Ross McCormack remains the scourge of Huddersfield Town after his strike helped Slavisa Jokanovic claim a first point as the new Fulham boss at the John Smith’s Stadium.
The Scottish striker needed less than two minutes to fire home his fifth goal in four appearances against the Terriers. McCormack, linked with a move to promotion chasing Derby again last week, took advantage of a dreadful error by Jonathan Hogg to shoot past the stranded Jed Steer. Former Fulham defender Mark Hudson, now captain at Town, levelled with his second goal in four days but the visitors more than merited a share of the spoils.
The hosts had began brightly before Hogg’s blunder and nearly levelled matters when Jamie Patterson struck the far post after surging in from the left flank and Joe Lolley blazed over from the follow-up. Alex Kacaniklic was denied a second goal for Fulham when McCormack was flagged offside as the Swedish winger pulled the trigger and referee Christopher Sarginson turned down penalty appeals after the former Leeds man had gone down under Hudson’s challenge in the area.
Hudson, who began his career at Craven Cottage, brought his current employers level on 20 minutes when he crashed home Emyr Huws’ free-kick to punish more slack Fulham marking. The centre back was then in the right place to prevent McCormack from converting Jamie O’Hara’s free-kick before Huddersfield missed two good chances to go in front before the break. Huws whistled a drive just wide and only a terrific Dan Burn tackle prevented Nakhi Wells from notching as the striker bore down on Andy Lonergan.
Lonergan excelled himself early in the second period when he made a brilliant double save to deny Wells and Harry Bunn as Huddersfield immediately put the visitors under pressure. Fulham gradually got a foothold in the contest and their patient passing eventually started to opening up the home defence. O’Hara’s deflected shot was simply saved by Steer but substitute Moussa Dembele should have done better than head wide from Lasse Vigen Christensen’s teasing cross.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-2-3-1): Steer; Smith, Hudson, Cranie, Husband; Hogg, Huws; Bunn (Lynch 89), Paterson, Lolley (Holmes 79); Wells (Bojaj 90). Subs (not used): Murphy, Davidson, Billing, Miller.
BOOKED: Hudson, Bunn.
GOAL: Hudson (19).
FULHAM (4-3-3): Lonergan; J. Richards, Hutchinson, Burn, Garbutt; Christensen, Hyndman (Parker 45), O’Hara (Mattila 81); Cairney, Kacaniklic (Dembele 61) McCormack. Subs (not used): Lewis, Ream, Stearman, Fredericks.
BOOKED: Garbutt.
GOAL: McCormack (2).
REFEREE: Christopher Sarginson (Staffordshire).
ATTENDANCE: 12,039
