Ipswich Town 0-1 Fulham - Half-Time Monday, 26th Dec 2016 15:56 Chris Martin’s 36th minute freekick has given Fulham a deserved 1-0 lead over the Blues at Portman Road at half-time. Jonathan Douglas replaced the injured Jonny Williams in an otherwise unchanged Town team. Andre Dozzell kept his place in a three-man midfield and was making his first home Championship appearance of the season. Leon Best was back on the bench with no place in the 18 for Luke Varney. Fulham started the brighter and Christophe Berra did well to cut out a cross from the left. Following the corner, Whites skipper Tom Cairney screwed a shot well wide. Town first threatened to create an opening in the 12th minute when, after good work from Brett Pitman, Dozzell played the ball towards the left of the area to Tom Lawrence who dummied for Douglas but the ball ran behind the breaking midfielder. The visitors continued to dominate possession, prodding and probing and looking for an opening. On 17 Floyd Ayite was played in on the left of the area by Stefan Johansen but Berra slid in to make a fine saving challenge. Fulham almost scored the goal their first-half performance deserved in the 32nd minute when Scott Malone crossed from the left and Martin turned the ball towards goal from close range only for Bartosz Bialkowski to somehow keep the ball out with his feet. Following the corner Kevin McDonald diverted the ball wide at the far post with what looked to be a hand. But the goal Fulham deserved wasn’t too much longer in coming. After Cole Skuse had fouled Johansen 25 yards out, Martin hit a freekick which appeared to go through the Town wall before nestling in the corner of the net to Bialkowski’s right. Having gained the lead, the visitors continued to control the game, passing the ball around slickly - the home crowd were chanting ‘we’re supposed to be at home’ with good reason - and a minute before half-time created another opening, Jonas Knudsen doing well to block from Sone Aluko from the right of the area. As the half moved into injury time, Fulham keeper David Button was forced into his first save of the afternoon, the former Spurs man diving across to his right to palm defender Tim Ream’s header towards his own goal wide. Town were unable to create anything from the corner and referee Oliver Langford’s whistle was met with boos from the home support. The Blues had been thoroughly outplayed by the visitors throughout and on another afternoon might well have found themselves further behind. Fulham had passed the ball around as well as anybody Town have faced this season, while Mick McCarthy’s men were left chasing shadows for the most part. That the closest they had come to a goal was Ream’s inadvertent late header summed up the half. That the Cottagers ended the half only one goal up was perhaps the only positive, but Town need to be a much better prospect after the break and changes of personnel look certain. Town: Bialkowski, Knudsen, Chambers (c), Berra, Webster, Skuse, Douglas, Dozzell, Sears, Lawrence, Pitman. Subs: Gerken, Best, McGoldrick, Bru, Ward, Emmanuel, Kenlock. Fulham: Button, Odoi, Ream, Madl, Malone, McDonald, Cairney (c), Ayite, Johansen, Aluko, Martin. Subs: Bettinelli, Fredericks, Kebano, Parker, Smith, Sigurdsson, Piazon. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).
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