Town won their first game in the Pontins Holiday's Cup with a good victory over Tranmere at the Galpharm Stadium this afternoon. Town's young team battled welll against a srong Tranmere side which contained former Town man Adnan Ahmed. Mitchell Bailey was the pick of the Town players but it was a good all round team perfromance with Luke Malcher scoring just after half time.

Town crafted the first opportunity on two minutes after good work by James Berrett and Matty Young on the right flank, the latter's cross to the centre was cleared only as far as Mitchell Bailey on the edge of the area but the midfielder dragged his shot wide of keeper John Achterberg's right-hand post.

Luke Malcher was denied by some good defending just a minute later when he latched onto Berrett's cross to the centre after good work by Akins but as Malcher was about to pull the trigger defender Ashton Taylor made an excellent block.

Achterberg was forced to make an excellent fingertip save on 13 minutes when he tipped Matthew Young's close range effort over the bar. The chance came after neat work by Town involving trialist Jamie Mullan, Mitchell Bailey and Lucas Akins who cut the ball back to the penalty spot for Young.

Former Town target Gareth Taylor went close on 16 minutes with a header from right-back Paul Henry's cross, but the striker's effort bounced wide of keeper Simon Eastwood's left-hand post.

Luke Malcher forced Achterberg into another good save on 21 minutes after more good build up from Town's youngsters. A raking cross-field ball from Bailey picked out Young on the right flank; he crossed to the centre where Akins stepped over leaving Malcher a shot at goal but the Tranmere keeper was quickly down to his left to save.

Former Town man Adnan Ahmed tried his luck from distance but his well-struck daisy-cutter never troubled Eastwood.

Town continued to pressure and on 38 minutes Mullan's cross from the right was almost converted at the back post by Killock.

As the fourth official signalled two minutes added time Malcher was desperately unlucky not to put Town in front. He collected the bal in the box and managed to flick the ball past Achterberg and then over a defender's head before heading it goalward only to see the covering Paul Henry hoof the ball off the line.

HALF TIME: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0 TRANMERE 0

GOAL - Exactly a minute into the second half and Town were fired in front by Luke Malcher. Keeper Achterberg flapped at Lucas Akins' cross from the left and the ball fell to trialist Mullan who put the ball back into the centre for Malcher. It looked as though Tranmere midfielder Mullin would get there first but he slipped in the box and Malcher buried the ball from 12 yards.

BOOKING - Matthew Young was booked for a rash challenge on 49 minutes.

Bailey then tried his luck from 25 yards, this time with his left foot, but the midfielder saw his effort fly over the bar.

Town were saved by the woodwork on 56 minutes when John Mullin wriggled free in the box and saw his first shot blocked; the deflection fell straight back to him but this time the ball hit Eastwood's left hand post, rolled along the line and hit the other post before being cleared.

Town continued to push for a second goal and it almost came form the head of Akins when he latched onto Young's cross from the left but his header looped over the bar.

Bailey again tried his luck from distance and this time it was on target, but Achterberg got down comfortably to his left to smother the ball.

SUB - John Dungworth made his first change of the game on 68 minutes when he replaced Tom Clarke with Daniel Broadbent. James Berrett moved to centre-back from central midfield where he was replaced by Young and Broadbent went to the right flank.

Danny Holmes tested Eastwood moments later with a well struck shot which was well claimed by the keeper.

Craig Curran should have levelled the scores on 76 minutes when he was picked out at the far post by Mike Jones but the strikers free volley from 6 yards was easily claimed by Eastwood

Bailey tested Achterberg again soon after with a curling right foot shot from outside the area which the keeper was forced to palm away at full stretch.

SUB - Dungworth was forced into a second change on 83 replacing the injured Bailey with Curtis Roberts.

Just seconds later Eastwood was called into action to save Antony Kay's header from Mike Jones' corner and the keeper did so easily.

On 85 minutes Berrett tested Achterberg with a well struck volley after a neat chest-down from Akins but the Tranmere keeper made a good save.

Simon Eastwood made a brilliant double save in the final minute first blocking Mike Jones close range effort and recovering well to block a second effort from Craig Curran.

Gareth Taylor had the ball in the back of the net on 90 minutes but he was ruled offside.

FULL TIME: HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 TRANMERE 0

Town: Simon Eastwood, Danny Racchi, Daniel Codman, James Berrett, Tom Clarke (Daniel Broadbent 68), Shane Killock, Luke Malcher, Matthew Young (c), Lucas Akins, Mitchell Bailey (Curtis Roberts 83), Jamie Mullan

Subs not used: Spencer Harris, David Pickering, Lewis Nightingale