On a miserable afternoon by the banks of the River Thames, Fulham were given a sharp reminder that their promotion to the Premier League is far from a sure thing. Huddersfield recorded their first win at Craven Cottage in 29 years on the back of a resolute defensive display, another predatory strike from Danny Ward and what looked a generous penalty from Duane Holmes. The Terriers extended their fine unbeaten run to fifteen games, surviving a late Fulham fightback sparked by Bobby Decordova-Reid’s strike seven minutes from time – with referee Tony Harrington somehow missing Sorba Thomas’ handling of Tosin Adarabioyo’s header. A point probably would have papered over the cracks of a below-par display from Marco Silva’s side, however.
Silva, who had warned his team of the perils of complacency in the build-up to this match, made one change to the team that had triumphed at Hull last weekend with Decordova-Reid included at the expense of Neeskens Kebano. He might have put Fulham in front twice in the first ten minutes, lashing wastefully over running into space to connect with Tom Cairney’s corner, and flicking a header wide at the far post. A flowing move saw Fabio Carvalho get behind the Huddersfield back four only for the teenager’s cut break to narrowly avoid Aleksandar Mitrovic, who collided with the near post.
The visitors then scored with the very next attack. It was far too easy for Sorba Thomas to latch onto a punt forward ahead of Robinson but Tom Cairney appeared well position to deal with the danger from Harry Toffolo’s cross. The Fulham captain’s heavy touch went straight to Ward, who drove a first-time finish under Rodak. It was a very avoidable goal to concede and going in front galvanised Carlos Corbaran’s side. The in-form Ward took aim from twenty yards, but the Fulham goalkeeper was able to smother that strike.
The decisive moment arrived just before the break. Rodak came from his line to gather a loose ball and seemed to have nowhere to go as Thomas ran into him. Referee Tony Harrington saw it differently and pointed to the spot. Holmes ended Huddersfield’s horrible streak of five missed penalties in succession by blasting this one straight down the middle – with the ball going in off a raging Rodak’s knee.
The league leaders badly needed a response early in the second half. Carvalho almost provided it, seeing a low shot tipped wide by Lee Nicholls after Mitrovic created a pocket of space in the penalty area. The Serbian striker didn’t have many sights of goal himself, again seeing a low ball from Williams flash across the face of goal – inches away from his own effort to turn in home and beyond Kebano at the back post.
Ivan Cavaleiro almost conjured up an opening for Decordova-Reid within seconds of stepping off the bench before Nicholls produced a quite brilliant reaction save to turn Mitrovic’s downward header aside. Fulham did find a route back into the contest from the ensuing corner, when Williams’ miscued shot fell nicely for Decordova-Reid, who found the far corner with a lovely left-footed finish.
That set up a frantic finale as Fulham threw everybody, including Rodak, forward. Adarabioyo saw two headers saved before, referee Harrington waved away concerted home appeals for a penalty deep into stoppage time after another header had been handled by Jonathan Russell. Suddenly, Fulham’s cushion at the top of the Championship doesn’t look anything like as commanding.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Williams, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Ream; Chalobah (Reed 76), Cairney (Kebano 60); Wilson (Cavaleiro 76), Decordova-Reid, Carvalho; Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Gazzaniga, Tete, Hector, Seri.
BOOKED: Mitrovic, Carvalho.
GOAL: Decordova-Reid (83).
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-3-3): Nicholls; Turton, Toffolo, Pearson, Lees; Hogg, Russell, O’Brien; Thomas (Sarr 86), Holmes (Sinani 76), Ward (Rhodes 85). Subs (not used): Chapman, Ruffels, Eiting, Koroma.
BOOKED: Hogg.
GOALS: Ward (31), Holmes (43).
REFEREE: Tony Harrington (Cleveland).
ATTENDANCE: 19,001
Surely the penalty was given for the push by a defender that sent Thomas into collision with Rodak. Correct decision.
Really? If you’re giving penalties for that level of contact, they’ll be eight or nine in each game.
I must admit to being surprised that Silva went with BDR instead of Kebano from the start today.
Some of the calamitous defending for the first goal was real amateur hour stuff. Robinson caught out by a simple ball over the top and we’ve already seen this season that Cairney is very vulnerable in that sort of position. Should Rodak have done better? Yes, in my view.
I felt the penalty was very soft. I’m not sure where Rodak was supposed go – and it grates when the big handball shout at the end wasn’t given.
Today probably serves as a reminder that a lot of these players are not good enough to play at a higher level. Cairney was very passive, although Chalobah was worse. I was hoping he might prove to be the solution in that deeper midfield role but it was a very sloppy, subdued performance.
Credit to Huddersfield, though, who nullified our threat in the attacking third pretty well and marshalled Mitrovic successfully. Hopefully, we can make this a one-game blip against Peterborough.
I don’t think Phil was the only person surprised that Decordova Reid was preferred to Kebano and, in my opinion, it was a poor decision by Silva as it completely unbalanced our attack. Decordova Reid is NOT a winger and, no matter how many times he is stuck out wide, he is never going to morph into one. With Robinson, despite his new hairdo, showing, yet again, that he is a poor imitation of a left back, we were forced to rely even more on our right sided Welsh twins. Williams rose to the task. Unfortunately, Wilson did not. Luis Boa Morte please make a note to advise Harry on Monday that it is NOT acceptable to spend your pitch time passing BACK to Tosin so bloody often or cutting INSIDE to no effect. Remind him that a winger is expected to create chances by -even occasionally -taking a fullback on and actually being CREATIVE. Show him some of your old VHS tapes for pity’s sake!
Giving credit where it’s due, Decordova Reid AND Robinson both improved massively in the second half with Reid being moved inside and he took his goal masterfully, somewhat making up for his first half misses.
We battered them throughout the second 45 and, as far as I’m concerned, if we had to lose, at least we went down with a bang-not a whimper.
The damage was all done in the first half. Too many players were just not up to par.
Chalobah is just too nonchalant for me. Cairney’s touch was missing completely and, just as he finally re-discovered it in the second period and began to orchestrate a potential comeback, he was hooked by Silva. Go figure!
Mitro had, arguably, his toughest game of the season with two monster central defenders laying their lives on the line to ensure he didn’t add to his goal tally.
But it was our goalkeeper who, IMO, gifted the points to Huddersfield.
Yes, Robinson was caught badly out of position for the break and, yes, Cairney’s attempt at defending was pathetic but the shot was a poor one -aimed straight at Marek and he should have saved it.
The penalty was given far too easily by the referee but Marek should have claimed that ball with his hands-or, at least, attempted to. Instead, he, inexplicably, turned his shoulder-almost, dare I say it, as if he was actually bottling the challenge,
I am Rodak’s biggest fan but this wasn’t his greatest hour by a long shot.
We can’t win them all (just look at Man City v Spurs result) and, let’s be honest, even on a day when we were far from our best, the gulf in class between ourselves and a Huddersfield team claiming their best result of the season, was pretty significant.
We just need to bounce back against Peterborough and get this minor derailment back on track.
Agree with Charles. But hats of to Huds, they were bloody good!
Anyone else notice that TC is shot-shy now?? TC was well off par today but his hesitancy at having a pop has really surprised me!