown Much more of a threat on the ball than the player he replaced, Jack Payne - Aaron Mooy Came on and brought more stability to the middle of the field - Martin Cranie Didn’t have enough time to make an impact - A DEFLECTED first-half Rajiv van La Parra strike was enough for Huddersfield Town to seal victory over Brentford and pile on the pressure at the top of the SkyBet Championship.

The 1-0 win at Griffin Park was a sixth away victory for David Wagner’s side in the last nine away encounters, as well as a second successive clean sheet.

The margins of error may have been fortuitous – Brentford’s Lasse Vibe culpable of wastefulness in front of goal with two gilt-edged chances – but it’s a combination of hard work and endeavour mixed with a bit of luck which will may leave fans feeling that their side may be destined for promotion.

David Wagner once again shuffled his pack for the trip to the capital, making four changes to the starting line-up which beat Aston Villa on Tuesday evening – keeper Danny Ward returning in goal after injury; Aaron Mooy rested for in-form Philip Billing; Jack Payne replacing Izzy Brown and Nahki Wells coming in for Collin Quaner.

With Brighton & Hove Albion beating Derby County so comprehensively on Friday night to extend their stranglehold on second place to nine points from Town, this West London encounter really did have the feel of a ‘must-win’ if Wagner’s men were to hold any aspirations of gaining promotion from the Championship automatically.

With encounters between the sides usually averaging five goals per game, the hosts started the brightest with their own brand of high-intensity pressing forcing an early mistake from Billing - his stray pass finding Brentford’s Jota who forced a good save from Danny Ward from 20 yards out.

Town started to get in a rhythm though, with Jack Payne having the first shot for the side in the 11th minute, forcing Bees keeper Daniel Bentley into a fingertip save after a low Tommy Smith cross.

As both sides appeared to cancel each other out with a similar 4-2-3-1 formation and gameplan, it took a fortuitous 28th-minute goal to separate them.

Rajiv van La Parra, much derided for too often lacking an end-product, cut in from the left with his curling shot palmed away by Bentley but ricocheting off a defender into the net.