Goals from Harry Bunn, Nakhi Wells and Ishmael Miller condemned Reading to defeat on a thoroughly forgettable night in Yorkshire.

This was game number six in 17 days for Clarke's side but no one would've envisaged wholesale changes to a team that produced one of their best results of the season on Saturday.

Incredibly, the six changes were all in midfield and attack, and it showed throughout as the Royals lacked any sort of cutting edge against a Terriers side that conceded four at home last time out.

The result leaves Reading 15th in the Championship, nine points above the relegation zone.

Yakubu was given his first start and Danny Guthrie made his first appearance since the FA Cup game at Huddersfield in early January.

Jake Taylor, Garath McCleary, Hope Akpan and Oliver Norwood also came into the side as Clarke rang the changes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a sluggish start by the Royals and Jack Robinson had already tested Adam Federici from distance in the opening stages before the hosts seized the initiative in the 10th minute.

Jacob Butterfield whipped in a free-kick and Harry Bunn was left all alone to head past Federici at the far post.

It was poor from the Royals and the worst possible start but they steadily started to work their way into the game at a bitterly cold John Smith's Stadium.

Akpan had the first real chance for Clarke's side as he met a Norwood corner with a diving header but the Alex Smithies was equal to it as he palmed it away for a corner.

Seven minutes later and Norwood nearly posted a goal of the season contender as he tried his luck from just inside the Huddersfield half, having spotted Smithies off his line.

The Northern Ireland international took aim and Smithies was scrambling but he managed to get back and tip it over the bar.

Royals forced plenty of corners and enjoyed long spells of possession but they were lacking a cutting edge, with the hosts nearly scoring a second on the stroke of half-time.

Federici lost the ball on the edge of his box after a poor touch and Bunn nipped in to steal the ball. He squared it to Wells but the Reading defence managed to put him off and his effort struck the base of the post.

It was a huge let-off for the Royals but they failed to take advantage of the reprieve and their abject performance continued into the second half, with a Federici howler gifting the Terriers their second goal in the 55th minute.

The Reading defence stood off Butterfield and he took the opportunity to strike from distance and although it swerved, Federici could only fumble the ball into the path of Wells, who stabbed the ball into an empty net.

Clarke reacted to his side's blunt attacking display by bringing on Nick Blackman and Jamie Mackie for Jake Taylor and Danny Guthrie.

Taylor and Guthrie were surprise conclusions and it didn't pay off as they failed to make any impact whatsoever.

It was Chris Powell's side that looked the more likely to grab a third and Federici did well to keep out long-range efforts from Miller and Bunn as Huddersfield sensed the opportunity to kill the game off.

But it was only a temporary reprieve as the third goal eventually arrived in the 74th minute and it came courtesy of Miller as he finished off a fine counter-attacking move that started just outside the hosts' box.

James Vaughan' inch-perfect lobbed through ball beat Michael Hector and Miller ran onto it to dink the ball over the advancing Federici.

It was the least Huddersfield deserved against a dismal Reading side, who had just a long-range effort from Blackman to show for their second half endeavours.

Reading: Adam Federici, Stephen Kelly (Hal Robson-Kanu '72), Michael Hector, Alex Pearce, Jordan Obita, Danny Guthrie (Nick Blackman '59), Oliver Norwood, Hope Akpan, Jake Taylor (Jamie Mackie '59), Garath McCleary, Yakubu. Subs: Mikkel Andersen, Jake Cooper, Chris Gunter, Nathaniel Chalobah, Jamie Mackie, Hal Robson-Kanu, Nick Blackman.

Huddersfield Alex Smithies, David Edgar, Mark Hudson, Jonathan Hogg, Jacob Butterfield, Ishmael Miller, Murray Wallace, Jack Robinson, Nakhi Wells (James Vaughan '56), Tommy Smith, Harry Bunn. Subs: Joe Murphy, James Vaughan, Joe Lolley, Oscar Gobern, William Boyle, Joe Wright, Radoslaw Majewski.