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[monks data]
Fulham logo
Championship
Aug 22, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Huddersfield logo

1-1

Woodrow (94')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Wells (63')

Preview: Fulham vs. Huddersfield Town

Sports Mole looks forward to Saturday's Championship meeting between Fulham and Huddersfield Town.

Fulham welcome Huddersfield Town to Craven Cottage on Saturday, as both sides look to pick up their first wins of the Championship season.

The teams finished in the lower reaches of the table last season, but neither have looked like moving away from the bottom during the opening weeks of the new campaign.


Fulham

Fulham Manager Kit Symons attends the Sky Bet Championship match between Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion at Craven Cottage on December 29, 2014© Getty Images

Fulham can count themselves a little unfortunate to be down in 21st place, as late goals have cost them valuable points.

Kit Symons's side conceded a late equaliser against Cardiff City on the opening day, before a 94th-minute penalty from Brighton & Hove Albion rescued them a draw at the Cottage last weekend.

The West Londoners were on course for a point at Hull City in midweek after Tom Cairney had cancelled out Ahmed Elmohamady's opener at the KC Stadium, but Sone Aluko struck in the 86th minute to earn the Tigers all three points.

Symons has had a tough job on his hands since taking charge last season, as the club continues to recover from their relegation from the Premier League.

Several high earners have departed and in return, the Fulham boss has brought in several experienced Championship campaigners, including Andy Lonergan, Tom Cairney and Ben Pringle.

They look a solid outfit under the Welshman but he will be looking for them to show more resilience, especially in the face of the late goals that they have been conceding recently.

Recent form: DLL


Huddersfield Town

Chris Powell shouts out orders on the touchline during Charlton Athletic's match with Huddersfield Town on January 25, 2014.© Getty Images

Huddersfield have made a slow start to the season, drawing two and losing one of their opening three games.

After failing to impress in the first two games of the campaign, Chris Powell's side put in an improved showing at home to Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek and earned themselves a deserved share of the spoils.

Biram Kayal gave the visitors the lead after just 16 seconds of play, but the Terriers responded and looked to take the game to Chris Hughton's side. Huddersfield levelled matters in the second half as Jacob Butterfield fired home from an acute angle to give Powell's men a point.

The Terriers have found goals hard to come by so far, netting four times and conceding six. They lost the creative talent of Conor Coady to Wolverhampton Wanderers and it has shown.

Despite having decent firepower in the form of Nakhi Wells and James Vaughan in attack, they have struggled to create chances for the pair and this could cost them over the course of the campaign.

They have also lost another key player this week, with goalkeeper Alex Smithies joining Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee.

Recent form: DLD


Team News

Image here

Fulham boss Symons is without several players going into this weekend's game. Luke Garbutt, Scott Parker and Jack Grimmer are all sidelined with ankle problems.

Meanwhile, youngster George Williams is out with cruciate ligament damage and defender Fernando Amorebieta is struggling with a knee problem.

Smithies was not included against Brighton amid his proposed move to QPR, so Brian Murphy is expected to continue between the posts.

Ishmael Miller started up front alongside Wells last time out, but Vaughan could be brought into the side at his expense.

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Betinelli; Voser, Bodurov, Hutchinson, Richards; Pringle, O'Hara, Christensen, Cairney; Smith, McCormack

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Murphy; Smith, Davidson, Hudson, Lynch; Whitehead, Hogg, Scannell, Butterfield; Vaughan, Wells


Head To Head

There has been little to separate the two sides from their 62 meetings, with Huddersfield winning 25 times, Fulham 23 with 14 draws.

Last season's meetings went the way of Fulham, with the Cottagers winning 3-1 at home last November before winning the return fixture 2-0 at the John Smith's Stadium.


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Fulham 1-1 Huddersfield

It has not been great for either side so far in the Championship, with Huddersfield finding themselves one point ahead of their hosts in the league table. Neither side has been able to grind out results when needed and it looks like another draw could be on the cards.



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Written by
Steven Toplis
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General Views of Craven Cottage, Home of Premier League football club Fulham FC on March 5, 2011
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