Huddersfield Town 2 Walsall 1 - Direct from the ground and the Fat Controller.

Player Manager Paul Merson, despite his injury problems, turned out an eleven at the Galpharm this afternoon that actually had more experience and a higher average age than last week’s team.

The line up was 4 5 1 and consisted of:-

Ruddy, Pead, Westwood, Bennett, Fox, Leitao, Smith, Kinsella, Broad, Demontagnac and Fryatt.

The line up didn’t seem to make much difference, however, as high flying Huddersfield dominated possession. The Saddlers were defending well, however, and kept the home side at bay, despite Worthington hitting the post. That was all to change on fifteen minutes, when Westwood misjudged a ball under pressure from Abbott and the ball broke to Booth, who Bennett had left completely unmarked and the big man smacked it into the corner, as Ruddy also hesitated when he might have come out to clear the danger. A complete rick all round.

Walsall did manage to get a goal back, however, when a superbly taken free kick from Kinsella found the head of Paul Smith, whose looping header found the bottom corner.

Leitao had the Saddler’s other chance in the half, but shot into the side netting and the defence again decided to go walk about three minutes later, when Fox was skinned like a rabbit down the flank and Pawel Abbott managed to get to the front of the very long unmarked queue to score his 50th career League goal.

Larossa came on to replace Fryatt as the lone striker, as Matty was injured. The Fat Controller says that he did not look particularly interested anyway.

The only bright spot at half time is that the weather is getting better in Huddersfield and Chelsea are losing at home.