Fulham were twice pegged back in our penultimate friendly match of the summer, with a penalty at the death denying us victory in a 2-2 draw with Málaga on Wednesday night.
Ryan Sessegnon had headed his side in front, only for the hosts to respond almost immediately, but Alex Iwobi restored our lead in the second half.
Rodrigo Muniz could have sewn things up but saw his powerful effort come back off the post, which gave Málaga the opportunity to claim an unlikely draw courtesy of Eneko Jauregi’s 90th-minute spot-kick.
A couple of flashes of individual skill presented Fulham’s first meaningful chance in the 18th minute. First, Sander Berge dropped a shoulder to buy some space in the middle of the park, before releasing Kevin down the left flank. He skipped beyond his man and looked to pick out Gonzalo García, but the cross was slightly too deep and the Spaniard could only help it on its way wide.
That proved the precursor for a more aggressive Fulham, and soon after Sessegnon has stabbed an effort into the side-netting, he headed his side in front.
Worked smartly out from Emile Smith Rowe in the middle to the overlapping Timothy Castagne, he delivered a peach of a delivery for his opposite full-back to ghost in at the far post and nod home the opener.
Unfortunately, the lead lasted just the length of a drinks break, as David Larrubia was able to squeeze a shot under Bernd Leno.
10 minutes before half-time, Castagne was given a sight of goal when he sprinted to get on the end of Kevin’s ball across the face, but his first time effort cleared the target.
The home side had the first effort of the second half when Larrubia stung the palms of Leno, but it was Fulham who claimed the third goal of the night. Castagne was again the architect, this time spotting the run of Iwobi who had evaded the entire Malaga backline, allowing him to divert the Belgian’s cross into an empty net.
Kevin had a couple of lively moments either side of the hour mark, with his quick feet creating a change for Berge’s saved shot, before sending a 20-yarder of his own over the bar.
A brilliant Shea Charles ball then sprung fellow substitute Antonee Robinson deep down the left flank, but a defender was tight to Gonzalo in the middle to smuggle away the danger from Robinson’s cross.
All the subs had looked lively, and two more combined to create another opening when Macaulay Zepa’s positive attitude culminated in Muniz gaining a yard in the box, and he was unfortunate to see his powerful strike come back off the upright.
It had been a good second half for the Whites but we were denied the win in the 90th minute courtesy of Jauregi’s penalty, after Calvin Bassey had been penalised for handball.
Fulham: Leno; Castagne (Tete 74), Andersen (Cuenca 74), Bassey, Sessegnon (Robinson 62); Berge (Reed 74), Iwobi (Charles 62), Smith Rowe (King 62); Bobb (Zepa 79), Gonzalo (Muniz 74), Kevin (Palacios 62)
Subs: Lecomte, Borto, Kusi-Asare