Huddersfield and Southampton share stalemate to maintain unbeaten starts
Huddersfield 0 Southampton 0: The Terriers ended their second home game with the nagging sense that their perfect start to the campaign should have been extended
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Your support makes all the difference.After the Lord Mayor’s Show came something altogether more frustrating for Huddersfield Town.
David Wagner’s men maintained their impressive unbeaten start in the Premier League and remained on top of the embryonic table with another energetic display in a goalless draw at home to Southampton.
Yet they must have ended their second home game back in the top flight with the nagging sense that their perfect start to the campaign should have been extended.
They dominated proceedings at the John Smith’s Stadium against a strangely subdued Saints side, but Wagner’s men were unable to add to the famous victories in their opening two games of the Premier season.
This contest lacked the wow factor of their 3-0 opening-day win over Crystal or the sense of occasion of last week’s 1-0 triumph over Newcastle United in their opening home game.
Yet it was still played in a noisy, enthusiastic atmosphere and produced another pleasing display that was lacking only a final, crucial ingredient to provide.
And they were almost taught a harsh lesson in the need for ruthlessness in their new environment as the visitors finally came to life in the closing moments, but smart goalkeeping by Jonas Lossl and superb defending by Tommy Smith kept the points tally rising for the Terriers.
The opening chance fell to the visitors as Steven Davis found himself with space to turn and thread a neat ball into the path of Nathan Redmond.
The winger attempted to curl a shot around Jonas Lossl in the Huddersfield goal but his effort bent beyond the far post.
Huddersfield’s first opening came when Tommy Smith galloped forward from right-back and crossed for Mathias Zanka, but the big defender headed straight at Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
A minute later Terriers full-back Chris Lowe had to make a timely, saving challenge to halt a goal-bound run from Davis.
Southampton were forced into desperate defending, however, when two fine Huddersfield chances came from the visitors’ right flank.
First a cross from Rajiv van la Parra found Elias Kachunga, whose low effort was blocked by Maya Yoshida.
Then, when the ball was returned to the goalmouth, Forster had to dive bravely at the feet of Steve Mounie as he attempted to sweep it home.
Huddersfield had seized control of the game and Kachunga burst down the right flank to spark a swift attack with his cross finding Van la Parra, whose shot was blocked by a sprawling Davis.
Mounie’s next chance came from another marauding run and cross by Smith but the striker helped the ball wide of the far post.
Forster had to be alert on 37 minutes to turn first-time shot by Tom Ince around the post after the Saints had allowed a high ball to bounce into his path.
Just before half-time Forster had to rectify his own error when he spilled a cross by Lowe at the feet of Kachunga but recovered to make a superb save from the striker’s shot.
Manolo Gabbiadi had the first chance after half-time when he collected Mario Lemina’s pass but his tame shot was easy meat for Lossl.
Huddersfield maintained their territorial advantage and forced Yoshida into two important blocks from efforts by Aaron Mooy and Kachunga, but clear chances had proven hard to come by.
Regular changes by Pellegrino to his Saints frontline made little difference to their blunt attacking play while Huddersfield made the running but were unable to call Forster into further action.
They even survived two late scares.
Substitute James Ward-Prowse crossed for Nathan Redmond but his goalbound shot - a rarity for the visitors - was beaten away by Lossl.
And Ryan Bertrand’s header from a Shane Long cross was then hooked off the line by Smith.
Huddersfield (4-2-3-1): Lossl; Smith, Zanka, Schindler, Lowe; Mooy, Billing (Williams 61); Kachunga (Quaner 88), Ince, Van la Parra (Palmer 56); Mounie. Subs not used: Coleman, Malone, Lolley, Hefele.
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Forster; Cedric, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand; Lemina (Long 64), Romeu; Tadic (McQueen 74), Davis, Redmond; Gabbiadini (Ward-Prowse 71). Subs not used: McCarthy, Hoedt, Austin, Boufal, McQueen. Booked: Romeu.
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