A spectacular strike from midfielder Chris Marsden was enough to earn Huddersfield Town all three points against Fulham at Leeds Road this afternoon.
Eoin Hands’ side stitched together successive league victories for the first time in two months and the winning margin should have much greater – but Town were not ruthless enough to capitalise on Marsden’s early goal. That meant the clean sheet was crucial and the Terriers survived a late Fulham press to register their second successive shutout for the first time since October.
Marsden’s winning goal came as a consequence of the best move of the afternoon. Graham Mitchell commandingly cleared his lines before Kieran O’Regan played a one-two with Marsden before finding Iwan Roberts. The centre forward was barracked for playing a square ball to Simon Charlton, but the the full back’s through ball was perfectly weighted for Marsden, who beat Jim Stannard with an angled finish.
Former Fulham midfielder Robert Wilson, making his fiftieth appearance for the home side, was excellent in the engine room throughout. He and Phil Stant shot wide from promising positions before O’Reagan put Iffy Onuora in behind a horribly square Fulham defence only for the scampering Stannard to deny the forward. At the other end, the Whites only mustered one clear-cut chance when Gordon Davies was denied at point blank range by alert goalkeeper Steve Hardwick.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Hardwick; Mitchell, Jackson, Charlton, Lewis, O’Regan, Marsden, Wilson, Smith, Roberts, Stant (Onuora 71). Subs (not used): Lewis.
GOAL: Marsden (13).
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, North, G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall (Milton 73), Morgan, Skinner, Brazil, Davies (Ferney 73).
BOOKED: Pike.
REFEREE: Paul Harrison (Oldham).
ATTENDANCE: 4,369.
