Huddersfield Town continue their pre-season campaign with a trip to National League North outfit Southport on Saturday afternoon.
The Championship side defeated Harrogate Town in their opening summer fixture, while Southport will be featuring in their third game in quick succession.
Match preview
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On the back of a disappointing first season at the John Smith's Stadium, Carlos Corberan will feel fortunate that he gets to begin a second campaign at Huddersfield.
The club's hierarchy, who have not been scared to change direction in the past, have opted to keep faith in a head coach who only delivered 20th position in the Championship.
The Spaniard has been given the freedom to make widespread changes in personnel with the arrival of Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill the most eye-catching addition.
However, supporters will be hoping that Jordan Rhodes can rediscover the form which made him one of the most feared strikers in the EFL during his time at Huddersfield between 2009 and 2012.
Last season's top goalscorer Josh Koroma netted the only goal of the game as the Terriers defeated League Two outfit Harrogate by a 1-0 scoreline on Saturday.
At a time when Huddersfield were playing fixtures every three or four days, Southport were having to contend with frustrating weeks and months on the sidelines.
The Sandgrounders have not played a competitive game since Boxing Day, a consequence of the National League North eventually being made null and void due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Liam Watson's squad have since returned with two friendlies, the first coming against Blackpool in a game where they suffered a 2-0 defeat.
They got back to winning ways in midweek with a 2-1 triumph at Runcorn Linnets, but Watson knows that his group of players will need to raise their game against higher-level opposition.
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Team News
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Corberan gave the majority of his squad no longer than 45 minutes during the meeting with Harrogate last weekend.
He may take a similar approach this time around, potentially extending some players to an hour with a shorter period handed to other members of the group.
New quartet Lee Nicholls, Matty Pearson, Ollie Turton and Josh Ruffels are all likely to join Colwill and Rhodes in making their second appearances of the summer.
Watson could revert back to his strongest Southport team for this fixture after including four trialists versus Runcorn Linnets.
Head To Head
Despite the distance between these two clubs in the English football pyramid, they have squared off in eight competitive fixtures.
However, each of those games came during the seventies, the majority of which were played in the old Division Four.
Huddersfield recorded four wins and three draws between 1973 and 1978.
We say: Southport 1-4 Huddersfield Town
Southport will only have benefitted from their meeting with Blackpool last week, getting up to speed for another encounter against opposition of the same level. However, looking to up the intensity ahead of the new season, we expect Huddersfield to canter to victory on the West coast.
Darren Plant
