Martin Drury rues ‘missed opportunity’ as Huddersfield held by 10-man Mansfield
Owen Dodgson was sent off less than two minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute.
Frustrated Huddersfield boss Martin Drury felt his side’s 0-0 draw at 10-man Mansfield was “a missed opportunity”.
The unbeaten Terriers were handed a great chance to take all three points when Owen Dodgson was sent off less than two minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute.
However, the promotion chasers failed to take full advantage as Ashley Fletcher failed to put away a close-range header just after the hour.
Marcus Harness, Ilias Bronkhorst and Cameron Humphreys all saw chances go begging as Huddersfield pushed late on.
“It is disappointing and frustrating,” Drury said: “Ultimately we weren’t good enough in the final third.
“The numbers we have hit are incredible but we haven’t scored a goal. I felt we lacked a little bit of quality and killer instinct in and around the box.
“I feel today is a missed opportunity for us but it’s a lesson we can learn early on in the season. I have seen those games go the other way late on and you get caught on the break on the counter.
“We looked really solid behind the ball but ultimately we have to take three points from that game.
“We weren’t clean enough in the final third. We should have scored in the first half, never mind the second half.
“We weren’t quite there with our decision-making, which is not like us, but it’s going to happen. Ultimately when the opposition goes down to 10 men we have to win.
“It’s disappointing that we haven’t taken three points but there are positives we can take.”
Mansfield boss Nigel Clough had no complaints at the decision to send off Dodgson.
“It’s a reckless challenge and I’m not sure what was going through Owen’s mind,” he said.
“I thought we were very good in the first half and played some good stuff with 11 and went to go toe-to-toe against one of the best sides in the division.
“I thought the back three were outstanding whether with 10 or 11. It’s important to keep our unbeaten run going at home.
“This will be as good a point as we will get all season. It’s strange how you get your first clean sheet under these circumstances. We shouldn’t have to use adversity to defend as though our lives depended on it, as we have today.
“We’ve got to match that with all our good play but still defend like that and then we will be getting towards being a good team.
“Every single player that went on the pitch did a job. That is what we need and what we are about as a team and a squad.”