Town were involved in a goalless draw for the first time this season after this afternoon's game at Vale Park but in truth Gerry Murphy will be disappointed that his side didn't capitalize on some good chances. Rob Page, Andy Holdsworth and Andy Booth all had chances to break the deadlock but were frustrated by a combination of bad finishing and good goalkeeping.
Town kicked off the game in the same 3-5-2 formation that served them so well against Doncaster last weekend, with 'keeper Matt Glennon playing behind a back three of David Mirfin, Nathan Clarke and skipper Rob Page. Robbie Williams and Andy Holdsworth were deployed as left and right wing-backs respectively with James Berrett playing a holding central midfield role behind the more advanced Jon Worthington and Michael Collins. Up front, Chris Brandon played just off the legendary Andy Booth.
The 'Men in Black' knocked the ball around well in the opening stages of the game, the wide Vale Park pitch apparently suiting them well. Despite this, Vale had the first shot on goal in the 6th minute; a Clarke barge on striker Marc Richards leading to former Halifax midfielder Paul Harsley curling a 25-yard free-kick comfortably over the bar.
Vale had a good spell of play after this and striker Richards will have felt he should have done better with a free header at the back post from a right-wing Richman cross three minutes later. As it is, his looping header from around eight yards out went well over the bar.
Town hit back through a great set-piece in the 12th minute. A right-wing free-kick was whipped into the box brilliantly by Robbie Williams for Page to head powerfully down, but 'keeper Anyon did well to turn the ball around the post for a corner. The ball was cleared from that corner, but an excellent follow-up cross from Holdsworth and the resultant Booth knock-down saw Brandon put a chance inches wide from an acute angle at the back post.
Vale right-back Dave Mulligan then forced Matt Glennon into a routine save with a speculative 30-yard drive in the 18th minute.
Town were playing good football in patches, but the home side also posed their own attacking threat - generally down their right side. Chris Brandon looked just as lively as he did against Doncaster and was combining well with Booth up front, who was winning everything in the air against tall centre-back Pearce.
Nathan Clarke then put a good cross into the box for Booth after an attacking long-throw in the 27th minute, but the ball was ever-so-slightly behind the big frontman and he could only direct a tame header straight at 'keeper Vale Anyon from the penalty spot.
It looked like Town had taken the lead on the stroke of the half hour; Boothy got his head to a right-sided Holdsworth corner and placed the ball towards the near post, but Vale's Simon Richman headed the ball off the line with the goalkeeper beaten.
Mulligan was probably Port Vale's best player at right-back and it was the New Zealander who tested Glennon again from 25 yards after 35 minutes; the big 'keeper having to push the ball away to his left side before Dave Mirfin cleared to safety.
By this point the game had lost its early urgency and neither side was truly threatening the other. Rob Page and Coach Graham Mitchell were ensuring that Town's defence line stayed high up the pitch, but at the other end Port Vale Captain George Pilkington looked assured.
As a result, Gerry Murphy changed his team's shape with five minutes of the half left. The switch to 4-4-2 meant that Dave Mirfin moved to right-back, with James Berrett on the left wing and Andy Holdsworth on the right.
BOOKING - Just as the fourth official signalled a minute of added time Nathan Clarke fouled Marc Richards from behind and picked up the first yellow card of the game from referee Wright - his ninth of the season.
That was the last action of a first-half that had seen Town and Port Vale test each other in the final third, thus far without success. Vale looked good down the wings and were full of running, but it was the Terriers who had come closest to scoring through headers from Page and Booth.
Half-Time: Port Vale 0 Huddersfield Town 0
Town kept with their 4-4-2 for the start of the second-half, but Michael Collins was now occupying the right wing with Andy Holdsworth in central midfield.
Vale left-back Eckersley had the first shot of the second period in the 47th minute, but his speculative left-footed effort from 25-yards out went well over the Town bar.
Town came back once again, with Jon Worthington smashing a low shot just wide of Anyon's right-hand post from the edge of the box two minutes later following good work down the left from Berrett.
Berrett, not usually a left winger, was really getting involved in the game and it was the youngster who volleyed a great deep cross from Collins well over the bar when unmarked twelve yards out in the 53rd minute.
Town were getting on top of their opponents at this stage, with Collins impressing on the right. It was his pass that Andy Holdsworth drilled straight at Joe Anyon left-footed from around 30 yards two minutes later. The Town midfielder controlled his shot well, but it lacked the direction and power to really trouble the Vale custodian.
Vale could not cope with the excellent forward runs of Jon Worthington and it looked like the Terriers had finally capitalized on one in the 57th minute; his run forced a corner from which Andy Holdsworth picked out a free Nathan Clarke, who flicked the ball to the back post where Chris Brandon tapped home. Brando wheeled away in celebration, only to see the linesman flagging for offside.
SUB- Port Vale manager Lee Sinnott made his first substitution in the 59th minute when striker Danny Glover replaced Simon Richmond. This change saw Whitaker move to the vacant right wing position.
Heavy rain started falling after the hour mark, but it did little to interrupt Town's flow. An Andy Booth flick-on from a Clarke long-throw was volleyed straight at Anyon by Holdsworth after 62 minutes but had the ball been a couple of yards either side of the 'keeper it would resulted in the first goal of the game.
Booth then scuppered a great chance two minutes later; he rolled defender Pearce to latch onto a Clarke long ball and found himself in on goal, but he got his volley from just inside the area all wrong and sent the ball into orbit.
SUB - Former Port Vale man Malvin Kamara was introduced by Gerry Murphy after 69 minutes, replacing the injured Jon Worthington - who had just taken a knock on the edge of the Vale box. Kamara went wide right, with Collins moving into Worthy's vacant central midfield role.
The Vale crowd started to get frustrated with a number of offside decisions given against striker Richards, but the Town defence were being rewarded for holding a good high line.
SUB - Vale made their second change with fourteen minutes left, replacing injured defender Pearce with Luke Prosser.
Substitute Prosser immediately beat Andy Booth to a Port Vale corner, but put his header well wide when under heavy pressure from the Town striker.
Booth headed another Clarke long-throw straight at 'keeper Anyon with ten minutes left, but Andy Holdsworth spurned the chance of the game a minute later.
It was Holdsworth who started the move, positively running at the Vale defence before sliding a pass to Berrett. His near post cross from the left fell to the feet of Brandon, who turned his man before sliding a low cross along the face of goal. The ball was half-cleared, but Holdsworth had a chance on the half-volley from ten yards with the goal gaping that he screwed badly wide.
SUB - Sinnott made his final change in the same minute, replacing Joe Cardle with James Lawrie.
Malvin Kamara managed to pick out the only Vale defender in the box with his low cross in the 86th minute after doing all the hard work in beating Adam Eckersley on the right wing - much to the visible frustration of Graham Mitchell in the Town dugout.
Dean Whitaker then put Vale's best chance of the game wide; he played a one-two with Richards inside the Vale area but put his left-footed shot well wide of Glennon's left hand post from ten yards out.
The game finished with four minutes of added time, with the Vale players scrapping hard in an attempt to stay in League One. James Lawrie put a shot well wide from an acute angle at close range with two minutes remaining but the game ended in a goalless draw.
Huddersfield Town
Matt Glennon, Andy Holdsworth, Michael Collins, David Mirfin, Nathan Clarke, Chris Brandon, Jonathan Worthington (Malvin Kamara 69), Robbie Williams, James Berrett, Andy Booth, Robert Page (c)
Unused Substitutes: Alex Smithies, Joe Skarz, Tom Clarke, Luke Beckett
Booking: Nathan Clarke 45
Attendance: 4,150
Visitors: 396
