Huddersfield Town 3 v Charlton Athletic 1

Two Sky Sports updates within a couple of late first half minutes ended my interest in our visit to the Galpharm yesterday. Jordan Rhodes is the type of player we are lacking and I fear that will tell come May. The fact that Huddersfield have managed to pair him with Alan Lee confirms why they are warm favourites for promotion this year.

It's a shame we couldn't hang on until the break, but all-in-all, it's no great loss and it's one of the three hardest fixtures of the season out of the way (Southampton and Peterborough away). Huddersfield will have to come to the Valley next year where we will get the opportunity to even things up. Ross Worner appears to have been given part of the blame for the first two goals by Parky, but that sounds harsh from the reports I have read elsewhere - maybe it's the best excuse he had at the moment? I didn't know he was playing until this morning and yet the result was no surprise. We are vulnerable when we have just conceded away from home, so no surprise either that they quickly went two up from a corner at which their man had a free header.

Things should look different this week. I couldn't care less about the JPT but we should expect to see off Dagenham & Redbridge at the Valley. In view of the number of new faces and our relative lack of playing time, I would put out a near full side. I'll miss the game as I am travelling back from Cyprus on Tuesday evening but I expect to hear that we have seen them off.

On Saturday we face Notts County who are still adjusting to League One and it's an ideal time to beat them and score some goals. Er, we have another away game at Exeter on Saturday. I suspect Mr Benson will finally be signed, having tactfully sat out Tuesday's encounter, and will put in an appearance alongside Pawel Abbott on Saturday. He might be 30 and lower league standard but we are very short up front and we will be better with him in the side. Just how much better is the big question and I fear our fortune this season will depend largely upon it.