Port Vale: Terriers in a different league, admits Adams

by Steve Shaw

MICKY Adams was honest enough to admit that his Port Vale side are "miles off" squaring up as equals to Huddersfield Town after watching them end his FA Cup ambitions for another season.

The Terriers still had to rely on an acrobatic overhead kick from defender Nathan Clarke to progress to the third round with a 1-0 victory.

Yet the narrow margin of victory could not hide the overall gap in class between the upper echelons of League One and the middle regions of the basement division.

That was particularly the case during the first period, when Adams's men struggled to contain the fluid attacking play which has propelled Huddersfield to fifth in football's third tier.

But, in the final analysis, the game hinged on a pivotal two-minute spell that began with Vale wasting a golden opportunity before a defensive hiccup led to Clarke's moment of glory.

The hosts should have taken a 10th-minute lead when wing-back Kris Taylor pinged an excellent diagonal cross to Marc Richards from deep on the left.

The nine-goal striker found himself in oceans of space in the heart of Huddersfield's area, engineered by an excellent first touch and a slip from Terriers' full-back Robbie Williams.

But from 11 yards out, and with the goal at his mercy, the 27-year-old hurried his left-foot shot, dragging it beyond the right-hand post.

"I'm the first to hold my hand up when I produce a bad miss," said Richards.

"I managed to get a good touch on the ball and hold the defender off.

"I probably had more time than I first thought, snatched at the shot and it's gone wide."

Richards's brutal assessment was matched by the brutality of Huddersfield's response as Clarke literally sprang into action two minutes later.

This time, Williams made a positive contribution by floating his set-piece, from a central position, towards the left side of the six-yard box, where former Vale loanee Peter Clarke rose highest to head the ball back across goal.

A game of pinball ensued when hesitation by centre-half Lee Collins and central midfielder Anthony Griffith allowed the ball to travel to striker Lee Novak, who nodded it back up into the air.

With his back to goal, Clarke still had plenty to do, but his overhead kick, from eight yards out, crashed into the net off the underside of the bar.

Pacy wide man Lionel Ainsworth and former Crewe loanee Gary Roberts caused Vale plenty of headaches during the first half when rampaging from midfield.

Vale sorely missed the commanding presence and ball-playing skills of suspended skipper Tommy Fraser in the centre, where the industrious Doug Loft and Huddersfield-born Griffith did their utmost to stem the tide.

However, Vale always enjoyed a foothold in the tie while Huddersfield failed to convert their slick build-up play into clear-cut openings.

Adams had demanded a response from his players after criticising many of them following last Tuesday's 2-2 home draw against Torquay.

Attacker Louis Dodds and central midfielder Jason Jarrett dropped to the bench as forward Rob Taylor and right wing-back Adam Yates earned recalls.

Gareth Owen underwent a successful operation on his broken cheek bone on Friday, and in his absence, 21-year-old defender Luke Prosser was handed his first start since being sent off in the 2-1 home defeat by Rotherham two weeks earlier.

Striker Sean Rigg, who signed on loan from Bristol Rovers in the hours leading up to the Torquay clash, was cup tied.

Adams must have breathed a sigh of relief after only two minutes when 13-goal Terriers striker Jordan Rhodes connected with a Roberts corner, only to stab wide from close range.

Roberts and Ainsworth were unable to test Valiants stopper Chris Martin with long-range efforts soon afterwards.

The Terriers went for Vale's throat in the aftermath of Clarke's goal as more good build-up play from Roberts and Michael Collins resulted in midfielder Antony Kay blazing over from the edge of the box.

Martin had to be alert in the 21st minute to beat away Lee Peltier's rasping 25-yard drive.

Vale's minimal attacking threat was summed up on the half hour when Loft dragged his 30-yarder wide.

Prosser also headed a Kris Taylor corner wide just before the break to leave Vale with some soul-searching to do at half-time.

Adams's dressing-room pep talk urged his troops to make a better fist of the contest by blunting Huddersfield's attacking prowess and committing more men to the attacking third.

And while he was pleased with their response, he was less enamoured with their dire end-product. as the balance of the tie began to level out.

Numerous deliveries into the box were easily gobbled up by Terriers keeper Alex Smithies.

Vale lacked invention in the centre and encouraging bursts forward from Rob Taylor, and particularly Lewis Haldane, amounted to nothing.

They did create a few half chances in the second half, though, as the Vale Park faithful turned up the volume.

Most notably, Collins connected with another Kris Taylor corner but his header was cleared, before Haldane robbed the ball from Collins only to blaze over from distance in the 67th minute.

Last season, Vale staged a memorable comeback at Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium by turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 victory in the final 15 minutes of that first-round encounter.

But there was to be no repeat of such heroics in Burslem as Lee Clark's pack of Terriers gained sweet revenge.

"I think I got everything out of the boys that they could give," said Adams.

"At times, Huddersfield showed quality and were able to string nine or 10 passes together in one spell.

"But that's what you pay the money for, and Lee has spent an awful lot putting that side together.

"We're miles off Huddersfield at the moment. You need good players at a football club and I think we've got some decent players at our level.

"But if you want to take the step they have, it requires millions of pounds, not thousands."