Huddersfield 0, Liverpool 2; by Steve Teale, T&A Reporter.

Town manager Steve Bruce leapt to the defence of Clyde Wijnhard after the striker blew a chance to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup.

With cooler finishing the former Leeds United man could have netted a hat-trick as Town dominated their Premiership opponents. He missed three one-on-ones with keeper Sander Westerveld but Bruce refused to criticise him.

"I was delighted with everything except the finishing but my strikers have been great so far this season - I'm not going to start criticising them now," he said. "We are a good footballing side but we didn't take the sort of chances which we have been taking recently. We are top scorers in the league.

"Gerard Houllier congratulated me after the match. He said he thought we played well and hoped we would win promotion which is very nice to hear. At the end of the day we can take all the plaudits - but we have still lost and I don't like losing.

"It's a matter of taking heart from the positive aspects of this performance and making sure we keep our league form going. In many ways next week's game against Grimsby is more important for us than this one. But we will be up for that game, I have no worries on that score.

"It was an excellent performance. We played some great football, especially in the first half. But sometimes when you miss three or four good chances in the opening 30 minutes, you start to think that it's not going to be your day.

"I enjoyed the atmosphere. The whole town got behind us. It is my job to get this sort of atmosphere week in, week out."

Liverpool manager Houllier was full of praise for Town. He said: "We knew it was the type of game which could bring an upset but we beat them because we played well. Huddersfield had some dangerous strikes in the first half - they are a very good side. This match was an education for some of my players who have not played in the FA Cup before."

But after such a positive performance, full of determination and passion from the home side, Houllier can see no reason why Town should not be in the Premiership next season.

"You have to give them some credit because they had some dangerous strikes, particularly during the first half.

"But we knew when we came in at half-time 1-0 up that the second half would be a lot easier for us. I was happy at the end because we are a young side which is still learning and improving in many areas of the game."

Town - cheered on by a record McAl-pine crowd of 23,678 - made chance after chance, pressing Liverpool back for long periods, but ran out losers after the visitors scored in each half.

Titi Camera hit the first - an acrobatically taken volley from a Vladimir Smicer cross in the 38th minute. And substitute Dominic Matteo made it 2-0 in the second half with a cool finish.

Town were certainly not over-awed. In fact, they dominated the first half creating five clear chances. The difference was the visitors converted theirs.

Liverpool, without Patrick Berger and Robbie Fowler, still fielded an array of stars including Michael Owen and Dietmar Hamman. But the visitors rode their luck from the word go with Town going for the jugular.

In fact, Town ought to have been 2-0 up in the first five minutes. Jamie Vincent created the first with a corner which came to Kenny Irons on the edge of the box but his shot was saved on the line by Westerveld with Wijnhard looming. Two minutes later Irons freed Wijnhard through the middle but his shot was blocked by the advancing Westerveld.

That was only the start. Town made all the running with Dean Gorre and Wijnhard heavily involved and Liverpool finding themselves caught in possession in midfield. Jamie Carragher twice surrendered the ball in his own half but Town lacked the composure to capitalise.

Town continued to press forward. First, Ben Thornley saw a solid shot deflected for a corner, then Gorre had another effort blocked. But the best fell to Wijnhard who picked up a loose ball but miscued in acres of space.

Liverpool only enjoyed brief flashes of brilliance with Camara influential.

Owen was hardly involved and gradually played a deeper role as Liverpool struggled to gain possession.

It was very much against the run of play when they took the lead with Smicer squeezing in a cross from the right and Camara meeting it smartly with a volley.

After the break, Town continued where they left off creating two further chances in quick succession. First, Vincent saw a shot deflect just wide and from the resulting corner Kevin Gray glanced a header just wide of the far post.

But Liverpool extended the lead in the 59th minute. Thornley lost possession in midfield and Camara broke down the right. With Town pressing forward, Dominic Matteo found space on the left, eluded Irons who slipped and met Camara's cross to score past Vaesen.

Town's eighth - and possibly best - chance fell to Wijnhard who met a perfectly flighted pass from Gray, turned his man and held off a challenge only to fire just wide.

Owen, meanwhile, was having a far less lively afternoon. In fact, his first shot on goal wasn't until the 59th minute when he turned Gray and was forced wide by Armstrong before forcing Vaesen into a good save at the near post.

Town continued to press with Marcus Stewart coming more into the game. Scott Sellars put him clear with a neat pass and Stewart cut back but his cross was cleared. And Greek winger George Donis - on for Thornley - had a beautifully struck shot tipped over by Westerveld.

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