Stand-in skipper Kieran O’Regan’s first half penalty was enough to earn Huddersfield Town a gritty victory over Fulham at the end of a dire encounter at Leeds Road this earning.
The Irishman sent Jim Stannard the wrong way from twelve yards to grab the decisive goal after Jeff Eckhardt had bundled over Iwan Roberts before Simon Charlton’s free-kick had even reached the Welsh striker. O’Regan – who had missed from the spot against Wigan Athletic made no mistake this time – and then produced an outstanding display at the heart of the Huddersfield defence to prevent Don Mackay’s men from threatening the home goal until thirteen minutes from time.
Town’s lack of a cutting edge was hardly helped when Roberts limped off with a reoccurrence of a painful pelvic injury just three minutes after inducing Eckhardt’s wild challenge. His replacement Iffy Onuora almost created a shooting opportunity for Iain Dunn with a deft flick on, but came closest in the closing stages when his piledriver was palmed away by Stannard. Earlier, Charlton had enlivened a dour game with an incredible 50-yard run but the full back fluffed his lines in the area having tricked his way past three defenders.
Fulham offered far too little until it was almost too late. Gary Brazil and Sean Farrell were nullified by a tenacious Terriers’ defence that took no risks early on and it took the introduction of Udo Onwere and Kelly Haag from the bench to bring some ambition to the away side’s football. Julian Hails tested Tim Clarke for the first time with an ambitious 30-yard strike before Mark Kelly drilled a shot straight at the Huddersfield keeper a couple of minutes later. In truth, the home defence were hardly stretched as they claimed a first clean sheet in six games.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Clarke; Parsley, Charlton, Robinson, Lampkin, Smith, Barnett, O’Regan, Roberts (Onuora 24), Starbuck, Dunn (Wright 88).
GOAL: O’Regan (pen 22).
FULHAM: Stannard; Tucker, Pike, Newson, Eckhardt; Kelly, Marshall (Haag 82), Ferney (Onwere 59), Hails; Brazil, Farrell.
BOOKED: Marshall.
REFEREE: Jeff Winter (Middlesbrough).
ATTENDANCE: 3,670.
