Recently, I described Harry Arter as 'unpredictable'.
And on Friday evening, the hero of the Nottingham Forest match nearly gave Cardiff City an early lead. His half-hit pass allowed the dangerous Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to unleash a fierce drive beaten away by Marek Rodak. The Fulham keeper has had a quiet time since the June restart, but his reactions are as sharp as ever.
No matter if Harry Arter's Friday night shooting proved wayward, our regular scorer Aleks Mitrovic was back. The home team took the lead when Dion Sanderson tugged at Mitrovic's shirt even though the striker had scant chance of reaching Cyrus Christie's centre. Because Mitro's 35th minute penalty kick was unstoppable. City's skilful individuals responded but the Fulham defence was unruffled even when a surprise shot from Joe Ralls thumped against the bar.
Scott Parker's substitutions have usually succeeded and in the 65th minute Stefan Johansen's intervention put the result beyond doubt.
Josh Onomah backheeled to Stefan and ran into a goalscoring position. Stefan's prompt return pass allowed Onomah to find the net. Two other substitutes Ivan Cavaleiro and Neeskens Kebano missed opportunities to increase the lead but this 2-0 victory guaranteed Fulham a place in the play-offs – with three Championship matches remaining.
The contest between Fulham and West Bromwich Albion justified the teams' position in the top six. Perhaps they showed each other too much respect because in a well fought first half neither side managed more than one (ineffectual) effort on target.
The more adventurous second period saw Albion being given the better chances. They also made four calls for penalties, all in the 'seen them given' category but all rejected by the unobtrusive referee Geoff Eltringham. He was probably correct but he must have been relieved that the Baggies' fans were not in the stadium to suggest otherwise.
In the 68th minute, Rodak saved at point blank from Grady Diangara, and Sami Ajayi missed an easy chance from the resultant corner. After Anthony Knockaert – by far Fulham's most dangerous player – hit the bar with a tremendous half-volley the match finished with the points shared.
Scott Parker said: "It's two games left, or it could be five." Let's hope it's not four, with no trip to Wembley.
Where is Douglas?
You may recall my attempt to identify the player surnamed Douglas in a St Andrew's FC 1883 line-up recently unearthed by Jamie Glynn.
Apart from Harry Allen Douglas, who once lived in Reporton Road, the only serious possibility is John Douglas (born 1863), the son of William, a successful builder employing over 200 people. During the 1870s the family lived at Audley Cottage, Parsons Green Lane, but then moved to Stanhope Gardens near Gloucester Road.
Though it was an easy journey from there to the Lillie Road area where most players lived how would John have known of the team's existence? Perhaps, working as a builder's clerk, he might have met one of the football team.
A sliver of evidence is that in 1890 another Fulham church team St Clement's included ex-St Andrew's 1883 man Charles Tremain and an A Douglas, perhaps John's younger brother Albert.
The other possibilities are even shakier. William James Douglas, born in Fulham in 1869, attained the rank of superintending engineer at shipbuilders Wigham Richardson. However in 1883 he was almost certainly living with his mother and stepfather in Scotland.
The dashing Francis Archibald Douglas (born in Mayfair on the 3 February 1867) was closer to the action, living at 62 Cromwell Road Earls Court. Francis, also known as Viscount Drumlanrig,, preferred field sports, and later died in a shooting accident (or was it murder or suicide?).
His younger brother Alfred (born 22 October 1870) was probably away at prep school in 1883– just as well, since he grew up to be the odious Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas. To be fair to the family, Francis's nephew tried in 1938 to create a sports club at Earls Court for local people who unable to afford the posher establishments. At the other end of the social scale let us hope that Frederick William Douglas overcame his difficult start in life, being born (father unknown) in the Fulham Workhouse on the 8 February 1869.
Does anyone know of any other Douglas that might have been playing football for a Fulham team in 1883? If so, write to me at: press.office@lbhf.gov.uk
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
Want to read more news stories like this? Subscribe to our weekly e-news bulletin.
