Huddersfield Town 1 - Swindon Town 0 (From Swindon Advertiser)

Huddersfield Town 1 - Swindon Town 0

7:31am Monday 11th February 2008 in Sport By Andy Cryer

JON-PAUL McGovern pulled no punches after Town's impotent display at the Galpharm Stadium on Saturday - admitting the travelling fans deserved a big apology.

As is becoming increasingly the common theme of the Robins' current League One form, a lack of creativity and spark left their fans with little to cheer on a dour afternoon in Yorkshire.

To be fair, Phil Jevons' only goal of the game on 50 seconds was as good as it got for the neutral as well, with both sides producing an offensively inept performance that left the two goalkeepers virtual bystanders.

Boasting the creative attacking options of Simon Cox, Christian Roberts, Sofiene Zaaboub, Anthony McNamee and Moses Ashikodi, Town fans were rightly salivating at the potential, but something is just not clicking.

Terriers' keeper Matt Glennon was only tested once all afternoon, a weak Simon Cox header late on, as a series of crosses and passes in the final third threatened the supporters in the stands more than the goal.

Skipper and makeshift striker Hasney Aljofree almost stole a point in the dying seconds when he fired just over the bar, but the fact it took 94 minutes to create a chance of any real substance summed up their attacking threat.

McGovern said: "I am bitterly disappointed. It was a bad start to lose a goal so early on. Something can be taken from the second half but I think all the boys know that was not good enough.

"For the fans that have travelled down that is not good enough for them to come and watch. We can only apologise and hopefully Tuesday will bring a better game.

"I just don't think we did enough. I don't think we created enough chances. Up front we were looking for the ball to stick and the middle were trying to support, but I just don't think there were many people at it today."

The normally reliable Jerel Ifil was the first to shoulder the blame for Jevons' first-minute winner, but with 89 minutes remaining the bigger concern will be their lack of composure and quality in their efforts to put his wrongs right.

Having given away a soft foul on the right, Ifil could only head Andy Holdsworth's free-kick straight at Jevons, who easily hammered home from close range.

Referee Mr Graham may as well have blown the final whistle there and then as Huddersfield went into their shell, seemingly content with the one goal, and Town never looked capable of breaking down their solid rearguard action.

Sofiene Zaaboub, Cox and Aljofree could have made the long journey home that bit more bearable for Town fans in an improved second half, but by the end McGovern was in agreement with his manager - it was just not good enough.

He said: "We lost an early goal but you try not to think about that because games can be won and lost in a split second.

"There were mistakes and things that happened, but at the end of the day it was just not good enough from the team as a whole.

"I think other teams have seen us play a little bit now and have maybe changed their tactics to counteract ours. I think Northampton did the same last week.They stuck to the long ball and missed out the midfield which is a vital part for us in terms of creating chances.

"We are just bitterly disappointed. It is a long way home after a performance like that. I think in general there are a lot of good players who are not doing good things. It is just not good enough."

Malpas gave Watford loanee Ashikodi the nod ahead of Blair Sturrock in attack with Cox, a decision that back-fired on him as the youngster struggled to get to grips to the game.

Michael Pook was introduced at half time in his place, as Lee Peacock reverted to his old striking position, but even throwing Sturrock on in a three-pronged attack late on failed to deliver any more attacking threat.

"I think in the second half with Peacock up there we did a bit better and that is credit to the manager for noticing it and changing it," said McGovern.

"I think every game in this league every team can beat every team. Tuesday is a chance for us to put this behind us and get back to where we should be and to where we know we can be.

"If we set our stall out right we can be competing with everyone and can be up there firing. We had gone nine unbeaten and need to do that again."