Sheffield Wednesday 4-4 Huddersfield Town

By Edward Elliot at Hillsborough

 

JORDAN Rhodes fired four goals, including a last-gasp equaliser, as Huddersfield drew 4-4 with Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

 

Scotland international Rhodes struck twice inside the first 16 minutes to put the Terriers two up but goals from Rob Jones and Reda Johnson restored parity.

 

Second-half strikes from Ben Marshall and Chris O’Grady looked to have won it for Wednesday but Rhodes completed his hat-trick 13 minutes from the end before silencing the home crowd with a leveller in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

 

Despite dropping two points at the death, Owls boss Gary Megson refused to dwell on the disappointment and felt his side suffered at the hands of a top-class striker.

 

“You’ve probably seen everything there in one 90 minutes,” Megson said.

 

“We’d lost it, won it and eventually drew it so there’s a lot, and I mean a huge amount, of positives.

 

“Jordan Rhodes, in my opinion, is the best striker outside the Premier League and he will play in the Premier League - his finishing was marvellous."

 

In a high-tempo opening, Rhodes missed a golden opportunity in the early stages before making amends in the 12th minute.

 

Winger Gary Roberts wriggled free on the left and produced a pinpoint for cross for the Terriers’ top-scorer to head in off the underside of the crossbar with the aid of a deflection.

 

Roberts was again the supplier four minutes later, delivering to the near post for Rhodes to glance his second into the top left-hand corner past stranded Owls goalkeeper Stephen Bywater. 

 

Wednesday striker O’Grady came close to reducing the deficit with a blocked effort at the other end before the hosts drew level with two goals inside three minutes.

 

Marshall robbed Terriers’ full-back Jack Hunt to pick out the head of skipper Jones for the first after 26 minutes and left-back Johnson slid home the second moments later following a goalmouth scramble.

 

The hosts introduced Ryan Lowe at the interval and their attacking intent was rewarded as Marshall turned the tie in their favour 18 minutes after the restart.

 

Following another mistake from right-back Hunt, the impressive Stoke loanee raced into the Terriers’ penalty area to calmly slot past keeper Ian Bennett.

 

The Owls then looked to be in complete control 16 minutes from time when O’Grady connected with Chris Lines’ searching free-kick to loop home a header but three minutes later Rhodes poked instinctively past Bywater to complete his hat-trick and set up a tense finish.

 

And just when it appeared Wednesday had held on to three precious points, Rhodes latched onto a pass from substitute Jon Parkin to stab the ball into the bottom left-hand corner and salvage a draw for the West Yorkshire side.

 

Huddersfield manager Lee Clark admitted that he enjoyed the entertainment of the game and also reserved special praise for Rhodes.

 

“It has been a magnificent football match by two groups of players showing tremendous character for their clubs and their supporters,” Clark said.

 

“We kept getting chances and when you’ve got someone in the form of our striker [Rhodes], at this moment in time, if you give him the service, nine, nine-and-a-half times out of ten it will be in the back of the net and that was the case.

 

“The people of Yorkshire tonight can be proud of their teams.”

 

 

Sheffield Wednesday: Bywater; R. Johnson, Jones, Batth, Tavernier; Marshall (Bennett 90), Lines, Semedo, Prutton, O’Grady, Watt (Lowe 46)

 

Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, J. Johnson, Morrison

 

Huddersfield: Bennett; Naysmith, Bruce, Clarke, Hunt; Roberts, Miller, Gobern, Ward (McDermott 71); Novak (Parkin 83), Rhodes

 

Unused substitutes: Colgan, Woods, Arfield

 

Goals:

Sheff Wed: Jones (26), R. Johnson (28), Marshall (63), O’Grady (74) Huddersfield: Rhodes (12, 16, 77, 90+7)

 

Bookings:

Sheff Wed: Watt (45+3), Batth (50), Lowe (78), Lines (90+1), Semedo (90+3)

Huddersfield: P Clarke (21), Bruce (52), Miller (74), Gobern (84)