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Ralph Ellis at Daily Mail |
Bristol City (0) 0-2 (1) Fulham
Loan starlet Lucas Piazon showed why Fulham were so determined to extend his loan as his fifth goal of the season kept them in the hunt for a play-off place.
The 23-year-old Brazilian set up a win which piled more pressure on Bristol City boss Lee Johnson whose side are dropping like a stone towards the relegation zone.
City fans were chanting: ‘We want Johnson out’ as the final whistle approached.
Johnson has been given a vote of confidence by the club’s millionaire owner Steve Lansdown but his record now reads just five points from the last 13 Championship games.
And for a club that has invested heavily in building a magnificent 27,000-seater stadium the thought of a drop into League One is deeply worrying.
Not that any of that would have bothered Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic.
Sometimes in a transfer window it isn’t so much who you sign that matters as who you keep, and that certainly has been true for the man who got Watford promoted.
The Craven Cottage boss made sure that none of the Premier League giants eyeing talented teenager Ryan Sessegnon got anywhere, and also convinced Piazon to stay on.
And the pair of them were both dazzling last night as they made life tough for struggling City who were clinging on just two points above the Championship relegation zone.
Skipper Tom Cairney added another goal just after half-time as Fulham made it four wins in their last five Championship games.
But it was 16-year-old prodigy Sessegnon who took the eye even before Piazon struck with a brilliantly taken opening goal.
With 17 minutes gone the Brazilian Under-23 international glided into space to accept a pass from Cairney before calmly lifting the ball over the diving Fabian Giefer.
Far from being fatigued from their FA Cup exploits against Tottenham, Fulham’s players looked inspired by their brush with Premier League opposition and were passing the ball crisply.
Neeskens Kebano was robbed of a goal only by a linesman’s flag for a narrow offside decision, and Piazon had a shot deflected a fraction wide.
Much of Fulham’s slick football defied the swirling wind and rain, and they were rarely threatened – although Milan Djuric did head a David Cotterill cross just over.
But the visitors were then gifted a second goal on 55 minutes, as Adam Matthews passed the ball straight to Kebano whose pass gave Cairney the chance to drill a left foot shot beyond Giefer’s reach.
Johnson reacted by immediately subbing Matthews, a move that was greeted with derision by the unhappy home crowd.
And the mood hardly changed when deadline day signing Matty Taylor dithered over a chance to pull a goal back and allowed Tomas Kalas to get back and make a tackle.
And if anything the night could have got worse for Johnson as Kalas then headed just over from a Stefan Johansen corner.
Manager Slavisa Jokanovic said: ‘We have to be pleased because we changed our focus after the Cup exit. We moved the ball and created chances. It was very positive for us because we had three points and a clean sheet.
‘Piazon is a good example of how a player can improve by working hard. He got his reward tonight for how he gives everything on the training ground each day.’
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