Match Report
Fulham (0) 2-0 (0) Everton
v
Premier League Match Day 34 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 13th April 2019 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
|
The Guardian
Fulham secured their fifth Premier League win of the season as Scott Parker’s side outplayed Everton at Craven Cottage.
After their immediate relegation back to the Championship was confirmed last time out at Watford, the home team ran out as deserved 2-0 victors.
Their captain, Tom Cairney, opened the scoring with only the second Premier League goal of his career and his first since scoring against Everton for Hull in March 2010, before Ryan Babel wrapped up the win for the home side.
Aleksandar Mitrovic passed up a number of first-half opportunities but Fulham struck twice in the second half to pick up their first victory since January and a first win for their caretaker manager.
It was also a rare successful day for Fulham’s defence, which celebrated a first clean sheet of 2019 as Everton drew a blank.
An early mix-up from the away side set the tone for the afternoon as Jordan Pickford smashed a clearance straight at Phil Jagielka, although fortunately for Marco Silva’s side the ball bounced harmlessly back to the England goalkeeper.
Mitrovic flashed a shot well over the crossbar before testing Pickford for the first time soon after as Fulham started on the front foot.
The striker should have opened the scoring with 11 minutes on the clock but could only shoot tamely after beating the Everton offside trap.
The visitors slowly grew into the contest, Bernard drawing a low save out of Sergio Rico before Mitrovic again went close, Pickford this time pushing his header over the bar.
The Serbia international saw his header from the resulting corner deflected behind.
Calum Chambers was next to pass up a good chance as he failed to make enough contact with Cairney’s cross.
The first half was summed up when another well-worked Fulham move resulted in Mitrovic hitting the crossbar as the scores remained level at the interval.
It did not stay that way for long.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Everton |
| Goals |
(0) 2 |
0 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
Cairney 46 |
|
|
Babel 69 |
|
| , |
| Goal attempts |
12 |
8 |
| On target |
5 |
1 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
42% |
12% |
| Possession |
41% |
59% |
| Passes |
343 |
496 |
| Passes Success |
73% |
76% |
| Crosses |
12 |
21 |
| Crosses Success |
42% |
29% |
| Corners |
7 |
3 |
| Tackles |
21 |
27 |
| Tackles Success |
67% |
70% |
| Saves |
1 |
3 |
| Fouls |
8 |
10 |
| Offsides |
1 |
1 |
| Yellows |
2 |
1 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
Cairney opened the scoring 31 seconds after the restart, sending a low finish past Pickford from just inside the area after good work from Babel.
Gylfi Sigurdsson had the ball in the net for Everton soon afterwards but it was correctly ruled out by the referee, Lee Probert, as Rico was caught by the outstretched boot of Dominic Calvert-Lewin beforehand.
Fulham, too, had a goal chalked off as Mitrovic was adjudged to have fouled Kurt Zouma to allow Ryan Sessegnon to fire in.
Calvert-Lewin clipped the post as Everton started to push for an equaliser but Fulham extended their lead when the former Liverpool man Babel collected Mitrovic’s pass and coolly dinked the ball over the onrushing Pickford.
Everton could not respond and so missed the chance to move up to seventh with a fourth straight win.
Fulham: Rico, Fosu-Mensah (Christie 66), Le Marchand, Ream, Bryan, Chambers, Anguissa (Odoi 89), R Sessegnon, Cairney, Babel (Seri 83), Mitrovic
Unused substitutes: Fabri, Kebano, Schurrle, Elliott
Goals:
Cairney 46 (left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ryan Babel.)
Babel xx (right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic following a fast break.)
Booked: Ream (48,f), Le Marchand (57,f),
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Jagielka, Zouma, Digne, Andre Gomes, Gueye, Richarlison (Tosun 84), Sigurdsson (Lookman 74), Bernard (Walcott 84), Calvert-Lewin
Unused substitutes: Stekelenburg, Baines, Keane, Davies
Booked: Richarlison (44,f),
Referee:
Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
Attendance: 24,971