BLACKBURN Rovers made it five games unbeaten at Ewood Park thanks to a Danny Graham penalty against Huddersfield Town.

The point keeps Rovers one place above the Championship relegation zone thanks to Graham’s fifth of the season.

Huddersfield dominated for large parts of the first half, and should have led going in to the break.  The goal they did score came from a sixth minute set play which was turned in by Kasey Palmer.

But having wasted several more good chances, Rovers were handed a lifeline in the 34th minute when referee Simon Hooper adjudged Michael Hefele to have brought down Sam Gallagher.  Strike partner Graham stepped up to take and confidently slotted the ball down the middle.

Owen Coyle made one enforced change from the last two wins, with Ryan Nyambe coming in for his first Championship start at right-back, replacing the suspended Ben Marshall.  Gordon Greer and Danny Guthrie both returned from injury to take their places on the bench, while loanee Jack Byrne also returned to the 18 with Anthony Stokes and Wes Brown dropping out along with Marshall.

The youngster didn’t have to wait long to be part of the action, and make a vital clearance for his side.  Huddersfield worked the ball well out to their right-hand-side, but as Nakhi Wells looked on hand to turn in Rajiv van La Parra’s cross, the full-back got his foot in to clear the danger.

It was a bright start from the visitors which saw them lead after just five minutes.  It came from Kasey Palmer, as the midfielder headed home from just six yards out as he met Chris Lowe’s corner.

That was reward for a particularly bright start from the Terriers, who should have led moments before from another left-wing set play.  This time it was Aaron Moy taking it, with his low delivery turned wide, via a deflection from Michael Hefele inside the six yard box.

Jason Lowe was carded in the 13th minute for pulling back van La Parra as he halted another Terriers attack.  But from the resulting free-kick, Mooy tried his luck from all of 30 yards, only to see his effort tipped on to the bar and over by the fingertips of Jason Steele.

The Rovers goal was leading something of a charmed life in the opening quarter, as Huddersfield went close twice from set plays either side of the 20 minute mark.  The first saw Hefele again first to Mooy’s delivery only to find the back of Nyambe when he looked certain to score.  And from the resulting corner, Mooy’s deeper delivery found Cranie whose powerful header cannoned back off the bar as Rovers managed to clear.

Cranie had been brought in for his first start of the season for Huddersfield, and should have had himself a goal in the 23rd minute.  Aaron Mooy ghosted past Sam Gallagher after his initial corner was only half cleared, and he teed up the right-back who never looked confident as he spooned his effort over the bar.

Huddersfield appeared a yard quicker, often robbing Rovers of possession, and after Nyambe was caught in possession, the Terriers broke at pace.  The overlapping Cranie put in an excellent pull-back, with Rovers forced twice to bloke efforts from Palmer and Wells.

The pendulum showed no sign of swinging Rovers’ way when another incisive break from the visitors saw Nakhi Wells skip past Mulgrew and tee up van La Parra who, after breaking in to the box, could only find the gloves of Steele.

Rovers, who had seen a Derrick Williams header flash wide from a Feeney cross, were looking for a break to get themselves back in to the game and that came 11 minutes before the break.  Hefele got too tight to Sam Gallagher and could only bring down the Rovers frontmanm with referee Simon Hooper on the spot to give a penalty.

As he did in the last home game against Brentford, Danny Graham took the responsibility from 12 yards and put the ball down the middle for his fifth of the season against the run of play.

There was time for one more Huddersfield chance before the break though, and it fell again to van La Parra, again after Rovers were robbed of possession.  Danny Graham was the culprit this time, with Kachunga picking his pocket before setting up van La Parra who curled an effort just inches over the bar.

Aaron Mooy had shown his qualities in the opening 45 minutes, and it took just four minutes after the break for him to go close.  He found himself in space 30 yards from goal, and as Rovers tried to close him down, he fired off a lovely effort which went just over the bar.

Corry Evans tried his luck from similar range moments later after a long throw was cleared only as far as him, but on the half volley, he couldn’t keep his effort down as Ward watched it over the top.

The Huddersfield pressure continued, and only two excellent blocks from Darragh Lenihan denied Kachunga getting an effort away, and Wells a certain tap-in, while at the other end Danny Graham flashed a header wide as he met a Derrick Williams delivery.

Set plays continued to be an avenue of joy for the visitors though.  Just before the hour mark it was a well worked corner that saw the ball played on the floor to Mooy whose first effort was palmed away by Steele, and the follow-up blocked by Mulgrew as Rovers survived.

Steele was called in to action again in the 65th minute.  This time he was forced to palm behind an Elias Kachunga drive as the forward did well to hold off Nyambe on the left edge of the box before getting his shot away.

The game was starting to become a real open affair, with both sides committing bodies forward.  Rovers were next to threaten, as after picking up the ball on the left touchline, Sam Gallagher had nothing else in his mind than to cut in and shoot.  And after turning Hefele inside out, he flashed a shot just wide.

The game was really starting to open up as the game ticked in to the final 20 minutes.  Steele was forced to deny another Mooy effort, before Gallagher saw an effort deflected wide.

Moments after having a penalty appeal turned down, Graham just couldn’t quite get an effort away after good hold-up play as Rovers’ change appeared to add some impetus to their game.

The chances continued to come for both sides and just moments after Liam Feeney had wasted a two-on-one counter-attacking opportunity when his attempted pass was cut out, Rovers smothered Terriers breakaway, before Hefele saw a header go wide from a corner.

Rovers failed to take advantage of a number of good counter-attacking opportunities though, but had to stay alert to deal with any potential threat.

Mulgrew and Lenihan won plenty of aerial balls, while Steele was forced in to a late save to deny a Kasey Palmer deflected drive.