A battling performance from ten-man Harriers saw them record their first win in four games and bring them to the brink of ensuring their Third Division future.  A first goal in a Harriers shirt for Wayne Hatswell and own goals in both nets made for an entertaining encounter that was made all the more difficult for Harriers when they lost Ian Foster ten minutes before half time after he threw a punch at Efe Sodje.

As expected Jan Molby made wholesale changes to the team that was beaten at Carlisle on Saturday; Steve Burton, Abdou Sall, Sean Parrish, Jesper Christiansen and Foster all came in at the expense of Scott Stamps, Adam Murray, Lee Jenkins, Leon Clarke and John Williams.  Chris McHale also sat on the bench for the first time.  The game had a cagey opening with both sides showing respect to each other and there was little excitement in the first twenty minutes.

The first clear-cut goalscoring chance came Harriers' way; Town were attacking but the outstretched leg of Sall intercepted the ball and sent it out to the right wing where Simon Brown was in acres of space, he advanced on goal but his shot flashed across the face of goal and was put out for a corner.  Harriers began to get the upper hand and Brown went close again; Craig Hinton created the opening for him but his chip was pushed on to the crossbar by Paul Rachubka for a corner.  Harriers couldn't convert that corner but the ball was put out for another by a Town defender and from this one Burton's right wing kick found Hatswell at the far post who rose highest and looped a header over the keeper and back across goal into the far corner.

The Terriers could have pulled a goal back soon afterwards; Tony Carss was allowed to run unchallenged into the Harriers penalty area but his cross-shot hit Sall and was cleared by Hinton.  Harriers then suffered a major setback with the loss of Foster; the attacker tangled with Andy Holdsworth givig away a free-kick, Sodje then appeared to say something that Foster took exception to and he responded with a punch; referee Riley had no option but to send him off.  In the last minute of the half the visitors again came close to equalising; Steve Yates' deep left wing free kick found Andy Booth at the far post whose looping header beat John Danby but hit the bar and went over.

Huddersfield were first to show after the interval, the ball was played through the inside-right channel to Danny Schofield who had a clear sight of goal but blazed over.  Despite being a man down Harriers were not trying to sit back and defend their lead and continued to attack, Brown played a good ball through the Town defence but it was a touch too long for Parrish to reach.  The second goal was not long in coming, however, and Brown was heavily involved again.  The on-loan man received the ball on the right and ran across the face of hte penalty area, beating three men in the process, before hitting a shot towards the far post that was turned into his own net by Anthony Lloyd.

Harriers were by now clearly the better team and look capable of increasin their lead further.  good battling by Christiansen at the byline allowed him to set up Matt Gadsby who fired narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area.  Then, Christiansen glanced a header wide after Mark Yates had headed on Hinton's throw-in.

As the game drew towards a finish Huddersfield switched to a more attacking formation and tried to get back into the game.  Booth had a glorious opportunity but headed wide from an unmarked position in front of goal and then John McAliskey hit a blistering 20-yard drive towards the top corner that Danby held onto comfortably.  Eventually The Terriers managed to pull a goal back but it took a Harriers player to beat Danby, Sall scoring with a bullet header from close range as he attempted to steer Jon Worthington's cross over the bar.

The closing minutes saw Town throw everything forward; a deep cross from Schofield found Booth beyond the far post who headed back across goal only for Holdsworth to turn it wide at the other post.  Pawel Abbott almost snatched an undeserved equaliser when he beat Danby from long range but his shot went wide.  In the very last minute of stoppage time Danby was the hero again when Town pumped a free kick into the box for David Mirfin who headed straight at the keeper who held on to it gratefully.  Harriers now know that if they win at Cambridge next week and Carlisle and Rochdale both lose they will be safe from relegation.