Fulham 1-2 Huddersfield: Danny Ward & Duane Holmes goals stun leaders

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Danny Ward scores for HuddersfieldImage source, PA Media
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Danny Ward (left) scored his 11th goal of the season for Huddersfield to put them ahead

Huddersfield stunned league leaders Fulham at Craven Cottage to maintain their Championship play-off push.

A Danny Ward strike and Duane Holmes penalty in the first half were enough to inflict Fulham's first league defeat since December.

Bobby Decordova-Reid's fierce drive pulled one back as the hosts fought to take something from the game.

But fifth-placed Huddersfield held on to close the gap to five points behind Bournemouth in second and an automatic promotion place.

Much of the pre-match build-up centred around Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who remains just one goal away from breaking Ivan Toney's Championship record of 31 in a season.

The home side dominated possession in the early stages before two chances in two minutes that would define the match.

First Decordova-Reid worked the ball forward to Fabio Carvalho on the left-hand side for Fulham and Mitrovic was agonisingly close to tapping in the youngster's enticing cross for the opener.

The hosts were made to pay for their lack of conviction when Ward pounced on a mistake from Cottagers captain Tom Cairney to drive the ball through Marek Rodak for his 11th goal of the season.

His left-foot strike went between the Slovakia goalkeeper's legs and into the roof of the net to give Huddersfield an unlikely lead.

The visitors were then handed a chance to double their lead as Rodak was adjudged to have fouled Sorba Thomas in the area.

Holmes stepped up to smash the ball straight down the middle and score Huddersfield's first Championship penalty in six attempts.

Fulham came out for the second half looking for a way back into the game and Carvalho's low long-range effort was turned round the post by Lee Nicholls in the Huddersfield goal.

Nicholls did well to divert a Mitrovic header behind and the hosts scored from the resulting corner, with Neco Williams' scuffed shot landing at the feet of Decordova-Reid to bury the finish and set up a tense finale.

Carvalho's goalbound effort was blocked as the game went into added time, before the home side demanded a penalty after Tosin Adarabioyo's header appeared to brush a Huddersfield arm in the area.

But the Terriers stood firm to stay unbeaten in the league since November.

Fulham head coach Marco Silva:

"We were the best team on the pitch, definitely. They got a goal from a mistake from ourselves - the striker reacted quicker than our defender - and after the decisive moment of the match was the penalty.

"It was a clear mistake by the referee. It was never a penalty - the player fell on our goalkeeper and the decision was strange for me because it was a clear mistake. Marek didn't do anything.

"We had a clear handball in the box that unfortunately the referee didn't see - the linesman was in a good position and he didn't see, it is strange for us.

"I don't like to speak about referees when I lose but today this had a big impact. If that was a penalty I could find in the second half two or three penalties in their box."

Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan:

"For me the result was the consequence of a high level of personality from the players. To come to this stadium and to achieve three points you can only do this with a lot of personality.

"Against teams like them you have to attack perfectly, and then defend perfectly. The mentality shown by the team was key.

"I put this win in context, we are playing against the best team in the league and away from home - so you can't be more excited than that. But I get satisfaction from every win.

"The result doesn't tell me too much more about our promotion hopes because we have played more games than some of our rivals."

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