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Aug 18, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
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Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

:Headline: Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Brighton & Hove Albion: ID:239930: from db_amp
Sports Mole looks ahead to the Championship clash between Huddersfield Town and league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion.

Brighton & Hove Albion lead the way in the Championship and they will be looking to make it three wins from three when they travel to the John Smith's Stadium on Tuesday evening.

As for hosting Huddersfield, they recovered from two defeats on the trot in the league and Capital One Cup to claim a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers last time out. Nevertheless, there can be little doubt that manager Chris Powell will be eager for his side to get that first victory on the board.


Huddersfield

Following losses to Hull City and more disappointingly Notts County, it was viewed as vitally important that Huddersfield did not suffer a third defeat on the spin against Blackburn on Saturday.

While the scoreline from that encounter does not exactly get the pulses racing, not only did it end the rot, it has also provided Powell's men with a platform to build on.

In terms of the performance, local newspaper the Huddersfield Examiner was particularly complimentary of the way that the team performed during the first half, but then added that the visitors were allowed to dictate matters after the restart.

Those are sentiments that Powell appeared to agree with when he told the club's official website: "It was a fantastic start. We knew we had to show some intent and get the crowd with us, which they certainly were. In the second half we wanted to try and carry that on, but it got a bit loose. We still tested Raya in the goal, but then we conceded due to a lack of concentration on the hour."

The identity of the Huddersfield goalscorer is also likely to have been a source of delight for Powell. Club-record signing Nahki Wells had perhaps heaped some pressure on his shoulders when he recently stated that he wanted to score 20 goals this term, but he is now off and running following his strike from close range against Rovers.

The 25-year-old may also fancy his chances of adding to his tally against Brighton given that of his 14 goals last season, nine were scored at the John Smith's Stadium.

Yet, it is a venue where Huddersfield have struggled of late. Since they overcame Watford back on January 10, the Terriers have treated their supporters to just two victories, with four defeats and five draws thrown in.

Recent form: DDDDLD
Recent form (all competitions): LDLLLD


Brighton

Before the start of the season, if fans of the Championship had been asked to name which club would be the only one to have achieved a 100% winning record after two games, few would have picked Brighton.

But, to the credit of Chris Hughton and his players, it is they who sit top of the table following their 2-1 victory away at Fulham at the weekend.

Nevertheless, speaking after that encounter, the Brighton boss told the club's official website that he was not getting carried away with the positive start: "You can only ever judge the period you're in and we've started well. We've played two games in the league and one in the cup, winning all three, but no team in this league can afford to start thinking beyond the next game because it's incredibly early. But I have to be delighted with what I've seen so far."

It actually appeared that the spoils were going to be shared at Craven Cottage, but deep into stoppage time Tomer Hemed kept his cool from the penalty spot to hand the Seagulls all three points.

Not only was it a crucial goal for Brighton, it was also an important one for the Israeli striker as it was his first for the club following his summer switch from Spanish side Almeria.

All of this is a far cry from the end of 2014-15 when Hughton's charges recorded just one win in 11 outings.

Moreover, only the three relegated sides scored fewer goals than Brighton last term, which points to the fact that they only remained in the division due to their positive defensive displays - their record of letting in 54 goals was only bettered by five clubs.

Recent form: DLLDWW
Recent form (all competitions): LWWWWW


Team News

Bobby Zamora's wait to make his second debut as a Brighton player is going to extend beyond this game, with the former England frontman still suffering from a groin injury.

He had been due to feature for the Under-21s against Swansea City today, but the 34-year-old has been withdrawn as a precaution.

New signing Jamie Murphy is expected to feature in that game, though, with a view to him being included in the squad for the trip to Yorkshire.

However, with speculation continuing to link him with a move to Fulham, it is unlikely that centre-back Lewis Dunk will feature, which is likely to see the recently-signed Uwe Hunemeier deputise.

There are also doubts over the future of Huddersfield goalkeeper Alex Smithies, with Queens Park Rangers said to be interested. He was not included against Blackburn and that is expected to continue, with Brian Murphy between the posts instead.

Further forward, Sean Scannell has now fully recovered from a hamstring problem, while Ishmael Miller should partner Wells once again in attack.

Huddersfield possible starting lineup:
Murphy; Smith, Davidson, Hudson, Lynch; Whitehead, Hogg, Scannell, Butterfield; Miller, Wells

Brighton possible starting lineup:
Stockdale; Bruno, Greer, Huenemeier, Bong; March, Stephens, Kayal, Lualua; Hemed, Baldock


Head To Head

As far as recent meetings go, there has been nothing to separate these sides.

The last four games have all ended in draws, but before that the only other two Championship clashes between the pair ended in Brighton victories. It means that in the second tier of English football, Huddersfield have never won this fixture.

They did, however, run riot during a League One encounter in 2009 when they hammered their South Coast opponents 7-1 in a game that at one stage was level at one goal apiece.

Overall, Brighton lead the head to head record 20-16, with 14 draws having also been played out.


We say: Huddersfield 1-1 Brighton

Brighton will quite rightly be full of confidence, but that point against Blackburn should also have boosted morale among the Huddersfield squad. On paper it looks as though it should be a close game and that could well be reflected by the scoreline come the final whistle.



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