Andy Ritchie's team reverted back to a 4-4-2 formation for tonight's clash against Brighton, with the notable absentee from the starting line-up being Robbie Williams who was left out of the sixteen-man squad.

Legend Andy Booth was joined up front by Luke Beckett with the midfield four comprising of, from left to right, Brandon, Collins, Worthington and Kamara.

Following Williams' omission, the back line remained unchanged, apart from the inclusion of Andy Holdsworth who filled the left back position and. . .  

GOAL - . . . made the perfect start crowning his first ever start at left back with a superbly taken goal after just 4 minutes of play. The defender latched onto a sublime, inch-perfect touch from Luke Beckett inside the area which split centre-back Tommy Elphick and right-back Andy Whing and the Academy product's right-footed, curling finish left keeper Kuipers with no chance.

Malvin Kamara made an excellent challenge in the area on ten minutes after Glenn Murray charged down Frank Sinclair's clearance from the edge of the Town area. The ball fell kindly for the lurking Nicky Forster who was dispossessed by Kamara as he was about to pull the trigger.

BOOKING: Jon Worthington was entered into referee Deadman's book on eleven minutes after kicking the ball away after Ian Westlake had been fouled.

On thirteen minutes Nicky Forster raced onto an excellent flick from the busy Glenn Murray but after charging through on goal he could not find the target with his powerful leftt foot effort.

Andy Whing made a goal-saving tackle on 16 minutes after trickery on the edge of the box from Chris Brandon which eventually saw the wingman turn his defender and lay the ball off to Luke Beckett in the area who was denied a shot by a well-timed sliding tackle from the Brighton right back.

Nathan Clarke was inches away from adding a second for Town after a well-worked corner from the right which was taken by Andy Holdsworth. The makeshift left-back curled the ball to the edge of the area for the leaping Clarke whose powerful header had Kuipers beat, but it was just a shade over the cross bar.

Michael Collins went for glory midway through the half after patient build up from the Terriers but, after neat work by Brandon and Beckett, his acute-angled effort from inside the area was scooped high over the cross bar.

Town were playing excellently and looked dangerous every time they attacked and they almost added a second goal on 26 minutes after Michael Collins broke quickly, fed Brandon on the left and his cross was almost fired home by Luke Beckett but for some good Brighton defending.

A minute later and Dean Cox tried his luck from distance, but his effort from 30 yards was way over the cross bar.

Boothy showed that he still posses a touch of class on the half hour mark when Holdsworth played the ball into his feet and the Town legend back-heeled the ball into the path of the onrushing Worthington whose shot from 20 yards was a yard wide.

Michael Collins almost crowned the move of the game so far with a terrific goal after some delightful build-up play from the Terriers, but the midfielder saw his first-time effort well saved by Kuipers.

This began a period of intense Town pressure from which they were desperately unlucky not to score after a series of corners.

Only Kerry Mayo stood between Town and a second goal when Andy Booth rose highest in the area from a Holdsworth corner and powered an accurate header past the Brighton keeper, but the defender on the line cleared the ball behind for another corner which this time Kuipers, under pressure from Beckett, did well to punch over the bar.

Boothy again proved to be the thorn in the Brighton side and from a right-sided corner his header forced Kuipers into a wonderful fingertip leading to a fourth successive corner. Town's football was irresistible at times and from another Holdsworth corner, Luke Beckett almost scored with a divine lob but the angle was too tight and he could only find the top of the Brighton net.

Glennon was called into action several minutes later when a free kick from the inside right channel, 25 yards out was curled towards goal by Ian Westlake but the Town stopper was down well to save at his feet.

BOOKING: Frank Sinclair was booked on 44 minutes after a foul on Ian Westlake

HALF-TIME: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 BRIGHTON + HA 0

GOAL: Just as Andy Holdsworth had started the first half in the best possible way, he started the second with an indiscretion which cost Town a goal after he felled Glenn Murray in the box and left Deadman with no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Nicky Forster stepped up to despatch his seventeenth goal off the season from twelve yards.

Forster was inches away from grabbing his second of the game on 50 minutes when he latched onto a ball over the defence from Steve Thomson, but saw his first-time left footed effort bounce wide of Glennon's left-hand post.

The Town stopper was all that stood between the visitors and a second when he fisted away Joel Lynch's effort form point-blank range after the Brighton midfielder had latched onto Murray's knock down in the area.

Andy Booth continued to be the most frequently used outlet for Town and on the hour mark Holdsworth's cross from the left found the striker, but his header was well claimed at the near post by the Brighton keeper.

Glenn Murray almost pulled off the spectacular when the ball sat up invitingly for him 35 yards from goal and after quickly looking up, he fired a shot goalward which had Glennon scrambling backwards and forced the Town stopper into a fingertip save.

Andy Booth was inches away from re-establishing Town's lead when he won a tussle with Elphick after Brandon had battled well for the ball in the box but, on the turn, the Town legend dragged his shot wide of Kuipers' left-hand out.

BOOKING: Boothy then found his way into fussy referee Deadman's book for a foul on Elphick.

BOOKING: Adam El-Abd became the first Brighton player in the book after he fouled Jon Worthington in the Town area.

SUB: Ritchie made his first change of the game on 75 minutes when he replaced Andy Holdsworth with James Berrett. Frank Sinclair moved to left-back, Collins to right back with Berrett taking up a central midfield berth.

GOAL: Town were awarded a penalty of their own on 78 minutes when Chris Brandon got the better of Whing who brought down Town's tricky winger in the area. The Brighton left back received a caution for the challenge as top scorer Luke Beckett eyed the spot kick before coolly stroking home his twelfth of the season.

SUB: Brighton made their first change of the game on 80 minutes when Kerry Mayo was replaced by Jake Robinson

Town almost had a third soon after when Luke Beckett saw his shot blocked in the area by Whing, who made a double stop and prevented Berrett from firing home the rebound.

Boothy again showed some real class with an excellently executed hooked volley direct from a Holdsworth corner from the right which had Kuipers at full stretch to tip over the bar.

SUB: After a minor bench-bench spat Dean Wilkins made his second chance of the game replacing Joe Gatting replaced Dean Cox.

SUB: On 85 minutes the game was delayed for several minutes so El-Abd could receive treatment, the Brighton man eventually being stretchered off and replaced by Tommy Fraser.

SUB: Ritchie made his final throw of the dice in the second minute of the four added on replacing Luke Beckett with Danny Broadbent.

There was high drama at the death when Glennon saved the ball and all three points for the Terriers with a superb reaction save from Murray's powerful downward header which the Town stopper did well to tip onto the post.

FULL-TIME: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 2 BRIGHTON + HA 1

Town: Glennon, Holdsworth, Sinclair, Clarke, Page, Brandon, Kamara, Collins, Worthington, Beckett, Booth

Subs: Schofield, Berrett, Broadbent, Hardy, Racchi

Attendance: 6004

Travelling: 342