Fulham produced a dominating display to pick up a deserved 2-1 victory away at Huddersfield on Friday evening.   

After a dour first half Aleksandar Mitrović gave the Whites a deserved lead before Huddersfield Town hit back. However, with the clock winding down Ivan Cavaleiro produced an effort deserving of winning any match to ensure three points returned to London. 

Scott Parker made one enforced change from the side that picked up their first victory of the season versus Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon. Steven Sessegnon replaced the injured Denis Odoi at right-back to make his first league appearance for the Whites.  

The heavy rain that had been ever-present across the country on Friday afternoon continued as the referee got the match under way at the John Smith’s Stadium. 

The tone was set in the opening 10 minutes. The hosts were perfectly comfortable inviting pressure on and pilling every man behind the ball in their own half. The doggedness of the terriers would mean the Whites would have to be patient. In the 9th minute the deadlock was almost broken. Anthony Knockaert showed great poise to calmly work down the right wing and swing in a dangerous cross. His teasing ball was punched clear by Kamil Grabara directly into the path of Stefan Johansen. After taking a touch the Norwegian fed the ball to the feet of a lurking Cavaleiro who swung a shot agonisingly wide of the post. 

The match stagnated as the game became bitty. However, the Whites controlled possession and appeared to be biding their time, looking to work themselves an opening. The tempo greatly affected by Huddersfield content to sit back and park the bus.

With Fulham totally dominating proceedings, a flowing counter attack resulted in an opening. Quick passes led to Johansen and Joe Bryan finding some space down the left flank. After playing a neat one-two the explosive full-back unleashed a vicious shot which Grabara parried clear. 

As the referee brought the first half to a close Fulham were in complete control, with the Terriers appearing satisfied to keep things tight. 

The second commenced with a flurry of Fulham chances as they flew out of the traps. Within one minute Cavaleiro slipped a wonderful ball into the path of Mitrović who had ghosted in behind the Huddersfield back line. His first time left-footed shot was blocked behind for a corner. The tide had visibly turned and moments later Knockaert had a low drive parried behind.

The waves of Fulham attacks continued and in the 51st minute the opener came. A speculative lofted ball over the top of the Terriers defence was hooked aimlessly across his own box by Juninho Bacuna. Mitro reacted the quickest and bullied Tommy Elphick on the goal-line to nod home. A deserved breakthrough. 

However, with the hosts appearing down and out they hit back in the 57th minute through Karlan Grant. A rare attack resulted in a ball being swung in from the right wing. With only one man in the box Grant did well to glance a header on target that just squeezed over the line before Marcus Bettinelli could claw it away. A goal very much against the run of play. 

With the game once again calming down and slowing in tempo Scott Parker made his first change of the match, inserting Bobby Decordova-Reid in place of Johansen. The change saw Fulham commit more bodies forward in search of the winner. 

The Whites were back in the lead in the 80th minute. With pockets of space opening across the field, Knockaert was in acres of room on the right flank. After spotting the overlapping run of Sessegnon into the box, the flamboyant winger slipped him through. A chipped ball to the back post was controlled by Mitro who in turn fed a neat ball back into the feet of Cavaleiro. The Portuguese winger took a touch to steady the ball and then curled a delightful effort into the far corner. A superb strike from the winger who had grown into the game. 

As the clock ticked down Huddersfield threw men forward in a desperate attempt to salvage a point from the match but Fulham remained strong and we claimed a deserved three points on the road to build on a solid win versus Blackburn a week ago.