Match Report
Nottingham Forest (1) 1-3 (1) Fulham
Championship Match Day 10 1718 at City Ground
Tuesday 26th September 2017 KO: 19.45
Referee:
Scott Duncan (Northumberland)
|
Fulham secured a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in a game that could have gone either way.
Daryl Murphy's header had cancelled out Aboubakar Kamara's early strike to ensure the two sides went in level at half-time.
But a superb Stefan Johansen free-kick and a late goal on the counter from substitute Neeskens Kebano ensured Slavisa Jokanovic's side claimed three points and left Mark Warburton to contemplate a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
Murphy had almost made the breakthrough early on, when he latched onto an incisive pass from Kieran Dowell, before cutting back onto his left foot to fire a shot towards the far post that David Button saved well.
Jason Cummings had an effort from range that was not too far away, while Denis Odoi did the same for Fulham.
There was a small amount of controversy surrounding the game's opening goal in the 13th minute. When Ryan Sessegnon sent Kamara racing clear, he appeared to be a yard offside - although replays suggested it was a very tight call.
Either way, Kamara had no hesitation in beating Jordan Smith with a powerful strike.
Smith then denied Sheyi Ojo before Dowell drove a low shot narrowly wide for the home side.
Murphy continued to be Forest's main threat, doing brilliantly to flick the ball over his marker's head but then showing less quality to fire over the bar.
| Match Stats |
N Forest
|
Fulham
|
| Goals |
(1) 1 |
3 (1) |
| |
| Scorers |
Murphy 33 |
Kamara 13 |
| |
|
Johansen 72 |
| |
|
Kebano 89 |
| |
| Goal attempts |
20 |
16 |
| On target |
4 |
7 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
20% |
44% |
| Possession |
54% |
46% |
| Passes |
510 |
449 |
| Pass Success |
77% |
75% |
| Crosses |
28 |
10 |
| Crosses Success |
11% |
10% |
| Corners |
3 |
3 |
| Tackles |
20 |
18 |
| Tackles Success |
55% |
56% |
| Saves |
4 |
3 |
| Fouls |
11 |
9 |
| Offsides |
4 |
4 |
| Yellows |
2 |
0 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
It felt like a Forest goal was coming - and it was.
Cummings fed Armand Traore on the edge of the box and he whipped a cross to the far post, where Murphy was arriving to send a simple header back across goal and inside the far post 12 minutes before half time.
Cummings and Dowell both had shots charged down as Forest made a bright finish to the half.
When the two combined early in the second period, Cummings might have done better when presented with a shooting chance from 12 yards, but fired over. Stefan Johansen skimmed the bar with a shot for Fulham.
But Button saved again to deny Cummings as he sent a low shot towards the far post, with Tomas Kalas blocking brilliantly to deny Dowell's shot from the rebound.
Fulham's Kamara drove a shot against the foot of the post - and they did take the lead for a second time in the 72nd minute after Mills had brought an unsubtle halt to a Ryan Sessegnon run on the edge of the box.
Johansen stepped up to deliver an inch perfect free-kick, sent curling over the wall and high into the corner of the net.
Murphy was inches away from another equaliser as he beat Button with a low shot, but saw it roll wide of the post.
As Forest committed men forward in search of an equaliser, Fulham hit them on the break with Yohan Mollo feeding fellow sub Kebano to drive home off the underside of the bar in the 89th minute.
Nottingham Forest : J Smith, Worrall, Mills, Mancienne (Carayol 84), Darikwa, Bridcutt, Osborn, Traore, Dowell (Clough 70), Cummings (Brereton 70), Murphy
Unused substitutes: Henderson, Lichaj, McKay, Bouchalakis
Goals:
Murphy 33 (header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Armand Traore with a cross.)
Booked: Worrall (55,d), Mills (71,f)
Fulham Button, Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Odoi (Norwood 45), McDonald, Johansen; Ojo (Kebano 59), Fonte (Mollo 68), R Sessegnon, Kamara
Unused substitutes: Bettinelli, Djalo, Graham, Cissé
Goals:
Kamara 13 (right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ryan Sessegnon.)
Johansen 72 (from a free kick with a left footed shot to the top right corner.)
Kebano 89 ( right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Yohan Mollo.)
Referee:
Scott Duncan (Northumberland)
Attendance: 21,208