• League 1
  • 15th May 2012
  • KO: 19:45
  • Ground: The John Smith's Stadium
  • Att: 15,085
Home team Score Away team

Huddersfld

1 - 2

MK Dons

J Rhodes 18 FT D Powell 39 A Smith 90+3

FT: Huddersfield 1 MK Dons 2 (Agg: 3-2)

15th May 2012, 09:45pm

Despite losing on the night, Huddersfield are through to the League One play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley. MK Dons were the better team tonight and deserved to win 2-1 through goals from Powell and Smith in reply to Rhodes' 40th goal of the season. But it was too little too late as Huddersfield progress 3-2 on aggregate. Huddersfield's fans invade the pitch at the Galpharm and mob the players. Stay with us for all the post-match reaction.

Full Time 90 + 5 FULL-TIME: HUDDERSFIELD 1 MK DONS 2 (AGG: 3-2)

90 + 4 Dons are going long, but Ibehre cannot get his head to the ball.

Following a stunning save from Smithies, Dons win a corner. At the set-piece, Smith dives in low at the back post to slide a header into the back of the net. Nervy final seconds for Huddersfield to avoid conceding another goal and the game going to extra time.

Goal 90 + 2 GOAL SMITH (1-2)!!!

90 + 1 Huddersfield's fans have not stopped singing and clapping for the last 10 minutes. They know, barring something remarkable, they are going to Wembley.

90 ADDED TIME: There will be a minimum of four minutes added time before the final whistle.

89 Tom Clarke has gone to the centre of defence to deal with the aerial threat of Smith and Ibehre.

Substitution 88 Higginbotham's evening is over. Huddersfield send on Tom Clarke.

87 Rhodes has the chance to run at the Dons defence. He then sends a fizzing right-foot effort just over the crossbar.

86 'Going up, up, up' chant the Huddersfield fans. They know they are within minutes of half-time and an all-Yorkshire showdown with Sheffield United.

85 Novak tries another long-range effort and is again well off target. He would have been better passing on more than one occasion tonight.

84 Free-kick to Huddersfield wide on the left and level with the edge of the box. The delivery is crossed towards Rhodes, but is intercepted.

83 Dons win the ball back and Ibehre goes for a spectacular, powerful long-range effort. It is well off target.

82 The free-kick delivery is cleared for a corner and then, at the second set-piece, Chadwick's touch lets him down and Huddersfield take control of the ball.

Substitution 81 As Dons win a free-kick on the corner of the Huddersfield box, former Leeds man Smith is booed onto the pitch as a replacement for MacDonald.

80 It has been a disciplined, organised and determined defensive display by Huddersfield. But it is not over yet.

79 Dons are quickly running out of time and MacDonald's early chance, is the only time they have really tested Smithies in the second half.

Substitution 78 Miller is replaced by Robinson.

77 Chadwick sends a cross into the Huddersfield box and Powell gets on the loose ball. But he cannot quite control.

76 With less than 15 minutes of normal time remaining, Dons look like they might have run out of a bit of steam and hope. Huddersfield appear more of the threat at present.

75 Ward volleys a first-time cross right across the six-yard box. Rhodes had made a dart to the far post, but could not reach the ball.

74 Ibehre is now the target man for Dons and all crosses are heading towards the substitute.

73 Replays of Huddersfield's earlier penalty claim suggest it should definitely have been a spot-kick. Lewington clearly pushed Clarke when he was going for a header. That is both teams that should have had a penalty tonight.

Substitution 72 Double change from Dons. Chicksen and Bowditch are replaced by Chadwick and Ibehre.

71 Corner to Huddersfield. Again, no rush from Huddersfield. There looks to be a blatant push on Clarke when the set-piece is delivered.

70 Higginbotham shows nimble feet to get to the byline and dig out a cross. But he cannot find a team-mate.

69 Huddersfield are having their best period of the match. But Novak then goes for glory from 30 yards and sends the effort swerving drastically wide.

68 Hunt goes surging up the right after being released by a quick throw. But he is outnumbered 4-1 by Dons players and has no option. He has to turn and go back to his own midfield.

67 Clarke and MacDonald have had a battering battle this evening. Neither player has pulled out of a challenge and cannot be faulted for effort.

66 Huddersfield take a risk when passing in a triangle on the edge of their own box. Potter almost gets a foot in to steal possession.

65 Woods smashes a clearance into the Dons half. Rhodes half-controls the ball, but Williams is straight in to tackle.

64 Ward cuts in from the left after collecting Novak's pass. He goes for a shot from the corner of the area, but it curls tamely wide.

63 Clarke booms another long ball down field. It is a cross-field effort aimed for the advancing Hunt. But the full-back cannot stop the ball from going out for a goal-kick.

62 A poor pass from Williams when under pressure from Rhodes gives Huddersfield a throw in the Dons half.

61 Gleeson shoots from 25 yards. But it is high and wide and Smithies can watch the effort go safely past his goal.

60 A corner to Huddersfield comes to nothing and Dons are back on the attack. Powell and Chicksen have been brilliant this evening.

59 The Dons, though, make a real mess of the free-kick and Huddersfield break. Martin makes excellent stops from Novak and Hunt to keep his side in the tie.

58 Huddersfield enjoy a good passage of play as they string some passes together across the pitch and back again. Miller then gives away a foul.

57 Hunt takes his time at a throw-in. Huddersfield are, understandably, in no rush. They are trying to sap some of their opponents' rhythm.

56 Ward sends a cross directed at Rhodes from the left straight into the hands of Dons goalkeeper Martin.

55 Novak has to drop back to halfway inside his own half to get the ball. But because he is so deep, he has no options other than Rhodes for a pass and the attack breaks down in a whimper.

54 Huddersfield are struggling to get a touch at present. Dons are completely dominating possession.

53 Excellent effort from MacDonald to keep the ball in play when Clarke was attempting to let it roll out. But his cross is then a bit aimless.

52 O'Shea is getting forward at every opportunity and is looking to shoot whenever given some space on the edge of the box.

51 Dons are continuing to dominate. This could be a long half for Huddersfield.

50 Glorious chance for MacDonald as he goes one-on-one with Smithies. He tries a dinked, poked finish, but gets his angles all wrong when on the stretch and hits the ball wide.

49 Gleeson sends a ball down the inside right channel. Clarke is able to defend, but he is not given any time by Powell.

48 Lewington, having initially stood on the ball and fallen over, regains possession for Dons inside his own half.

47 O'Shea wants a free-kick for handball on the edge of the Huddersfield box when his shot is blocked. Nothing given.

46 The away side are immediately on the attack and Huddersfield captain is forced to defend close to one of his own corner flags.

WE'RE BACK: MK Dons get the second half under way.

As it stands, Huddersfield are heading for the play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley.

MK Dons dominated the first half. They fell behind to Rhodes 40th goal of the season, but drew level on the night through Powell's equaliser. Robinson is delighted with his players as they leave the field, but they still trail by two goals on aggregate. The Dons boss is likely to have something to say about the MacDonald penalty claim if his side are knocked out tonight. It has been an entertaining and attacking game. Let's hope for more in the second half.

Half Time 45 + 4 HALF-TIME: HUDDERSFIELD 1 MK DONS 1 (AGG: 3-1)

45 + 4 Corner to Dons. It is sent towards Lewington, but the ball is cleared just off his head.

45 + 3 Rhodes is back on his feet and looks to be okay. Another replay of that Dons penalty claim for Morrison's challenge on MacDonald suggests there was a clear push and a pull.

45 + 2 Rhodes goes down with a bit of a knock and is receiving some treatment.

45 + 1 Robinson is not happy at not getting a penalty. Of course, he was less than impressed with the match officials at Huddersfield's second goal in the first leg.

45 ADDED TIME: There will be a minimum of four minutes added time before half-time.

44 The Dons players are surrounding referee Mathieson, as they claim MacDonald was held by Morrison at that attack. Replays suggest they had a case. Robinson is furious on the touchline.

43 What a chance for MacDonald! Powell crosses from the right and his team-mate cannot quite get his head on the bouncing ball within the six-yard area.

42 Great tracking back from goalscorer Powell, as he is on the Dons byline to clear up field at a Huddersfield attack.

41 Gleeson tries his luck from 20 yards, but shoots into the travelling Dons fans behind the goal.

40 Chicksen is proving an ongoing threat down the right. He again has time to cross, but cannot find a team-mate.

After superb passing build-up, Dons get the goal they deserve. Chicksen crosses and Powell, with his back to goal, takes a touch before turning and rifling into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.

Goal 39 GOAL POWELL (1-1)!!!

39 Excellent midfield play from Gleeson as he shows too much strength for Higginbotham before getting his head up and passing.

38 Rhodes and Novak remain a threat for Huddersfield, despite Dons' dominance. Every time Huddersfield get the ball from back to front at speed they pose a danger.

37 Powell, from the right this time, whips in another cross. Clarke can head away at the near post.

36 After the stoppage, the game is back under way. That is likely to mean two or three minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half.

Substitution 35 Bennett's match is over. He is replaced by Smithies.

34 Bennett has a problem with his hand or wrist. It was actually team-mate Clarke who did the damage when also trying to stop MacDonald from getting to the ball.

33 Bennett is down and receiving treatment from the Huddersfield physio.

32 Bowditch sends a dangerous cross to the near post and Bennett takes a whack from MacDonald when bravely diving to save the ball. It ricochets up across the face of goal and Woods completes the clearance.

31 Rhodes leads the break. But Williams steps in with an excellent tackle.

30 Potter sends a cross to the far post. Bowditch keeps the ball in play, but in his efforts in preventing the ball going out for a throw-in sends Huddersfield on a counter-attack.

29 Another corner to Dons. Huddersfield half clear and then Bowditch handles the ball to give the home side a free-kick.

28 Important interception from Williams as he prevents a through ball from putting Rhodes in on goal.

27 The goal has not dampened the Dons. They remain the dominant team and Huddersfield are simply playing to hit them on the break.

26 Chicksen has been a good outlet for Dons on the right. He is attacking at every opportunity and looks to have the beating of his opponents. Higginbotham is not really tracking back.

25 Huddersfield Clarke seems to be in thou-shalt-not-pass mode. He is putting his body in the way of everything and powering clearances up field.

24 Lovely turn and control from Chicksen to skip away from Higginbotham. His 25-yard shot then deflects clear off Clarke.

23 An incredibly tight offside call denies Johnson a clear run on goal. It was a fast counter-attack from the Dons corner and a perfect pass from Rhodes. Replays suggest Johnson might have been on side.

22 Chicksen takes a throw-in deep in the Huddersfield half. The ball eventually finds Powell and he wins a corner.

21 Huddersfield's fans are in party mood and are clapping their hearts out. Dons can take heart from the fact there is still 70-odd minutes left to play in this match.

20 Dons will be shell-shocked. They had been the better side in the opening 20 minutes and will be ruing not making the most of their chances.

Who else? Huddersfield are now within touching distance of Wembley. Rhodes scores his 40th goal of the season and against the run of play. The striker's excellent movement inside the penalty area sees him make room at a long ball, take a step and then fire a left-footed effort past Martin from close range.

Goal 18 GOAL RHODES (1-0)!!!

17 Dangerous, curling cross from O'Shea on the right sees Hunt misjudge the ball with his diving header. He is fortunate no Dons player is alert at the back post.

16 Excellent goalkeeping from Bennett as he rushes out of his penalty area to slide a challenge and prevent MacDonald from latching on to Potter's through ball down the centre of the pitch.

15 Rhodes has hardly had a kick in this opening quarter-of-an-hour. Dons are doing a good job to keep the striker quiet.

14 Morrison does well to break down another Dons attack. This time the surge forward was down the left flank.

13 A breakdown in communication between MacDonald and Powell at a long ball sees the players leave it for each other. Clarke steps in to whack a clearance.

12 Corner to the away team. It is delivered towards MacKenzie, but Huddersfield can head clear at the back post.

11 It has been an entertaining opening. Both teams are going for a goal. Huddersfield know one more goal should kill off the game, while the Dons are desperate for a lifeline.

10 Replays of that previous Huddersfield attack suggest Rhodes might have had a penalty claim after being blocked off by Williams.

9 Chance for Novak on the edge of the box after MK Dons fail to properly clear a cross. But the Huddersfield star drags his shot wide. He should have done better from Higginbotham's cross.

8 Clarke is immediately again required to deal with MacDonald. He gets his body in front of the Dons striker inside the penalty area and then wins a foul.

7 MacDonald is invited to chase a long ball down the left. But Clarke takes no chances and hoofs clear up field.

6 Another attack from Robinson's away team. But Gleeson cannot stop the ball rolling out for a goal-kick.

5 This has been a great start from the Dons. They are dominating Huddersfield in the opening minutes.

4 Free-kick to the Dons inside the Huddersfield half. Chicksen sends the set-piece into the box, but the home team deal with the delivery.

3 There has been a great turnout from the Huddersfield fans this evening and they are in fine voice in the corner of the stadium to the right of goalkeeper Bennett.

2 Hesitant defending from Clarke as he allows a long ball to bounce and Powell almost capitalises.

1 Johnson shows his intent in the opening seconds with a late challenge on Gleeson. Referee Mathieson plays the advantage and MK Dons cross into the hands of Bennett.

KICK-OFF: Huddersfield get the game going.

19.42 Huddersfield and MK Dons emerge from the tunnel at the Galpharm. Kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.

19.38 Robinson is very confident about his team's chances. He has just been on TV to say 'belief' and 'good players' are the reason he thinks MK Dons can turn this tie around.

Feedback 19.36 Ben says: "Can't see the Dons overcoming the two-goal deficit tonight and fully expect Rhodes to add to the scoreline. The final will be something special as both Sheff Utd and Huddersfield have what it takes to make the most of Championship status."

19.33 Jordan Rhodes' 39th goal of the season and an additional effort from Jack Hunt give Huddersfield their advantage. It would be a mightily impressive performance if MK Dons can turn this around and avoid more play-off heartbreak.

19.30 Referee: Scott Mathieson

19.24 Sheffield United at Wembley await the winner of this tie after the Blades last night defeated Stevenage in their semi-final. A place in the Championship is the prize.

19.21 MK Dons have switched to a 4-3-3 formation. With Alan Smith carrying a knock from Saturday, he drops down to the bench as Jay O'Shea takes a place in the starting XI. O'Shea will slot into the centre of midfield. Smith and Luke Chadwick offer experience from the bench.

19.17 MK Dons team: Martin, Chicksen, MacKenzie, Shaun Williams, Lewington, Daniel Powell, Gleeson, Potter, Bowditch, O'Shea, MacDonald. Subs: McLoughlin, Doumbe, Smith, Ibehre, Chadwick.

19.16 Huddersfield boss Grayson makes one change to his starting XI from the first leg. Midfielder Scott Arfield has failed to recover in time from the ankle injury he sustained at stadiummk, so Kallum Higginbotham takes his place. Calum Woods has recovered from injury.

19.12 Huddersfield team: Bennett, Hunt, Clarke, Morrison, Woods, Higginbotham, Johnson, Miller, Ward, Rhodes, Novak. Subs: Smithies, Roberts, Clarke, Lee, Robinson.

19.06 Simon Grayson's Huddersfield hold a 2-0 aggregate lead over Karl Robinson's MK Dons after an excellent first-leg performance last Saturday. Can the away team overturn that deficit in Yorkshire tonight? You can get in touch at peter.fraser@bskyb.com or via Twitter @SkySportsPeteF.

18.53 Hello and welcome to our live an interactive coverage of the League One play-off semi-final second leg between Huddersfield and MK Dons at the Galpharm Stadium.

Sky Bet

    • Retrieving latest Sky Bet odds

Facebook Favourites