Terriers bite back in the Nak of time

HUDDERSFIELD turned the form book upside down to climb off the foot of the table.

Millwall arrived at the John Smith’s Stadium looking for a fifth straight win – but were undone by Yuta Nakayama’s ninthminute goal which was either a wonder-strike or outrageous fluke.

If Nakayama meant to find the net when he let fly from 30 yards out, it was a Goal of the Season contender.

The way the Japanese ace reacted, however, throwing his hands up in the air more in surprise than ecstasy, suggested it was a happy accident.

“I don’t know if Yuka meant it but my players put in a great shift,” said head coach Mark Fotheringham.

“We should have scored a few more but the work ethic they are showing has given us a great platform.”

But for Millwall keeper George Long, the hosts would have been out of sight at half-time.

He pulled off two fine saves in the space of three minutes to deny Etienne Camara and Jack Rudoni before flinging himself to his right to beat away a Duane Holmes effort.

And four minutes before the interval, Sorba Thomas headed against the upright as Huddersfield pushed for a second goal.

Having been virtually redundant for 81 minutes, Terriers keeper Lee Nicholls denied Tyler Burey a late equaliser with a pointblank save.

“Their goal looked like a cross but it gave them something to hang on to,” said Millwall boss Gary Rowett.

“They won a few more battles and had a bit more zip than us.”

HUDDERSFIELD: Nicholls 6; Turton 6 (Holmes (31) 7), Lees 7, Helik 6, Nakayama 7; Camara 7, Kasumu 7

(Boyle (88) 5); Thomas 7, Rudoni 8, Jackson 6; Ward 6 (Rhodes (69) 6) MILLWALL: Long 7; McNamara 6 (Honeyman (76) 6), Cresswell 6, Cooper 5, Malone 4 (Burey (59) 5); Mitchell 5 (Evans (83) 4), Shackleton 4; Styles 5, Flemming 6, Voglsammer 5 (Bennett (76) 5); Bradshaw 5 (Afobe (59) 6)

STAR MAN: Jack Rudoni – Lung-busting energy from first minute to last from the Terriers’ youngster.

REF: Stephen Martin 6