Nakhi Wells scored twice in a preseason friendly against Rochdale on Saturday.

The Huddersfield Town striker’s performance was a bright spot in his side’s 4-3 defeat, with Chris Powell, the Huddersfield manager, describing Wells as “almost unplayable” afterwards.

However, there were plenty of concerns for Powell’s side defensively, with Calvin Andrew and Lewis Alessandra putting Rochdale 2-0 up inside the first 15 minutes.

“I wanted the players to show me why they should be in the team and as a collective it didn’t happen in the first-half. Some of the goals we conceded were poor,” Powell told the Huddersfield Examiner afterwards.

Wells finally got his side on the scoreboard in the 23rd minute, curling a free-kick from the edge of the box into the top corner, after Harry Bunn had been brought down by Joe Rafferty, the Rochdale captain.

Rochdale added a third soon after Wells’s first, as Callum Camps, the midfielder, rifled a shot past Alex Smithies, the Huddersfield goalkeeper, from 25-yards out.

A few minutes later Wells was involved in another goal, placing a deep cross in front of Sean Scannell, who fired it past Josh Lillis, the Rochdale goalkeeper, to make it 3-2.

Huddersfield, however, were unable to keep their opponents from scoring, and went in two goals behind after a defensive mix-up presented Camps with the easiest of finishes.

Powell said afterwards that some choice words were spoken at half time, and whatever they were had an immediate effect, with Wells scoring three minutes after the restart.

The Bermuda striker was released into space down the left, cut in on to his right foot, and fired the ball past Lillis at his near post.

Wells should have had a third with an hour gone, but instead of heading a perfect cross from Joe Lolley, Wells attempted to take the ball on his chest and it was hacked clear.

Lillis kept out a final Wells effort as the game drew to a close and Rochdale hung on to condemn Huddersfield to their second defeat in four days.

“It may be preseason, but nobody should think that winning games doesn’t matter because it does to me,” Powell said. “There may be no points at stake, but there will be soon.”