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Fulham throw away two-goal lead against Hull City to stay deep in trouble Fulham throw away two-goal lead against Hull City to stay deep in trouble
(about 1 hour later)
Fulham remain rooted in the relegation zone after relinquishing a two-goal lead against Hull City. Quick-fire goals from Ashkan Dejagah and Fernando Amorebieta seemed set to give Felix Magath's men rich reward for a second-half transformation, but Hull then made changes of their own and fought back to claim a draw thanks to goals by Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long. Fulham thus remain a point behind 17th-place Norwich before the Norfolk side's trip to Old Trafford.
Fulham have spent most of this season exploring abysses, having lost 23 of their 35 Premier League matches going into this game, but the visit of Hull evoked memories of the darkest low. The 6-0 defeat at the KC Stadium in December was a grim humiliation, especially as it came at a time when Fulham had been emitting tentative traces of improvement. Magath's men arrived for this match amid similar flickers of optimism, having won two of their previous three games to stoke hopes of a repeat of the great escape that Roy Hodgson orchestrated for the club in 2008. The vibrancy of the Craven Cottage crowd suggested the home fans believed it was possible, but would Hull deliver another reality check and, in the process, secure their own top-flight survival? Fleetingly, Fulham had a sight of safety; but they took their eyes off the ball and are now staring relegation in the face again. A second-half transformation – during which they scored twice in three minutes – seemed set to lift Felix Magath's men out of the bottom three for the first time in nearly three months, but, symptomatic of a season in which their next mistake never seems far away, Fulham then conceded twice to leave Hull feeling safe instead.
The visitors may have the FA Cup final on their minds, but Steve Bruce knew the best way to prepare for that would be to banish any lingering relegation fears – and, besides, his attack was led by Jelavic and Long, two players who are ineligible for the Wembley date. "If we hadn't got this point today we would have still been in trouble," said a relieved Hull manager, Steve Bruce. "Thirty-seven points might not be enough, but it usually is." While his side can now think more comfortably of the FA Cup final, Fulham go into their last two Premier League matches fearing that they have made life prohibitively tricky for themselves. "We have to win the last two games," said a downcast Magath in barely audible tones. "As long as there is a chance, we have to take it."
Only four of the Fulham players who had started December's thrashing began here, an indication of the changes wrought by Magath. Most encouragingly for the hosts, Lewis Holtby returned to action after being forced to sit out last week's defeat away to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining on loan in January, Holtby has emerged as the chief creator in the side and he would likely need to flourish again. But even his conjuring would probably not be enough if Fulham continued to suffer from the defensive incompetence that has bedevilled them all season, conceding from set-pieces being a particularly regrettable habit. Midway through the second half, Magath had been feeling far more upbeat, as had the Craven Cottage crowd, who were singing in giddy endorsement of their team's second-half turn-around. The first period had been eye-bleedingly boring, the tension of the occasion combining with the conservatism of both teams to produce a match of little incident. But Magath altered his team's personnel, attitude and formation, and was rewarded with two goals in three minutes.
Both sides seemed set up to avoid defeat. After a cagey opening, Jon Arne Riise was the first to look like unlocking Hull's five-man defence, but his shot from 20 yards out whizzed wide. The play was scrappy, but six minutes later Amorebieta summoned enough class to swing a superb pass across Hull's six-yard box, but Hugo Rodallega failed to connect with it. The change in emphasis was almost instantaneous, as Hugo Rodallega volleyed over the bar from a corner straight after the break. That was closer than Fulham had come in the entire first half, during which their best chance had been from a cross by Fernando Amorebieta, with which Rodallega had failed to connect.
A weak header from Jelavic was easily saved by David Stockdale as Hull mounted their first raid of the match moments later, and a second incursion into the Fulham box ended with Ahmed Elmohamady being booked for a dive. Lewis Holtby, returning to the side after missing last week's defeat by his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur, was expected to provide much-needed creativity to Fulham, but he was disappointing in the first period. His half-time replacement, Ashkan Dejagah, made a much bigger impact. His strong running down the right made him a regular threat and, in the 55th minute, he made a breakthrough in spectacular style. After collecting the ball on the right and feinting past David Meyler, the Iran international curled a wonderful shot into the top corner of the net from 16 yards out. That was fair reward for Fulham's new-found ambition.
The home fans booed the Egyptian intensely after that, mainly because there was little else to get animated about: the stakes may have been high, but the quality was low. Holtby and Tom Huddlestone, the two players most likely to elevate matters above the mundane, barely had a significant touch in a bleak first half. Things soon got better for the hosts when another substitute Kieran Richardson swung in a delicious cross from the left that Amorebieta nodded into the net. The celebrations around the ground showed that Fulham fans believed Magath was in the process of inspiring an escape similar to the one Roy Hodgson had helped the club pull off in 2008.
Fulham owner Shahid Kahn must have been wincing as he watched, though referee Lee Mason gave the home fans some cheer by declining to award Hull a penalty after Long tumbled in the box under a heavy challenge from Amorebieta just before the break. Fulham had chances to extend their lead, but Darren Bent, another substitute, squandered one, before Steve Harper made an excellent block to deny Dejagah. "That was the turning point," said Bruce, who made changes to help Hull get back into the game. Fulham inadvertently helped too. Sascha Riether deflected a shot on to his own crossbar in the 75th minute and Nikica Jelavic headed in the rebound. Suddenly, Fulham's jubilation turned to jitters.
Magath, never afraid to tinker, introduced Dejagah and Kieran Richardson at half-time, in place of Riise and Holtby. Within moments of the resumption, Fulham had the clearest sight of goal yet, but Rodallega volleyed over from 10 yards out after a corner. Now Fulham were going for it and, in the 53rd minute, Magath dared even further, introducing Darren Bent for Sidwell. Two minutes later, the Fulham bar was rattling again, when a long shot from Sone Aluko took a nick off Scott Parker and beat keeper David Stockdale. This time the ball bounced to safety.
Fulham's new-found ambition was rewarded moments later when Dejagah collected the ball at the edge of the area, feinted past David Meyler and curled a sweet left-foot shot into the far corner. It got better. With their very next attack another of Fulham's substitutes made a key impact, Richardson swinging in a cross that Amorebieta headed into the net. Fulham were a team transformed. A frazzled Fulham survived another scare in the 85th minute, when Ahmed Elmohamady blasted a low shot against the post. The hosts could not hold on. Three minutes from time, Shane Long was allowed to meet Aluko's cross at the back post and headed into the net.
Jubiliation turned to jitters in the 75th minute when Sascha Riether deflected a shot on to his own crossbar and Jelavic nodded the rebound into the net. Two minutes later, the Fulham bar was rattling again, when a long shot from Sone Aluko took a nick off Scott Parker and beat Stockdale. This time, however, the ball bounced to safety. "If you are leading 2-0 at home you have to come through," said Magath. "You remember the Champions League final between Liverpool and Milan? It was 3-0 and, in the end, Liverpool were champions. It always seems to be comfortable when you are leading, but it isn't." It certainly isn't comfortable now for Fulham.
Fulham survived another scare in the 85th minute, when a shot by Elmohamdy came back off the post, but they could not hold out until the end, and Long was allowed to meet Aluko's cross at the back post and sent a header into the net.