JAMES Vaughan came back to haunt his old boss Dougie Freedman and snatch a point for Huddersfield on his return from injury.

The striker came off the bench to make his rescue act, after Mark Davies and Chris Eagles had seemingly steered Wanderers towards a deserved victory.

Injury-plagued Vaughan played under Freedman at Crystal Palace and the Whites boss had spoken about his threat earlier in the week when his return after a five-week lay-off looked likely.

His warning proved entirely correct as the former Everton prodigy struck an equaliser with three minutes to go and nearly grabbed a winner in stoppage time.

Wanderers should have been ahead after only three minutes when Keith Andrews turned a shot towards goal, bringing a fine save out of Alex Smithies.

The Huddersfield keeper then blocked Chris Eagles' effort at his near post, and within a few moments the wind had been completely taken out of the Whites' sails. Ollie Norwood's corner was turned into his own net – seemingly by Zat Knight – to hand the Terriers an undeserved lead.

One very nearly became two. Adam Bogdan blocked Adam Clayton's shot and when Simon Church kept the ball alive, Lee Novak crashed a shot against the bar.

At the other end, Andrews fired one just over the bar for Wanderers and then had a header cleared off the line by Jack Hunt, but the threat of an equaliser before the break dried up with the home side finishing much the stronger.

The impressive Hunt saw one effort blocked by Knight and another clawed from under his own bar by Bogdan.

Booed at the break by the 2,000 travelling fans, Wanderers did improve after the restart.

Eagles created a good chance for Chung-Yong Lee, which the Korean wasted by opting to cross rather than shoot for goal, and then missed one himself when taking an extra touch on Kevin Davies's through ball to allow Hunt to make a sliding challenge.

Ricketts then cut in from the right to curl a shot at goal, only to again find Smithies in the way.

It was no less than Wanderers deserved to draw level 20 minutes before the end as Eagles played the ball out to Chung-Yong and he slipped in Mark Davies to scamper into the penalty box and place a fine right-footed effort into the bottom corner.

It was the midfielder's fifth goal of the season and it visibly shook Huddersfield, who started to retreat into their shells.

They paid the price six minutes later when Sam Ricketts raided down the right, and then beat Dixon for pace, before being dragged down.

Eagles stepped up from the spot – his last penalty having been the one missed against Millwall Owen Coyle's final game – and he saw his effort from 12 yards pushed on to the post by Smithies.

It didn't deter Eagles nor Wanderers. And though they rode their luck a little when Knight's unnecessarily panicky clearance missed his own post by inches, the Whites deserved to seize the lead with 10 minutes to go.

It was a brilliant strike too, with Mark Davies back-heeling Spearing's through ball into Eagles path before the winger went from zero to hero by smashing the ball into the net.

Just as we began to entertain thoughts of victory, subs Alan Lee and James Vaughan combined, the latter with a fine angled strike inside the bottom corner to level the scores again.

Vaughan nearly grabbed a sensational winner five minutes into added on time, forcing Bogdan into a fingertip save.

That would have been harsh – but Wanderers' tendency to drop points from winning positions continues to cause problems.