Huddersfield Town 4-0 Blackpool: New head coach Neil Critchley watches on as strong reserve side are well beaten

Critchley was joined by his new backroom team David Dunn, Tommy Johnson and Steve Banks on the touchline as the Seasiders were well beaten in this Central League fixture at Huddersfield’s Canalside training ground.

Mark Howard captained a Pool side that also included the likes of Jordan Thorniley, Ryan Edwards, Teddy Howe, Ben Garrity, Grant Ward, Sean Scannell and Joe Nuttall.

The Seasiders, led by Ian Dawes, made a promising enough start to this rainy encounter, with Nuttall looking confident leading the line after his stoppage-time winner against Ipswich Town at the weekend.

The striker bustled his way down the right after 10 minutes before pulling the ball back across the face of goal, but no-one in tangerine was there to meet his cross.

Huddersfield, who fielded a talented Under-23 side with manager Danny Cowley also watching on, soon grew into the game and began causing all sorts of problems in the final third.

The hosts almost capitalised on a Thorniley mistake on the halfway line, which allowed Huddersfield to break on the counter before Jaheim Headley saw his low drive tipped around the post by Howard - one of several eye-catching saves from the 33-year-old.

At the other end, Nuttall continued to cause problems with his height and strength, the 23-year-old playing wing-back Teddy Howe through down the right only for the January recruit to see his cross deflect into the side netting, almost beating the goalkeeper at his near post.

Howard was forced into action for a second time on 37 minutes, the experienced shot stopper producing a superb reaction stop to deny Matty Daly after a ricochet had fallen kindly for the Huddersfield man.

Headley was denied by Howard for a second time on 41 minutes, but there was nothing the goalkeeper could have done to stop the home side taking the lead a minute later.

The goal came from the boot of Demeaco Duhaney, who was allowed the time and space to turn on the edge of the Blackpool box before curling home a shot into the top corner.

The Seasiders ought to have produced an instant response when Sean Graham, back from his loan spell with Irish side Larne, was denied from close range before blazing an effort well over on the rebound.

Pool were made to pay for that miss as Huddersfield went on to double their lead with the last action of the opening half.

It came after Huddersfield were allowed to run the full length of the pitch, the hosts eventually feeding the ball through to on-loan Everton striker Kieran Phillips who finished emphatically into the far corner.

Pool wasted a half-chance of sorts to reduce the arrears 10 minutes into the second half when Ryan Edwards volleyed over after Huddersfield had failed to clear their lines from a corner.

Once again, Huddersfield soon punished them, Phillips making it 3-0 five minutes later with his second of the game.

The Seasiders were cut apart again, as the hosts were allowed the freedom to play the ball across the face of goal for Phillips to tap home.

He turned his brace into a hat-trick 15 minutes later when he prodded home from close range once again after a catalogue of errors at the back.

January addition Ben Garrity, who was probably Blackpool’s only real standout performer of the day, headed over after being left unmarked from a Grant Ward corner.

The Seasiders were reliant on yet another impressive Howard stop on 82 minutes to stop them from conceding a fifth, as he denied Will McGamley as Huddersfield broke at speed with numbers.

Pool’s misery was compounded with six minutes to go when Thorniley, who hasn’t appeared for the first team since the defeat at Oxford United, was forced to hobble off with an injury after coming off second best in a heavy challenge.

Ryan Edwards wasted the chance to add a consolation in the final minute when he saw a header well saved by the keeper from point-blank range.

Blackpool’s reserve side are back in action on Tuesday, March 17 when they take on Fylde coast neighbours Fleetwood Town.

TEAM: Howard, Graham, Edwards, Thorniley (Winstanley), Howe, Walls (Adarkwa), Garrity, Antwi (Smith), Ward, Scannell (Apter), Nuttall

Subs not used: Kellett