Match Report
Fulham (2) 3-2 (1) Brentford
Premier League Summer Series at Lincoln Financial Field.
Sunday 23rd July 2023 KO: 21:00
Referee:
Peter Bankes (Lancashire)
|
Jack Pooley
Fulham kicked off our Summer Series with an entertaining victory over Brentford on Sunday afternoon.
After Yoane Wissa had cancelled out Harry Wilson’s stunning opener, Bobby De Cordova-Reid put the Whites back in front with a clinical finish from distance.
Carlos Vinicius made it 3-1 just moments after coming on at half-time, and although Kristoffer Ajer reduced the deficit, the Bees couldn’t find a way back into the game.
Fulham needed less than three minutes at the stunning Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to open our pre-season account, and it was vintage Wilson.
It had looked as if Harrison Reed was going to let fly from distance, but he instead poked out to the Welshman who cut inside and arrowed a beautiful strike inside the far corner, leaving Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken rooted to the spot.
Wilson had a decent chance to double his tally 10 minutes later when João Palhinha clocked his smart run and clipped a ball into him. Flekken was out quickly, though, and got enough of a hand on Wilson’s attempted lob.
Brentford’s first attempt followed when Ben Mee tried his luck from 20 yards out, but Marek Rodák was right behind it.
The Bees did soon restore parity, though, when Wissa tapped home from on the goalline after Keane Lewis-Potter got his head to a Mathias Jensen corner.
Bryan Mbeumo thought he’d put his side ahead with a carbon copy of Wilson’s early strike, but his clean effort from the edge of the box came back off the inside of the post.
There had been some excellent technique on show, and it was another moment of quality that saw the Whites reclaim our lead, De Cordova-Reid dancing beyond a couple of defenders before drilling a low shot inside the near post from 20 yards.
With Fulham light on centre-backs, Palhinha had been filling in at the back, but he was forced off just before half-time after hurting his shoulder. Kevin Mbabu replaced him, with Kenny Tete moving inside as a makeshift central defender.
It had been a relatively quiet first half for Rodak, but he had to be alert in stoppage time when Wissa tried to catch him out from a tight angle – the Slovakian getting a strong hand to the effort.
Rodak was replaced by Bernd Leno at the break, and he was immediately called into action, making himself big to repel Wissa’s angled drive.
Vinicius was another half-time introduction, and he needed under two minutes to give Fulham a two-goal cushion, cleverly flicking low beyond substitute ‘keeper David Raya after neatly bringing Wilson’s pass under control.
We were back to a single goal advantage soon enough, though, with Ajer rifling home a first time strike as he ran onto the end of Rico Henry’s clipped delivery.
Henry should have equalised shortly after when he found space in the box, but the left-back could only drag his shot wide of the far post.
Willian must have thought he’d joined the list of stunning goal scorers with quarter of an hour to play when he caught his curling strike perfectly, only to be denied by a world class fingertip stop from Raya.
Brentford again should have levelled matters in the 86th minute when Nathan Collins had a volleyed chance from close range, but he rattled his attempt straight at Leno who did well to hold it.
That proved to be the Bees’ final chance to take something from the tie, as Fulham saw things out to commence our Summer Series with a win.
Fulham : Rodak (Leno 45), Tete (De Fougerolles 65), Diop, Palhinha (Mbabu 46), Robinson (Odutayo 83), Reed, Lukic (Dibley-Dias 83), Wilson (Willian 65), Cairney (Harris 65), De Cordova-Reid (Stansfield 45), Muniz (Vinicius 45)
Unused substitutes: Borto, Parkes, McCoy-Splatt, Godo, Amissah
Goals:
Wilson 3 (a superb curling effort from outside the box)
De Cordova-Reid 36 (right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Harrison Reed.)
Vinicius 47( left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Harry Wilson.)
Booked: Wilson (32,f), Reed (61), Willian (90+5),
Brentford: Flekken (Raya 45), Roerslev (Ajer 47), Pinnock (Collins 47), Mee (Zanka 47), Henry (Sorensen 71), Janelt (Pressley 71), Mbeumo (Olakigbe 45), Damsgaard (Yarmolyuk 71), Jensen (Onyeka 45), Lewis-Potter (Peart-Harris 71), Wissa (Baptiste 45)
Unused substitutes: Schade, Strakosha, Kim Ji-Soo, Brierley
Goals:
Wissa 17 (right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Keane Lewis-Potter following a corner.)
Ajer 48 (right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Rico Henry with a cross.)
Booked: Zanka (61)
Referee:
Peter Bankes (Lancashire)
Attendance: N/K