Bowyer fears loss of strikers

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Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes became the first Rovers strike pair since Kevin Gallacher and Chris Sutton to both reach 20 goals in a season after scoring against the Terriers.

And Bowyer knows his hot properties will attract the attention of Premier League clubs this summer.

He said: “Every player in the Championship is for sale. Of course, you don’t want to lose them and they are not the finished article yet, they can both improve on certain aspects of their game.

“But they can do the hardest part, which is score goals.”

Gestede has spoken of his desire to play at the top level and Bowyer said: “You want players who are hungry and want to improve themselves. You don’t want players who are just happy to turn up for work.

“If I was to lose either of them I would have to find another 20-goal striker and with the transfer embargo we have that might prove challenging.”

Gestede made it five goals in a week in the 26th minute when he picked up Rhodes’ effort and fired home a deflected opener.

Rhodes bagged his 20th of the campaign five minutes later – and became the first Rovers player since Alan Shearer to hit 20 league goals in three consecutive seasons – when he headed home unmarked from a Craig Conway corner.

Jacob Butterfield pulled one back for Town six minutes before the break when he curled a free-kick into the top corner.

Early in the second half Nahki Wells had a goal disallowed for offside but the home side rescued their five-match unbeaten run when substitute Joe Lolley pounced six minutes from time to smash home a half-volley from the edge of the box.

Bowyer believed there were question marks over both Town goals and said: “The officials played a big part in the two goals. I think there were fouls in both but there we are.

“Given the injuries we have and the restrictions of the embargo we are doing well.”

Huddersfield boss Chris Powell praised his players for protecting the unbeaten run and said: “We started the game well but found ourselves 1-0 and then 2-0 down but we showed great character to come back.

“In the end we deserved at least a point if not all three.

“There’s a spirit and a feelgood factor around the club right now. After the defeat at Fulham, where we shouldn’t have lost, we sat down as a group and the target I set was to go through the last seven matches unbeaten.

“We knew if we did that we would be safe. Even after the Notts Forest game when we were mathematically safe I told the players to be professional. I didn’t want anybody to accuse them of clocking off or being on the beach.

“What we have now is a squad that is together and the players have belief in themselves and each other.

“Results have been up and down this season, which is quite usual in the Championship unless you are a Watford or a Bournemouth, and we know where we are but we are striving to be better.”