Huddersfield 2-1 Notts County
- Published
Huddersfield Town set a new Football League record of 43 games unbeaten with victory over Notts County.
After a cagey first half of few chances, the hosts took the lead straight from the restart when Jordan Rhodes headed in Jack Hunt's cross.
The Terriers were soon reduced to 10 men when Alan Lee was sent off for elbowing Magpies defender Sam Sodje.
But Rhodes smashed home a second from 30 yards before Neal Bishop fired home a consolation deep in stoppage time.
The Terriers had matched Nottingham Forest's Football League record of 42 games unbeaten when they drew with Walsall a fortnight ago.
This latest result leaves them just six short of matching Arsenal's English record of 49 league games unbeaten, which included going the whole of the 2003-04 Premier League season without defeat.
Huddersfield have not been beaten in a league game in the whole of 2011, their last defeat having come in a 4-1 reverse at Southampton, external on 28 December 2010, although in that time they have lost the League One play-off final and ties in the Carling Cup, FA Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
It is a run that has comprised 25 wins and 18 draws.
For the whole of the first half it appeared that, if Lee Clark's side were to set a new mark they would have to do it with a draw after being frustrated by the Magpies, who arguably had the best chance when Karl Hawley's shot on the turn flew narrowly wide.
But Rhodes lit up the Galpharm Stadium at the start of the second half when he nodded Hunt's pinpoint cross into the roof of the net from close range.
Clark had to reshuffle when Lee was shown a straight red card for elbowing Sodje, but Rhodes soon settled any nerves when he pounced on Krystian Pearce's slip to beat Stuart Nelson with a superb finish from outside the box.
Despite their numerical advantage, Notts struggled to create openings, although they did pull a goal back with virtually the last kick when Bishop beat Ian Bennett with a deflected drive.
Huddersfield's next game is away to league leaders Charlton a week on Monday in a top-of-the-table clash.
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Notts County manager Martin Allen told BBC Radio Nottingham:
Notts players were magnificent - Allen
"I thought we played very well. Obviously it was a big occasion. We kept a clean sheet in the first half and played very well.
"The last thing we said before we went out for the second half...get ready mentally. You have to say that it was a fantastic header from the young lad, but our players were magnificent.
"They stood their ground, they battled and stood up to it, and the players are unhappy that we haven't got something out of it."