Town’s Carabao Cup run came to an end at the fourth round stage after the Blues were beaten 3-1 by Premier League Fulham at Portman Road. The visitors went in front via Harry Wilson in the ninth minute as they dominated the first half but didn’t find a second goal until five minutes after the restart via Rodrigo Muniz. Tom Cairney’s third on 77 all but sealed it, however, Elkan Baggott netted his first Town goal two minutes later to give the Blues late hope of a comeback which ultimately never came to fruition.
Boss Kieran McKenna made 11 changes from the team which beat Plymouth 3-2 at Portman Road on Saturday with Axel Tuanzebe making his Blues debut at the centre of the defence and keeper Christian Walton returning to the team for the first time this season.
In front of Walton, who suffered a plantar fascia tear in pre-season, Tuanzebe was joined at centre-back by Cameron Burgess, who started his career with the Whites, with Janoi Donacien at right-back and Harry Clarke left-back.
Dom Ball and Jack Taylor were the central midfielders with Kayden Jackson, Sone Aluko, skippering against his old club, and Marcus Harness behind striker Freddie Ladapo.
Town named a strong bench featuring Conor Chaplin, Massimo Luongo, George Edmundson, George Hirst and Omari Hutchinson, as well as young midfielder Ryan Carr.
Fulham made eight changes from the team which drew 1-1 at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.
Wilson, Muniz, Cairney, Marek Rodak, Fode Ballo-Toure, Sasa Lukic, who captained, Andreas Pereira and debutant Luc de Fougerolles all came into the team.
Fulham struck the game’s first shot in the fourth minute, the ball deflecting through to Walton from Lukic’s strike following the second of two Cottagers corners.
The Premier League side saw most of the ball in the early stages and in the ninth minute they went in front.
With the Town defence all over the place, De Cordova-Reid was given time and space to sweep the ball into the path of Wilson in acres of space on the right. Walton rushed off his line to intercept the pass but the Wales international was first to it, took it past the keeper and stroked into the empty net from just outside the box.
Ladapo hit the Blues’ first shot in the 14th minute, a snap effort which he completely mishit and the ball looped out for a throw on the far side.
But aside from that, the Whites were well in control and a minute later they went close to a second, Ballo-Toure’s deflected cross looping over Walton but striking the bar.
Town, watched by an impressive crowd of 28,221, seriously threatened for the first time on the quarter hour when Ladapo put Rodak under pressure, forcing the keeper to pass out to Jackson on the edge of the Fulham area. The Blues forward was forced wide but hit an effort from a tight angle that Rodak palmed behind for a corner.
The West Londoners continued to dominate, moving the ball around at pace in the middle of the park with Town unable to maintain a spell of possession.
However, as the game moved towards the half-hour mark, Aluko did well on the right and fed in Donacien but the full-back’s low cross was blocked.
Soon after, with the Blues having put together a few passes, Taylor slammed a shot against a defender as the former Peterborough man looked to replicate his brilliant winner against Wolves in the last round.
Moments later, Fulham went close again, Pereira wafting a shot which looped beyond Walton but over the angle of post and bar to the keeper’s left.
On 32, Harness was cautioned for a foul on Cairney, which seemed a little harsh on the former Pompey man.
Nine minutes later, Lukic joined him in the book for waving an imaginary yellow card towards referee Lewis Smith after Taylor had fouled Cairney.
Fulham remained firmly in charge of the game as it moved towards half-time and went close to adding to their lead on 44 when Calvin Bassey shot sharply from the left of the area and Walton reacted quickly to divert it on to his right post.
That was the last action of a half which had been dominated by the visitors, who had been in charge from virtually start to finish.
While Wilson’s goal was well-worked from a Fulham perspective, Town’s defending was all over the place as a back four which hadn’t lined-up previously sought to find their feet.
The Whites went close to adding to their lead on a couple of occasions, which wouldn’t have flattered them, with the much-changed Blues’ only real chance Jackson’s opportunity from a tight angle.
Five minutes after the restart, the visitors did double their advantage. Pereira whipped a low ball across from the right and Muniz slammed home from close range.
In the 55th minute, a loose Burgess pass was picked up by Pereira, who ran at the Town defence before being dispossessed. The loose ball fell to Lukic, whose shot deflected wide.
The Premier League side had continued to control the game since the break and having scored their second goal were starting to show increased confidence and penetration in the final third. A repeat of Town’s comeback against Wolves was looking unlikely.
On 61, the Blues swapped Burgess and skipper Aluko for Baggott and Cameron Humphreys in what looked like pre-planned changes.
Seven minutes later, Fulham made a triple change, Pereira, Wilson and Muniz making way for Harrison Reed, Alex Iwobi and Raul Jiminez, while the Blues introduced Hirst for Ladapo and Hutchinson for Donacien. Clakre moved to right-back and Humphreys to left-back.
On 74, Fulham sub Reed looped a shot over after Iwobi, who had quickly made an impression having come off the bench, and Cairney had combined well on the left.
In the 77th minute, the visitors all but sealed their place in the quarter-finals when they scored their third goal.
With Town pushing forward, De Cordova-Reid broke away down the right and cut across the edge of the box to the on-rushing Cairney, who smashed a low shot past Walton and into the net.
That looked to be that, but two minutes later, the Blues pulled a goal back, sub Baggott heading down and into the net from a Taylor corner on the left having been left completely unmarked at the far post. It was the Indonesia international’s first senior goal for Town.
The goal livened up the home support, whose previous main vocal focus had been referee Smith’s inconsistent decisions, who sensed the potential for a comeback, even if it was very much an outside chance.
But the Blues began to play with greater confidence having scored, although with Fulham looking a big threat on the break, particularly via Iwobi, with Town committing men forward.
On 84, Walton made a sharp stop from De Cordova-Reid’s shot, after a corner played short on the left and sent into the box had been cut back from the far post by Iwobi.
Two minutes later, Jiminez was booked for bringing a second ball onto the pitch to waste time ahead of a Town throw on the right. Following Clarke’s long hurl into the box, the ball dropped for Taylor on the edge of the box but the midfielder’s volley deflected wide off a Town player.
De Cordova-Reid might have made it 4-1 a minute later by Taylor got back to make an important challenge with the Jamaican international having been found in space on the right of the box.
Moments later, Tuanzebe, who had looked a little rusty but while showing his pedigree on a number of occasions, did well to get in front of his man to clear as the ball came on from the right.
Reed had his name added to referee Smith’s list for a foul on Jackson shortly before Hutchinson shot over, prior to the fourth official announcing eight additional minutes.
Town continued to push for a second goal which might have led to a nervy last few moments for the visitors.
On 93, Baggott knocked a free-kick back across from the left and it eventually reached Taylor but the Republic of Ireland U21 cap lost his footing as he was about to shoot.
That was the last opportunity at either end before referee Smith brought the game and Town’s cup run to an end.
The top flight visitors were well worth their 3-1 victory having been well in charge for most of the 90 minutes. The result was only the second time a McKenna team has lost by more than a single goal, the first the 2-0 loss to Bolton in his third game in charge.
The second-string Blues looked a stronger prospect after the likes of Hutchinson and Hirst had been brought on in the second half with Baggott’s goal giving both the team and the fans heart, however, it was too little too late with the game all but over by that stage.
While an entertaining sideshow, particularly the 3-2 win against another Premier League side, Wolves, in the previous round, the Carabao Cup is far from the Blues’ main focus this season and, in truth, another fixture added to the December schedule wouldn’t have been entirely welcome in any case.
Town return to Championship action when they travel to take on Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Saturday.
Town: Walton, Donacien (Hutchinson 68), Tuanzebe, Burgess (Baggott 61), Clarke, Ball, Taylor, Jackson, Aluko (c) (Humphreys 61), Harness, Ladapo (Hirst 68). Unused: Slicker, Edmundson, Chaplin, Luongo, Carr.
Fulham: Rodak, Bassey, Wilson (Iwobi 68), Cairney (c), Ballo-Toure, De Cordova-Reid, Pereira (Reed 68), Muniz (Jiminez 68), Castagne (Tanton 95), Lukic, De Fougerolles. Unused: Benda, Ream, Palhinha, Vinicius, Robinson. Referee: Lewis Smith (Wigan). Att: 28,221 (Fulham: 1,685).