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The Guardian |
Fulham (0) 4-2 (1) Reading
Fulham manager Kit Symons is hoping Moussa Dembélé signs a new Fulham deal after inspiring the 4-2 comeback win over Reading.
The 19-year-old played a starring role as the home side eased the pressure on their manager after falling 2-0 down to goals from Lucas Piazon and Orlando Sá for high-flying Reading. With their manager's position under serious threat, the hosts launched an impressive recovery with three goals in six minutes.
Symons said: "The club are in talks with him. We'd like him to sign. The reality of it is he is at a football club where he will develop. He's far from the finished article - he needs to keep working hard and he knows that.
"This is the best place for him to develop. Hopefully we will get the contract sorted out soon. He's definitely happy without a doubt. He's enjoying his football. We're in talks and the chairman will speak to him when he's over. He's keen for the deal to get done."
Symons was under increasing pressure before this win and he acknowledged: "We needed to get a win and we did. I'm a Championship manager and if you win you're all right and if you lose you get booed and your job is under threat. That's how the industry is. It's a really difficult job and that's the nature of it. I'm under no illusions."
Reading went ahead when Piazon finished off a slick move in the 13th minute, before Sá struck against his old club in the 48th minute - but that sparked a blitz few saw coming.
Ross McCormack struck in the 50th minute and two minutes later Dembélé scored his first goal when he slid in from close-range. In the next attack, the substitute Alex Kacaniklic fired home and Dembélé had the final say in the 74th minute as Reading went to pieces.
Steve Clarke said: "I was disappointed with the way we conceded the first goal. When you go 2-0 in front you should go on to win the game. We conceded three goals in six minutes and the whole complexion of the game changed in those six minutes. We had good control up until then but we allowed the game to get away from us very quickly. It's not like us and it's disappointing but we have to move on."
The Reading manager added: "I didn't say anything to the players because after a game like that sometimes it's better to say nothing and reflect calmly on the game when you have a better frame of mind.
"I didn't trust myself to speak after the game. You hope it's a one-off. I'd like to think it is if you look at our defensive record. It was rock solid before this so hopefully this is an isolation and we come back into good habits."
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