Huddersfield Town coach Jan Siewert sympathises with long-suffering fans

Huddersfield Town head coach Jan Siewert: Applauding the fans after the final whistle.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN head coach Jan Siewert conceded “there are reasons we are bottom of the table” after his side blew a gilt-edged opportunity to escape from the foot of the Premier League for the first time since Boxing Day.

The Terriers led 3-1 at West Ham United with just 15 minutes remaining only to collapse in dramatic fashion.

A header from Angelo Ogbonna and a late double by Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez condemned Huddersfield to a seventh defeat in eight outings under Siewert.

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He said: “I went to the supporters and – as you say in England – tipped my cap to them because they deserved for us to win this game.

“I can’t describe my feelings right now. Look at my face. We scored three goals, we haven’t done that all year, so the match plan worked.

“There are reasons we are bottom of the table, I have said that right from the beginning. But I still keep fighting.”

Huddersfield’s defeat means they sit 16 points adrift of safety – or 17 when goal difference is factored in – with just seven games to play.

Depending on how Burnley and Southampton, who sit fourth and fifth bottom in the table respectively, fare when the Premier League resumes on March 30 Town could be relegated by defeat at Crystal Palace in their next outing.

“It is about seven more games where we have to represent our club,” added Siewert, whose side ended a run of 557 minutes without a goal on the road when Juninho Bacuna headed in Town’s equaliser. “There are amazing people at our club and we have to represent them.”