Africa-Press – Ghana. Michal Helik’s close-range header was his first goal for Huddersfield since his Deadline Day move from Barnsley Mark Fotheringham marked his first home game in charge of Huddersfield Town with a first win as they beat fellow strugglers Hull City.
Lewie Coyle headed Etienne Camara’s cross past his own goalkeeper to put the Terriers ahead before Ryan Longman missed a great chance to equalise in first-half stoppage time.
Michal Helik headed in Town’s second shortly after the break and Jordan Rhodes went close to a third as he hit the post. Manager-less Hull’s Colombian top scorer Oscar Estupinan missed an excellent chance from 12 yards with 18 minutes left as they lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Relive Sunday’s Championship action Huddersfield’s victory – just their second since mid-August – sees them remain second-from-bottom of the Championship, but now only two points from safety, while Hull stay 20th, three points above their opponents.
Having replaced Danny Schofield as head coach last month, Fotheringham’s first victory came at the third attempt – and made him the first new Huddersfield boss in seven to win his opening home game.
Defeat was a further blow for a Hull side under the temporary leadership of Andy Dawson after a deal to bring former Olympiakos boss Pedro Martins to Humberside to replace Shota Arveladze fell through on Friday.
Tom Lees’ 13th-minute volley into the arms of Hull keeper Nathan Baxter was the highlight of a quiet start and the Huddersfield defender failed to turn in a corner that came to him eight minutes later.
The Terriers finally took a deserved lead after half an hour as Cyrus Christie lost the ball deep in his own half and Camara broke into the penalty area before whipping a left-footed cross into the six-yard box that Coyle could only glance past Baxter. Mark Fotheringham was most recently assistant manager at Hertha Berlin before taking over at Huddersfield
Hull struggled to create much until the final moments of the half when Longman had a goal-bound effort from the edge of the box well blocked by Helik, and then rolled an excellent chance wide in stoppage time after being put through by Coyle’s excellent curling pass.
Hull made an attacking change at half-time as Dogukan Sinik repaced Callum Elder, but it was Town who started the second period brightly. Rhodes had an effort hacked away by Coyle, and Ben Jackson had a penalty claim turned down before Helik headed home Danny Ward’s cross from close range after Sorba Thomas’ floated free-kick into the Hull area was not cleared.
It should have been 3-0 when Rhodes’ 62nd-minute strike was touched onto the post by Baxter and follow-up efforts from Lees and Helik were cleared off the line by Hull defenders.
Estupinan – the Championship’s top scorer with eight goals this season – should have got his ninth when he blazed over from Greg Docherty’s pass in a moment that summed up the Tigers’ afternoon, while Docherty had a powerful effort parried over by Lee Nicholls shortly after.
Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text Line-upsHuddersfield Formation 3-4-1-2 21Nicholls32Lees39Helik33Nakayama7Thomas22Rudoni24Camara30Jackson19Holmes25Ward9Rhodes
21Nicholls32Lees39Helik33NakayamaBooked at 65mins7ThomasBooked at 74mins22RudoniSubstituted forMahoneyat 66’minutesBooked at 82mins24Camara30JacksonSubstituted forRuffelsat 78’minutes19HolmesSubstituted forTurtonat 78’minutes25WardSubstituted forOndoat 88’minutesBooked at 90mins9Rhodes
Substitutes 2Turton11Mahoney14Ruffels34Spencer35Diarra41Bilokapic45Ondo Hull Formation 4-2-3-1 13Baxter2Coyle5Jones4Greaves3Elder27Slater7Tufan33Christie20Pelkas16Longman19Estupiñán
13Baxter2Coyle5Jones4Greaves3ElderSubstituted forSinikat 45’minutes27SlaterBooked at 50minsSubstituted forDochertyat 56’minutes7TufanSubstituted forSeriat 56’minutes33ChristieBooked at 60mins20PelkasSubstituted forWoodsat 55’minutes16LongmanBooked at 68minsSubstituted forSmithat 86’minutes19Estupiñán
Substitutes 1Ingram6Figueiredo8Docherty11Sinik15Woods22Smith24Seri Referee:Tim RobinsonAttendance:18,628Match StatsHome TeamHuddersfieldAway TeamHullPossessionHome47%Away53%ShotsHome9Away12Shots on TargetHome5Away2CornersHome6Away3FoulsHome10Away14Live Text Post update
Match ends, Huddersfield Town 2, Hull City 0. 90’+7’Full Time Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 2, Hull City 0. 90’+7’Booking Charles Ondo (Huddersfield Town) is shown the yellow card.
90’+5’Post update Tyler Smith (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 90’+5’Post update
Foul by Charles Ondo (Huddersfield Town). 90’+4’Post update Foul by Cyrus Christie (Hull City). 90’+4’Post update Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
90’+2’Post update Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Lewie Coyle. 90’Post update
Foul by Alfie Jones (Hull City). 90’Post update Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 88’Post update Foul by Greg Docherty (Hull City).
88’Post update Etienne Camara (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88’Substitution Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Charles Ondo replaces Danny Ward. 87’Post update
Lewie Coyle (Hull City) wins a free kick on the left wing. 87’Post update Foul by Oliver Turton (Huddersfield Town). 86’Substitution Substitution, Hull City. Tyler Smith replaces Ryan Longman.
86’Post update Foul by Ryan Woods (Hull City). 86’Post update Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 85’Post update Óscar Estupiñán (Hull City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 85’Post update Foul by Michal Helik (Huddersfield Town).
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