After two hefty drubbings by four and five goal margins respectively, negotiating the first 15 minutes at Craven Cottage with their clean sheet intact was a small win in itself for Leeds. Goalmouth action was certainly at a premium in the first half, with an Andreas Pereira effort that was easily gathered by Illan Meslier about the only notable effort on goal.
The second half could hardly have been worse than the first, and it proved to be that way almost straight after the break when Fulham, who must’ve been stripped down by Marco Silva at half-time, asserted their authority from the get-go. It didn’t take them long to nose ahead either, with Antonee Robinson doing the leg work down the left before Meslier flapped at his cross and the ball fell invitingly to Harry Wilson who made no mistake in thundering an effort in off the bar.
That goal seemed to spark Leeds into life, and the visitors came close to an instant response when Crysencio Summerville’s effort rippled the netting, but unfortunately for the travelling Leeds faithful his effort found the wrong side of the net. It was amazing what Wilson’s opener did to this game and the Cottagers were unlucky not to have doubled their advantage shortly after when Pereira’s free-kick reverberated the crossbar to the relief of a stranded Meslier.
In a strange twist of fate, Fulham’s second goal was almost identical to the first, with Meslier making a hash of a Robinson cross, but this time the ball fell to Pereira who had the simplest of tasks to slam home.
Leeds did at least set up a nervy ending for Fulham when Patrick Bamford’s effort ricocheted in off Joao Palhinha to claim a consolation for Leeds, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Cottagers from securing a third head-to-head victory this season, with Javi Gracia’s side now looking anxiously over their shoulder ahead of the rest of the weekend’s action.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
