Town 1-1 Fulham - Match Report Tuesday, 19th Apr 2016 21:54 Jonas Knudsen scored an injury time equaliser, the Danish international’s first goal for the Blues, as Town drew 1-1 at home with Fulham, Moussa Dembele having put the visitors ahead in the 66th minute. Sixteen-year-old Andre Dozzell was handed his full debut, while Cole Skuse and Brett Pitman returned to the Town line-up and Kevin Bru, Kevin Foley and David McGoldrick dropped to the bench. The Blues started with Dozzell in a central midfield three ahead of Skuse and Jonathan Douglas, with Liam Feeney on the right Freddie Sears on the left of Pitman up front. Former Town loanees Richard Stearman and Ryan Tunnicliffe started for the Cottagers at right-back and in midfield respectively. Neither side threatened in the early stages, although the Blues saw most of the ball. On 12 Dozzell fed Feeney to his right and the on-loan Bolton man sent over a cross towards Pitman, who claimed he was fouled but referee Paul Tierney showed no interest. A minute later, Sears crossed low from the left to Dozzell, but he was unable to find Douglas with his lay-off. Fulham subsequently broke down the Town left but Ross McCormack’s cross was too deep and Knudsen saw it out of play. On 19 Dembele shot powerfully wide from just outside the Blues area. Chances continued to be far and few between but on 34 the Cottagers almost went in front. Ex-Blues loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe was played in on goal by Lasse Vigen Christiansen and tried to stab the ball past Bialkowski, who did superbly to get an arm down to his left to divert it wide. Four minutes later Fulham skipper Scott Parker caught Douglas in possession midway inside the Town half and found Dembele, who took the ball into the area before shooting well over. Referee Tierney ended what had been a hardly enthralling half after one additional minute. It had been a 45 minutes typical of an end of season game between two teams with nothing left to play for. Fulham came closest to scoring when Bialkowski saved from Tunnicliffe, while the Blues had seen a fair amount of the ball but without being able to create any serious opportunities. Town’s biggest threat had been Feeney crosses from the right but too many of them flew behind. Full debutant Dozzell, had shown one or two nice touches and had got into the box on a number of occasions as he looked to add to Saturday’s goal at Sheffield Wednesday. Ten minutes after the restart the 16-year-old was replaced by McGoldrick, while Bru took over from Douglas. Dozzell had shown his talent fleetingly but hadn’t seen enough of the ball to make a huge impression on the game. The second half continued in much the same vein as the first with penalty area action rare. Just after the hour Skuse deflected a Dembele shot wide and from the resultant corner on the left Bialkowski brilliantly tipped over a Shaun Hutchinson header which looked bound for the roof of the net. On 64 Feeney looped a weak header to Marcus Bettinelli, arguably Town’s first attempt on target of the evening, although the Cottagers keeper wasn’t tested. Two minutes later, Fulham went in front. The visitors counter-attacked down the right and Parker crossed to an unmarked Dembele just inside the box and the 19-year-old Frenchman smashed a shot past Bialkowski. Bru shot wide on 70, Town’s first serious strike of the game, leading to much sarcastic cheering from the Blues’ support. Two minutes later, Hutchinson headed wide from a McCormack corner. Bettinelli was finally forced into a save in the 73rd minute when Pitman hit a powerful strike from the edge of the area on the right, the keeper doing well to get across to push it past the post. From the corner, Tommy Smith, making his 250th appearance for the Blues, headed over. As the game entered its final 10 minutes Town continued to labour without particularly threatening. On 81 Bialkowski hit a clearance against McCormack inside his area but deflected well away from goal. Parker was booked for a late tackle on Bru, having been fortunate to get away with an earlier foul on Feeney, then on 87 Pitman had the ball in the net but McGoldrick was adjudged to have handled in the build-up. As the match moved into its final scheduled minute McGoldrick, who along with Bru was starting to make more of an impact on the game, hit a well-struck shot from the right which was going wide but which Bettinelli helped on its way. And in the aftermath of Bru’s left-sided corner the Blues equalised. Having been cleared, the ball was played back out to McGoldrick on the right. The sub’s clever pass played in Sears on the right of the area and he cut the ball back to Knudsen, who hit a first-time shot into the net off the underside of the bar. In injury time Christophe Berra headed a Knudsen cross wide at the far post when he should have nodded it back across goal, then Smith was booked for a foul on Dembele. Referee Tierney brought the game to an end moments later. As with most end-of-season games played between two sides with nothing to play for, the match won’t be one which will be remembered for too long. Fulham, who still haven't beaten Town since 1963, could have been home and hosed before Knudsen’s late equaliser with Bialkowski again in top form, making impressive saves from Tunnicliffe and Hutchinson in either half. Having gone ahead the Cottagers will feel they ought to have claimed the three points with the again disappointing Blues rarely able to create anything until McGoldrick and Sears combined to conjure Knudsen’s goal. Town, who have now gone six games without a win and have won just once in nine, remain eighth ahead of Saturday’s trip to top-of-the-table Middlesbrough. Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Douglas (Bru 55), Skuse, Dozzell (McGoldrick 55), Feeney, Sears, Pitman. Unused: Gerken, Hyam, Kenlock, Digby, Foley. Fulham: Bettinelli, Stearman, Hutchinson, Burn, Ream, Tunnicliffe, Parker (c) (Baird 86), Ince, Christensen (Fredericks 70), McCormack (Cairney 85), Dembele. Unused: Lonergan, Garbutt, Smith, Woodrow. Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Att: 16,953 (Fulham: 457).
Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Blogs 295 bloggersIpswich Town Polls[ Vote here ] |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
