Horrific weather dominated the game at Boundary Park, with corner flags indicating the wind was blowing in all four directions at once whilst the rain pounded down.

Athletic were hit with a triple injury blow prior to the game, with Chris Taylor (hamstring), Alex Marrow (back) and Kelvin Lomax (hairline leg fracture) all missing for Athletic, whilst Andy Holdsworth and Deane Smalley both played, the latter for the first time this season.

Latics were also buoyed by the return of Joe Jacobson to the matchday squad, another member of the side yet to make an appearance this season.

Huddersfield meanwhile named local boy Jordan Rhodes, son of former Latic Andy, in their starting line up, the youngster having scored 9 times in 12 outings for Town so far this season.

Before the game Athletic Captain Sean Gregan was presented with the Player of the Month award for October, having been a rock at the back for Latics in recent weeks.

The game was constantly beset by the changing weather, preventing either side from really establishing themselves as the dominant force in the tie and restricting both sides to speculative long range efforts.

Keigan Parker had the best chance of the half for Athletic, when he raced clear from inside his own half only to see his shot blocked at the last second by Pilkington, whilst Rhodes glanced the top of the Latics bar with a free header for the visitors.

Seconds later Town had a claim for a penalty waved away, Gregan diving in on Novak and deflecting the ball wide for a corner. Referee Kettle ruling it had hit the Latics Captain in the face and not on his arm, as claimed by the Town players and fans.

Just short of the hour marker Athletic paid the ultimate price for a Reuben Hazell foul, following some lax midfield play, when Robbie Williams curled a left footed drive around the wall and into the Athletic goal, Dean Brill unable to save the ball at his near post.

Despite replacing Joe Colbeck with Nick Blackman and Keigan Parker with Kieran Lee Latics struggled to threaten the visitor's goal in the last half hour, Abbott having the side's best chance when he raced on to an inch perfect ball into the channel by Holdsworth before smashing a shot on goal, Smithies somehow able to palm the ball clear, only to see it ricochet off Blackman and inches over the bar.

Jordan Rhodes, scorer of 9 goals in 12 games, somehow failed to double the hosts lead with 8 minutes remaining, as Athletic chased the game, when a Roberts ball in from a free kick on the left found him totally unmarked on the penalty spot, the league's third highest scorer somehow unable to head on target.

The result was a disappointment for Athletic, after the good away performance at Brighton, which leaves them just inside the bottom half of League One with a difficult couple of weeks ahead, not least of which is the FA Cup tie against Leeds United on Saturday (K/O 17:15).