A little too tight for Parker as Terriers mount comeback
SCOTT PARKER rode a rollercoaster of emotions as Fulham moved to within just three points of second-placed Leeds.
He was overjoyed with the way his side dominated Huddersfield in the opening half-hour.
Bobby Reid’s stunning 10th-minute opener was followed by Tom Cairney’s volleyed effort five minutes later.
Aleksandar Mitrovic marked his return from injury with the third in the 31st minute and the Terriers looked set for a real thrashing.
However, Emile Smith Rowe grabbed his first goal for Huddersfield on loan from Arsenal four minutes later and when Steve Mounie bundled home in the 39th minute, Parker was pulling his hair out.
But after a string of stunning Marek Rodak saves the Cottagers boss was happy with how his side managed the game.
He said: “The first 34 minutes we were 3-0 up and looked pretty good.
“I felt we dropped our intensity and it felt the game had become too easy for us and the first two times they entered our box they scored.
“At 3-0 they looked dejected and really we should have put them to the sword.
“I was disappointed in that fact but for 34 minutes I thought we were sensational.
“The bits inbetween were poor, I did not like us one bit but to see out the game like we saw it out is a positive.”
After Joe Bryan and Mitrovic had put early efforts wide for Fulham, everything both sides hit went in.
Reid began the goal rush when he beat Juninho Bacuna and Richard Stearman before firing into the far corner. Cairney soon doubled the lead when he flicked up and volleyed in a low, near-post cross from Cyrus Christie.
And it seemed game over when Mitrovic turned in Bryan’s low cross for his 19th goal of the season.
But from nothing Huddersfield quickly struck twice.
Bacuna’s mishit free-kick found Christopher Schindler who played in Smith Rowe to stab home.
Smith Rowe then crossed for Mounie to make it 3-2 and suddenly Fulham had more than the icy breeze off the River Thames to contend with.
Luckily for them Rodak tipped over Grant’s 49th-minute free-kick and then produced an even better save from the same player’s fierce volley.
Rodak then made it a hat-trick of saves to deny Grant twice and Smith Rowe.
In the end Huddersfield had nothing to show for their fightback as Fulham won the game with their only three shots on target.
Terriers boss Danny Cowley said: “I’m not one for valiant defeats but we showed determination. We had so many chances in the second half – we carved Fulham open time and time again.”
NIGEL PEARSON’S honeymoon period at Watford is well and truly over now.
The Hornets crashed to a third consecutive loss after going six games unbeaten – and this one will hurt Pearson the most.
Cruising at 2-0 in first-half stoppage time, they conceded from two set-pieces with Everton’s Yerry Mina scoring twice.
And at 2-2 playing against 10 men after Fabian Delph’s red card, the hosts somehow chucked away a point as Theo Walcott scored on the counter-attack.
Suddenly Pearson has a fresh problem in sorting out a leaky defence.
He had an immediate impact in December and it looked as if Watford would turn things around. Now it’s not looking so sure although they are just a point from safety.
The former Leicester manager said: “It was exceptionally disappointing.
“To come in at 2-2 was very frustrating. We allowed them to get back into the game too easily. We have to take responsibility for not seeing the first half through.
“It was maybe a lack of concentration. We have to reflect very honestly in not taking care of our own performance.
“Clearly the players are a bit down at the moment. We have to keep working and get on with it. It is a difficult one to take but we have to get over it – we have to recover. We don’t have too many opportunities to have difficult days as we had such a poor start.
“When setbacks occur we need to answer our doubters.”
But it should have been a different story yesterday.
Watford played some wonderful football in the first half and deservedly went 2-0 in front.
Etienne’s Capoue’s delightful diagonal ball found Gerard Deulofeu who took it down superbly before Adam Masina powered in his first Premier League goal in the 10th minute.
The Hornets then went two-up in the 42nd minute as Troy Deeney capitalised on a Delph error before finding Roberto Pereyra who made no mistake.
Inexplicably the hosts then switched off at the back.
Mina bundled in at the second attempt from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s corner in the first minute of added time and in the fourth he was left unmarked to head home another delivery from the Icelander. Suddenly Everton had a lifeline and pressed hard at the start of the second half with Dominic Calvert-Lewin seeing a header deflected wide from a Sigurdsson free-kick.
The game appeared to change in the 71st minute when Delph, who had a shocker, was red-carded for a second bookable offence for fouling Capoue moments after his yellow.
Watford, who threw on Danny Welbeck for his first appearance in three-and-a-half months, could not take advantage.
They did have two speculative attempts from Abdoulaye Doucoure but it looked like the points would be shared.
But disaster struck for Pearson’s men as they were caught out on the break in the last minute.
Former Watford striker Richarlison’s run found sub Moise Kean who barely got a touch and Walcott, who had been quiet throughout, gleefully slotted home.
It was the first time Everton had won a league game after conceding first since 2017 but boss Carlo Ancelotti said: “I did not want to run and celebrate the winner – if I had I would be dead!
“We did not deserve to equalise but are dangerous at set-pieces. It was a great and important result.”