Report | Huddersfield Town 1 Swansea City 1
Jay Fulton’s first goal of the season helped Swansea City extend their unbeaten away run to 11 games with a draw at Huddersfield.
The Scottish midfielder had fired the Swans into the lead with an excellent finish from a tight angle.
However, it was not enough to take all three points as Karlan Grant took advantage of a fortuitous deflection to level just before the break.
Neither side could find a winner after the break, and Huddersfield ended the game a man down as Trevoh Chalobah received a straight red after striking George Byers with his head.
The Swans had shown four changes from defeat to Millwall, as Connor Roberts, Fulton, Kristoffer Peterson and Borja Baston came into the side at the expense of Kyle Naughton, Byers, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge.
Inside the opening minute and Freddie Woodman was already tipping a shot over the bar from Chalobah after some slack Swansea play had allowed the hosts to counter.
Eight minutes in and the hosts crafted another chance, with Grant not quite able to reach Juninho Bacuna’s excellent delivery across the six-yard box.
But it was the Swans who took the lead in the 18th minute. Huddersfield failed to clear a corner and, when Ben Wilmot’s header ricocheted into his path, Fulton lashed the ball home from an acute angle for his first goal of the season.
It was the first real meaningful effort on goal from the Swans and it raised the temperature of proceedings for the frustrated home side, with Fraizer Campbell receiving a booking for a late challenge on Mike van der Hoorn just past the half-hour mark.
Huddersfield were having difficulty dealing with Matt Grimes’ delivery from corners, and the midfielder ended up seeing an effort blocked after van der Hoorn and Andre Ayew had combined to set him up.
The hosts went straight up the other end at levelled in the 41st minute.
Alex Pritchard’s low drive took a deflection straight into the path of Grant, who kept his composure to beat Woodman and find the far corner.
But Swansea were far from impressed as the free-kick that allowed the situation to develop had been awarded against Fulton when the midfielder appeared to be the man who had been fouled.
The half ended with the sides level, but the Swans were forced into a change at the break as Ben Cabango replaced van der Hoorn - who had been feeling the after-effects of that poor Campbell challenge - to make his Championship debut.
The teenager was soon involved, making a wonderful sliding clearance as Lewis O’Brien’s cross threatened to pick out a pair of blue and white shirts.
Swansea responded, Peterson teeing up Bersant Celina for a shot deflected wide for a corner.
Woodman then denied Pritchard’s dipping free-kick, before Cabango again cut out a threatening cross as Huddersfield upped the ante.
Bacuna lashed a volley wide after more clever play by the excellent Pritchard with 25 minutes remaining.
The home side continued to press, Wilmot denying sub Steve Mounie inside the final 10 minutes.
The Swans crafted an opening of their own, working a short corner that sub Byers chipped up for Cabango at the back post, but the defender could not connect cleanly.
The hosts would end with 10 men after Chalobah’s needless headbutt on Byers and, despite promising positions during a frantic conclusion, it ended one apiece.
Huddersfield Town: Kamil Grabara, Jonathan Hogg, Juninho Bacuna, Trevoh Chalobah, Elias Kachunga, Karlan Grant (Florent Hadergjonaj 88), Alex Pritchard (Adama Diakhaby 79), Fraizer Campbell (Steve Mounie 70), Christopher Schindler (captain), Jon Gorenc Stankovic, Lewis O'Brien.
Subs: Joel Coleman, Terence Kongolo, Josh Koroma, Matt Daly.
Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Connor Roberts, Ben Wilmot, Mike van der Hoorn (Ben Cabango 46), Jake Bidwell; Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain); Andre Ayew, Bersant Celina (George Byers 61), Kristoffer Peterson (Sam Surridge 68); Borja Baston.
Subs: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Kyle Naughton, Yan Dhanda, Barrie McKay.
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Attendance: 20,062
