Neeskens Kebano and Rui Fonte netted goals either side of half-time to see Fulham to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Blues at Portman Road, ending Town’s 100 per cent start to their Championship campaign. Kebano nodded home the opener for the dominant Cottagers on 35 and Fonte slammed a rebound into the roof of the net in the 51st minute with the Blues never looking like getting anything out of the game.
Town named the same team which beat Brentford 2-0 last Saturday with David McGoldrick in the side despite manager Mick McCarthy saying the Irish international striker might miss out with his wife close to giving birth to their fourth child.
The Blues again lined-up in a 4-4-2 system with McGoldrick partnering Joe Garner up front and Martyn Waghorn on the right and Freddie Sears on the left of midfield.
Jordan Spence and Jonas Knudsen continued at centre-half with skipper Luke Chambers, Tommy Smith and Adam Webster all injured.
On the bench, Australian striker Ben Folami was included for the first time in a Championship match having been one of the youngsters who caught the eye at Crystal Palace in Carabao Cup on Tuesday. Defender Luke Woolfenden and midfielders Flynn Downes and Tristan Nydam were also among the subs.
At a warm and sunny Portman Road Fulham dominated the early stages but without creating an opportunity until the fifth minute when a loose ball in the box fell to skipper Tom Cairney, who blazed over.
Three minutes later, following a swift break forward after Town had lost possession on halfway, stand-in skipper Cole Skuse and Dominic Iorfa both hesitated and allowed Stefan Johansen to get in a shot but the on-loan Wolves man got across to deflect over.
Town’s first attack of the game came in the 10th minute, McGoldrick sending Sears away on the left but the former Colchester man’s cross was behind Garner.
Fulham would have gone in front a minute later but for a great block from Myles Kenlock. The dangerous Ryan Sessegnon cut in from the left and cut the ball back from the byline to Sheyi Ojo who looked certain to score but the Blues left-back managed to get in the way to divert it behind.
Town weren’t too far away from a goal themselves in the 13th minute when a corner from the right was cleared to Waghorn, who struck a low volley which looked goalbound until it hit Kevin McDonald and deflected just past keeper David Button’s right post.
But it was mainly Fulham and on 18 Ojo cut in from the right and hit a well-struck shot which Bartosz Bialkowski batted away down to his right.
The Cottagers continued to pass the ball around confidently and on 22 Ryan Fredericks hit a low shot from distance which scuffed the outside of the post.
Town gradually started to find their feet after a very testing start with the Cottagers confident and slick in possession of the ball.
On 29 McGoldrick worked himself space on the edge of the box but saw his chipped effort loop past Button’s right post. Two minutes later, Iorfa was yellow-carded for a foul, having previously been penalised for an earlier indiscretion.
The Blues had Bialkowski to thank for the scores remaining level in the 33rd minute after the Polish keeper was forced to make two impressive saves.
First, he stopped Cairney’s powerful effort from the edge of the box with Spence reacting quickest to clear the loose ball.
Then a well-worked move played Johansen in on goal and the Blues keeper did superbly to stand his ground and block with the Norwegian appearing certain to score.
But there was nothing Bialkowski could do in the 35th minute when Kebano put the visitors in front. Fredericks crossed from the right and the unmarked DR Congo international headed into the corner of the net at the far post.
Fulham should have made it 2-0 in the 38th minute when Kebano broke away behind the Blues backline on the left and crossed. Fortunately for the Blues Fonte, a £9 million summer signing from Braga and the younger brother of West Ham defender Jose, diverted the ball against the woodwork at the near post when he looked odds-on to score.
Two minutes later McGoldrick had a chance to level when he broke into the area and chose to shoot left-footed with Waghorn and Garner both to his right in space. The Town number 10 was unable to get any power on his strike and Button claimed down to his left.
McGoldrick created another opening a minute later, bring the ball across the edge of the box before finding Garner, who cut back to Waghorn, whose shot went wide.
That was the final chance of the half with the visitors deservedly in front at the break having dominated the period.
The Cottagers had kept the ball impressively, as they did in last season’s corresponding fixture, and carved out enough decent opportunities to be even further in front with the Blues’ patched-up backline stretched on a number of occasions.
However, Town front pair McGoldrick and Waghorn will have made their way to the tunnel feeling they might have done better with their opportunities in the final minutes.
The Blues were the first to threaten after the restart, Garner rising highest to nod Grant Ward’s right-sided corner goalwards, however, Button got down to save.
But six minutes into the half the Cottagers doubled their lead. The ball was played into Kebano inside the area, the scorer of the first goal turned away from Knudsen and hit a shot across Bialkowski which the keeper did well to save it away to his left.
However, the loose ball fell to Fonte at a tight angle on the right and, with Bialkowski getting back to his feet and across goal, the Portuguese striker lashed a shot into the roof of the net to claim his first goal for his new club.
Fulham continued to have much the better of it - Fredericks hit a shot over following a corner - and it was little surprise when Blues boss McCarthy made a double change in the 59th minute with Waghorn and Sears making way for Downes and Bersant Celina, who was making his league debut for Town.
But despite Kosovo international Celina showing glimpses of his skills and direct running, the Blues were unable to make much more headway after the changes and Fulham’s two goal advantage never looked in any danger.
On 89 McGoldrick smashed a freekick from 30 yards into the wall, then seconds before the whistle Nydam took over from Ward.
Town can have no complaints regarding the result with the visitors much the better side on the day, dominating much as they did at Portman Road on Boxing Day last year when they won by the same scoreline with midfield trio Cairney, Johansen and McDonald very impressive. But for some profligate finishing and Bialkowski the margin of victory would have been wider.
As ever, the Blues kept working but were never able to impose themselves on the opposition and only fleetingly threatened on the counter-attack, most notably just before half-time when McGoldrick and Waghorn will both feel they might have done better.
Despite today’s loss ending the 100 per cent league record, the Blues are still second and can be pleased with their August form with 12 points from five league games better than most were expecting going into the season, particularly after the 6-1 thrashing at Charlton in their final pre-season match and given the injury and illness situation, which hopefully will be much improved when Town travel to QPR in a fortnight’s time following the international break.
Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Spence, Knudsen, Kenlock, Skuse (c), Ward (Nydam 90), Sears (Celina 59), Waghorn (Downes 59), McGoldrick, Garner. Unused: Gerken, Rowe, Folami, Woolfenden.
Fulham: Button, Fredericks (Odoi 89), Kalas, Ream, Sessengnon, McDonald, Johansen, Cairney (c), Ojo, Kebano (Norwood 83), Fonte (Kamara 76). Unused: Bettinelli, Djalo, Edun, Cisse. Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Att: 16,844 (Fulham: 1,236)