By Murry Toms

Cheltenham Town 1, Huddersfield Town 1

Ten-man Cheltenham played party-pooper in denying Huddersfield the win they needed to secure Second Division football next season. Cheltenham brought their program to a close by clawing back a first half lead afforded to Huddersfield by Andy Booth, with his 100th goal for the club. Damian Spencer was sent off early in the second half for a second bookable offence but the Robins carved out an equaliser for unlikely goal-hero Shane Duff with his first strike for the club. It was a good point for Cheltenham, who battled manfully despite the numerical disadvantage and greater attacking assurance of their visitors. They stuck to their task and could have stolen it at the death, but it was a positive way to conclude the season.
John Ward was forced into a couple of changes to the side which recorded a point at Carlisle last weekend. John Finningan was recouperating following an operation on his ankle during the week. He was replaced in the centre of midfield by Richard Forsyth in a four man midfield in front of an unchanged backline. Kayode Odejayi was drafted in at the expense of Paul Brayson, and joined Damian Spencer in heading a 4-4-2 shape. Bob Taylor and Ben Cleverley assumed their places on the bench.
Peter Jackson named an unchanged starting 11 despite the defeat at the McAlpine Stadium at the hands of Mansfield last weekend, which prolonged their promotion party to the last Saturday of the season. Needing a win to secure Division Two football next season, Jackson committed three strikers in attack utilising Andrew Holdsworth and Anthony Lloyd as wing backs in front of three at the back.
The match got underway once the end of season presentations had been concluded on a damp afternoon, but the drizzle could not dampen the enthusiasm of a packed Whaddon Road and the huge weight of expectation located in the Whaddon Road End. The visitors rained the pitch in ticker tape, toilet paper and beach balls upon the introduction of the sides to the contest.
Andy Holdsworth provided the first moment of concern in the seventh minute when he tamely guided a left footed effort from the corner of the 18 yard box goalwards, although Player's and Supporter's Player of the Season Shane Higgs easily gathered. More importantly, news quickly filtered through from Southend that Torquay had snatched an early lead. Tony Carss followed that effort two minutes later with a well struck 25 yard freekick from a central position which travelled at speed into the home fans in the C&G End.
Just as news reached Whaddon Road of a second goal for Torquay which muted the away contigent, Huddersfield moved to steal the lead and regain the iniative in the hunt for third spot in the 17th minute. Moments earlier, David Bird had struck a low effort from 20 yards which extended Paul Rachubka following some terrier-like work from Graham Fyfe on the right. But the long clearance from the Huddersfield custodian created an opportunity for the veteren striker Booth to get in behind the Cheltenham back line feeding off a flick-on to stroke home his 100th goal under the frame of Higgs.
Cheltenham responded three minutes later when Victory rose to meet Grant McCann's freekick from the left-hand flank, but his well-met downwards header failed to find the inside of the left hand upright with the keeper beaten. Cheltenham continiued to press in search of the equaliser with the contest becoming increasingly committed as it was frantic, with notice of Southend halving the deficit created by Torquay in Essex being given.
Wilson whipped in a dangerous low cross meant for Spencer from the right hand flank in the 26th minute as Cheltenham pressed the wide channels in search of service, although the accuracy was just short of the required. A searching delivery one minute later from Wilson once again caused a moment of confusion between Rachubka and Holdsworth which gifted McCann, taking a chance behind the pair, a split second to direct his tricky effort goalwards but it flew a few feet wide of the gaping net. Graham Fyfe fired a 20 yard effort seconds later as Huddersfield strived to contain the home side's forward momentum following the opening goal.
Huddersfield earned the first corner-kick in the 34th minute which was sent dangerously to the back post by Holdsworth. Booth out-jumped Victory and got his downward header on target but failed to muster enough power to beat Higgs, who gathered comfortably to quash the pressure on the Cheltenham goal. Huddersfield continued to close down the home side quickly, which prohibited any continued fluid build up by Cheltenham in midfield. The greasy surface also contributed towards a number of mistakes which allowed the home side maintain their push for the equaliser.
With five minutes to the break, Booth was sharp to profit from a lack of communication between the Duff brothers, who failed to deal with a ball forward. The striker pulled the trigger from the 25 yards toward the right hand flank but Higgs was alert at the near post to palm the right-footed effort around for a corner, which ultimately came to nothing.
Spencer became the first player to find himself in the referee's book in the 44th minute for a late lunge on Andy Scott as the number of innocious challenges built up, not helped by the greasy nature of the surface. Odejayi became involved with Scott moments later as the generally good natured, though highly committed, first half drew to a close with the visitors following their script. At half-time, Huddersfield were in the ascendancy.
Cheltenham carved out the first opportunity of the second half as David Bird foraged down the right channel. He lifted a looping delivery onto the head of Damian Spencer arriving at the back of the cluster of players in the penalty area. He nodded down at the feet of the forward Shane Duff, who lifted his effort high over the crossbar on the turn. McCann fired a 30 yard drive into the arms of Rachubka moments later as Cheltenham caught Huddersfield on the back foot in the opening exchanges of the second half, the visitors pinned in their own half for the first ten minutes allowing Cheltenham more space to move forward.
Huddersfield's first sight of the Cheltenham goal in the second period came on the hour mark, when a corner kick caused panic in the Cheltenham defence before being cleared. At the other end, Spencer delivered his second untidy challenge of the game, this time flooring David Mirfin and earning his second booking, and his marching orders. That only seemed to strenghen the resolve of the home team.
Cheltenham immediately broke down the right flank though Wilson, who moved past a couple of defenders before laying the ball into the path of the supporting Odejayi. He swept his first-time, right foot effort from 18 yards high over the stand behind the goal.
John Ward sacrificed Fyfe in the 65th minute, and introduced Bob Taylor to the contest to join Odejayi in attack, with Brian Wilson operating as a right wing back.
Cheltenham immediately contrived a couple of chances. First, McCann miscontrolled a measured delivery from Richard Forsyth on the edge of the 18 yard area. Then, the Irishman delivered a pinpoint corner-kick onto the head of Shane Duff, who lost his marker but failed to keep his header below the Huddersfield crossbar.
In the 75th minute, however, the home side returned the equaliser they richly deserved following some sloppy defending by Pawel Abbott in the left channel. He backtracked and played a poorly weighted pass back towards his keeper. Odejayi's forsight and pace earnt him a chance to intercept the moment of indecision and play in Shane Duff. He displayed a high level of composure to place the ball from almost the touchline into the empty net to crown an impressive performance with his first of the season.
Abbott was immediately replaced with striker Iffy Onuora to bolster the attack because, as it stood, Torquay now claimed the third spot.
Huddersfield burst into life, and just two minutes after the restart Carss launched a left footed 30 yard peach which travelled just a foot wide with Higgs beaten. Not to be outdone, substitute Taylor had a dig from 25 yards which shaved the left upright. The impressive Odejayi was then withdrawn from action by John Ward, and replaced by Paul Brayson as the contest moved into a frantic last ten minutes.
With four minutes to play Tony Carrs was gifted an unmarked opportunity from the penalty spot to crash home a volley, but he blasted it onto the back of his team-mate Booth and it bounced away to safety. Then, the away fans erupted as news of a Southend equaliser, incorrectly as it turned out, reached Whaddon Road.
On the stroke of full time, Forsyth was played in down the right and presented the advancing Bob Taylor with a glorious opportunity to find the back of an empty net with Rachubka committed, but the veteran striker dragged his effort across the goal and wide.
Confusion gripped the very late stages of the contest. McCann blasted an effort from the right hand side of the penalty area, which almost nicked the three points at the death but was blocked well by the keeper.
The Southend equaliser failed to materialise and the final whistle was greeted by 1,739 muted away fans as reality hit home. The draw elevates Torquay, who defeated Southend, to Division Two with a dejected Huddersfield left to face form team Lincoln City in the play-offs.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Higgs; Wilson, M Duff (c), S Duff, Victory; Bird, Forsyth, McCann, Fyfe (Taylor 68); Spencer, Odejayi (Brayson 81). Other Subs: Book, Cleverley, Connolly
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Rachubka; Scott (Brown 79), Mirfin, Yates; Holdsworth, Worthington, Carss, Lloyd; McAliskey, Booth, Abbott (Onuora 76) Other Subs: Edwards, Fowler, Senior
REFEREE: S.W. Mathieson (Cheshire)
ATTENDANCE: 5,814 (1,793)