Fulham thrash Huddersfield again to boost play-off bid

Huddersfield Town 1 Fulham 4

A first-half goal blitz saw Fulham recover from an early setback to secure a mightily impressive victory which keeps them on course for a play-off spot.

Facing a Huddersfield side above them in the table, and still with an outside shot of automatic promotion, the Whites scored four times in less than half an hour to have the game wrapped up by half-time.

They had fallen behind in the opening minutes when Floyd Ayite fouled Chris Lowe in the box – and the German full-back converted the spot-kick himself.

His opposite number at Fulham, Scott Malone, equalised on the quarter-hour mark when his shot went in at the near post.

And with not quite 20 minutes on the clock, the Whites had completed the turnaround, Ayite atoning for his earlier error by winning the penalty from which Tom Cairney fired the Whites in front.

Stefan Johansen then took centre stage, scoring twice more before the break as Fulham – who beat Huddersfield 5-0 at Craven Cottage earlier in the season – threatened another rampage.

He first slotted past Terriers keeper Danny Ward after Ryan Sessegnon’s shot had been blocked and later dispossessed Jonathan Hogg before driving on to score.

The Terriers did carry a threat of their own, with Christopher Schindler and Philip Billing both nodding just wide.

They also had chances in the second half, with Rajiv van la Parra curling wide and Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli twice denying Collin Quaner, with Sessegnon forcing Ward into a save at the other end.

Another defeat for Leeds further boosted Fulham’s play-off hopes – they now need just one more win to virtually guarantee a place in the promotion shake-up.

Fulham: Bettinelli; Fredericks (Odoi 46), Kalas, Ream, Malone; McDonald, Johansen (Kebano 86); Ayite, Cairney, Sessegnon; Aluko (Piazon 76).
Subs not used: Button, Sigurdsson, Parker, Cyriac.