Huddersfield Town will be hoping lightning doesn’t strike twice as they try to bounce back from their 5-0 Championship defeat at Fulham.

Last time they were beaten by that scoreline, at Norwich City in December 2014, they hosted Birmingham City in their next game - and lost 1-0.

David Cotterill’s sweetly-struck second-half free-kick earned Blues their victory.

It was a fifth win in eight games since the arrival of manager Gary Rowett, who will be back in Huddersfield on Saturday.

Chris Powell’s Town hadn’t been beaten in seven previous home matches and it took a fine late save by Darren Randolph to deny Joe Lolley an equaliser.

FLASHBACK: Match Action from Huddersfield Town 0-1 Birmingham City, 20.12.14

Powell, who had seen his side suffer at Norwich following the early dismissal of defender Murray Wallace, said: “The teams were either going to cancel each other out or a moment of quality would decide it.

“That’s what happened. It was a wonderful strike, one of those free-kicks that players are trying these days and sometimes they come off and sometimes they don’t.

“We had a few chances, particularly towards the end when we were chasing the game, but we were beaten by a set-piece.”

Meanwhile, Blues boss Rowett said: “As a gritty away performance, you couldn’t ask for more.

“I just felt we weren’t positive enough in the first half.

“At half-time, we said to the lads either we can look to get a 0-0 and try to nick one, or we can aim to get higher up the pitch and take the game more to them, which is what we did.

“We controlled more of the game. I’ve told them that we have to find other ways to win games - I just wasn’t expecting it to be a thunderbolt!”

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Wales international midfielder Cotterill remains a firm favourite with the Blues faithful.

The 28-year-old, signed from Doncaster Rovers in 2014, has made 88 appearances, scoring 14 times and the Bristol City product has also played for Wigan Athletic, Sheffield United, Swansea City and Barnsley.

Ex-Town striker Lukas Jutkiewicz, on loan from Burnley, and Bradford-born frontman Clayton Donaldson currently top the Birmingham goal chart with four apiece.

Jutkiewicz, 27, made seven Town appearances on loan from Everton in 2009.

Blues made three main signings during the last transfer window - forward Che Adams joined from Sheffield United in a reported £2m move and midfielder Greg Stewart from Dundee for £500,000.

Meanwhile the deal which brought defender Ryan Shotton from Derby County was worth an initial £300,000.