Stuart Hicks headed home his first goal for more than two years as Huddersfield Town beat Fulham by a single goal at Leeds Road this afternoon.
The Londoners started well with Sean Farrell’s fierce early strike well tipped over by Steve Francis before Udo Onwere saw a snapshot deflected behind by a defender. Peter Baah was inches away from connecting with a low Farrell cross at the end of a flowing Fulham move and it seemed just a matter of time before Don Mackay’s men opened the scoring.
But Huddersfield hit them with a sucker punch from a set piece nine minutes before half time. They scored from their fifth corner of the afternoon but the first to represent a real threat as Hicks climbed highest to head home an inswinger – with the goal given despite Stannard protesting that he had been impeded by Andy Booth.
Fulham could have forced their way back into the contest before the break with Onwere’s header from a Hails cross palmed behind by Francis. Brazil’s powerful strike was scrambled off the line by on-loan Liverpool defender Steve Harkness, but the visitors failed to carry that urgency in the second half until Paul Mahorn was handed a league debut from the bench. The Spurs loanee almost immediately forced a fine save from Banks, but Huddersfield quickly reasserted their grip on the midfield.
Francis made a late save from a rising Simon Morgan drive after the skipper had been moved into the engine room after Terry Angus replaced Udo Onwere, but Huddersfield were not in any real danger of sacrificing their clean sheet or their hold on three pressure points.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Francis; Hicks, Dyson (Jackson 83), Wells, Harkness, Robinson, Trevitt, Williams, Marsden, Starbuck (Dunn 85), Booth. Sub (not used): Blackwell.
BOOKED: Marsden, Harkness.
GOAL: Hicks (36).
FULHAM: Stannard; G. Thomas, Pike, Morgan, Jupp, Onwere (Angus 83), Ferney, Hails, Baah (Mahorn 55), Brazil, Farrell. Subs (not used): Harrison.
BOOKED: Onwere.
