TOWN RESERVES 0 SHREWSBURY 1

Goal: Jimmy Ryan 43

Town's Reserves were defeated in a scrappy game at the Galpharm Stadium this afternoon thanks to a single first-half strike from Shrewsbury's Jimmy Ryan. The goal came against the run of play in the first-half, but John Dungworth's side were frustrated by the hard-working away side for the second 45 minutes as the game petered out.

John Dungworth selected a regulation 4-4-2 formation, with England under-18 goalkeeper Alex Smithies lining up behind the back four of Joe Skarz, Shane Killock, Tom Clarke and Aaron Hardy. Danny Racchi and James Berrett occupied the right and left wings respectively with Matthew Young and Club Captain Jon Worthington in the centre. Up front, Luke Malcher partnered Luke Beckett.

Often Reserve games lack that edge that first-team games display, but a pleasing sight for the Town fans in attendance must have been Jon Worthington's crunching challenge on trialist Nick McKoy inside the opening minute; the combative midfielder coming away with the ball, leaving his physically bigger opponent on the floor. It was a good indication that the Club Captain has made a good recovery from his hernia problems!

Town mustered the first effort on goal after just five minutes when Luke Malcher's volley from the edge of the box had to be pushed around the post by Shrews' 'keeper Ryan Esson, but on the whole the half was a case of 'attack' and defence' with the Terriers enjoying the majority of possession but unable to create any clear-cut chances.

Shrewsbury did carry their own goal threat, with their biggest threat looking like the pace of right winger Chris Humphrey. Joe Skarz dealt with the winger comfortably for the majority of the game, but he did get free in the 12^th minute - only for veteran striker Andy Cooke to slide his cross wide of goal from inside the box.

The battle between Cooke and the two Huddersfield centre-halves Tom Clarke and Shane Killock was an interesting one, with the former Bradford and Buson Icons striker looking to hold up the ball for his team but getting little change out of the young defensive pairing. Clarke in particular was heavily involved in the opening half; apparently being the focal point for Alex Smithies' distribution and looking to be positive when on the ball.

Cooke did get a break after 29 minutes when away midfielder Jimmy Ryan robbed Clarke of the ball on the halfway line and released him in on goal, but Killock got back to make a brilliant sliding challenge just as the robust striker was closing in on Smithies' goal.

Town, who switched to 4-3-3 to try and cause Shrewsbury's unusual 3-5-2 formation problems after a quarter of the game, created their best chance of the half after 34 minutes when James Berrett was put through on goal by a clever Luke Beckett pass but goalkeeper Esson did well to smother the ball at the midfielder's feet.

Then, as the half came to a close, the away side opened the scoring. Midfielder Jimmy Ryan tried tofeed a low pass into the Town box only to collect the half-clearance from Aaron Hardy and return it with aplomb in the form of a powerful low shot that beat Alex Smithies to his left from the edge of the box, giving the away side a shock lead after 43 minutes.

The second-half started much as the first-half finished - with Town enjoying possession but finding the busy away side hard to break down. They did create one great chance after 54 minutes, when Danny Racchi played a good low ball across the box that Luke Malcher met at the near post, turning the ball onto the crossbar from an acute angle.

The away side started to get hold of the ball and put the Terriers under some pressure after the hour mark, with Humphrey the main danger once again down the Town left. John Dungworth was audibly giving a few of his players instructions from the sidelines in an attempt to get the equaliser, but all Town could manage for the next fifteen minutes was substitute Mitchell Bailey's long range effort.

The visitors' work rate was giving Town absolutely no time on the ball and Captain Darren Kempson was a dominant aerial presence at the back.

The game rather petered out in this fashion, with Shrewsbury guilty of missing the best chance when Danny Hall missed a headed effort at the far post from an accurate Humphrey cross. James Berrett was booked for voicing his frustrations to referee Brown a bit too strongly after 87 minutes.

Huddersfield Town

Alex Smithies, Aaron Hardy (c), Joe Skarz (Tom Jackson 72), James Berrett, Tom Clarke, Shane Killock, Daniel Racchi, Jonathan Worthington (Mitchell Bailey 46), Luke Beckett (Daniel Broadbent 46), Matthew Young, Luke Malcher

Unused Subs: Daniel Codman, Curtis Roberts

Booking: James Berrett 87

Shrewsbury Town

Ryan Esson, Theo Streete, Danny Hall, Nick McKoy, Darren Kempson (c), Steve Leslie, Chris Humphrey, Jimmy Ryan, Andy Cooke (Luke Jones 46), Marc Pugh, Carl Motteram (Neil Ashton 46)

Unused Subs: Jasbir Singh, Stuart Delaney, Jan Couiston