Fliss Jones secures last-minute winner as Huddersfield Town survive Blackburn scare

The table-topping Terriers let a two-goal lead slip against bottom side Blackburn before grabbing a 90th minute winner to claim a 3-2 win

Huddersfield Town Women needed a 90th-minute goal to rescue the full three points and stay top of the league after bottom side Blackburn Rovers fought back from two goals down.

Town began the game with high intensity against a Blackburn side who are yet to claim a point this season. Louise Biggins was denied by a good save from a set piece, while and Autumn Housley’s was unable to make the most of a Kate Mallin’s corner as she headed straight at the keeper.

Town secured their first goal on 11 minutes. Biggins cut the ball back to Felicity Jones, who fired the ball into the net from six yards out.

Town kept on the pressure throughout the half and doubled their lead on 33 minutes as Rebecca Beresford released Lucy Allman — a recent arrival from Blackburn — to cross for Mallin to score.

Blackburn keeper Skye Kirkham kept Town from extending their lead any further before the break, but had the crossbar to thank as Biggins saw a close-range strike come back off the woodwork.

So it was totally against the run of play when the visitors pulled a goal back after nearly 45 minutes of one-way traffic. Terriers keeper Bethan Davies made two saves in quick succession, but Ashley Tiripke scrambled home at the third time of asking.

Town continued to fail to make their opportunities count after the break and were again caught out on 75 minutes in comical fashion as Blackburn made it 2-2, with Clara Butler making the most of a collision between Davies and Housley by taking the loose ball and slotting it into the unguarded net.

Both sides pushed for a winner from there, but both looked to have missed their best chance to do so as Burgess hit the bar in the 90th minute only for Blackburn to race up the other end and hit the woodwork themselves.

But there was still time for Town to get the job done, with Jones firing home after being teed up by Biggins.

Manager Glen Preston breathed a sigh of relief after the game, saying: “Very stressful. At 2-0 I felt we were probably too comfortable, it could have been four or five, and I felt we weren’t punishing them. We left the back door left open and conceded a really soft set piece towards the end of the first half.

“I was really annoyed with that. I even said to them, ‘that’s going to change the atmosphere of their dressing room and give them belief’ — and that’s exactly how it panned out. Their side came out all guns fighting in the second half and they gave us a hell of a game.”

“We’ve managed to make sure we get just over the line somehow.

“I feel relieved more than anything else. [After the winner I didn’t really celebrate and jump up like the rest of the players did — I was more sort of a little bit annoyed because how have we got ourselves in this situation?

“There could be a gift in this for us if we choose to look at it that way. Psychologically there is so much more value that we have had to fight back from adversity. That bounce back shows that character and shows that we can get a last minute winner. It shows that we can do it and come back from any situation. The character in the dressing room can really be raised from moments like that.”

Next up for Town is a trip to Doncaster Rovers Belles on Sunday 14th December in a 2pm kick-off.