There was a guarded response to Fulham's 1-0 home victory over Newcastle on the first day of the season.
The Magpies were new to the Championship and had probably underestimated the quality of the teams that they would meet there. Besides, Newcastle grumbled, the match would have been a draw if the referee has spotted Ryan Tunnicliffe's handball.
The return match at the weekend saw a second Fulham triumph – and the match left no room for Toon town excuses.
Tom Cairney, Sone Aluko and his men started the match as they had finished on Tuesday night, spirited, richly inventive and eager to score. Aluko and Stefan Johansen combined to provide Cairney with an opening and he bettered his Tuesday night brilliance with a goal from well outside the penalty area.
The home fans were noticeably underwhelmed by their team's first half performance – but it only got worse after the interval.
After David Button fielded Shelvey's free kick he initiated a rapid breakaway, which ended in Sone Aluko's neat back-heel to Ryan Sessegon. The teenager calmly shot beyond Karl Darlow's reach.
Seven minutes later Aluko seizing on a loose ball enabled Sessegnon to inflict further punishment. The teenager's assuredness reminds me of Alan Mullery, Rodney Marsh and Allan Clarke when they first broke into Fulham's first team. Understandably, Ryan wanted to take the penalty awarded for a foul on Cyriac, and he would probably have done better than Tim Ream.
The fans who had undertaken the lengthy journey to occupy the vertiginous away stand at Newcastle were rewarded with a 3-1 victory. Sheffield Wednesday meanwhile had lost to Aston Villa. With a game in hand Fulham were just two points from the playoff places.
A home win over Blackburn would suffice…
But this is where I find myself groping for excuses – fatigue, overconfidence, the burden of supporters' expectations. All of them, perhaps? Regardless, Fulham's performance against Blackburn fell below their recent standards.
In the first half they relied on their default method of keeping possession and shooting from afar. Blackburn occasionally threatened David Button's goal and it was a visitors' attack just before half time that led to Fulham's opener. Ryan Fredericks, recovering from a stumble, cleared to Tom Cairney. From his pass Stefan Johansen set up Sone Aluko to score.
After the interval Fulham initially tried to dominate Blackburn, whose keeper made a fine save from Sessegnon. Then the home side tried containment, only for Kalas to concede a penalty when he brought down the talented substitute Lucas Joao. Craig Conway showed that it is possible to score from the spot.
It was Ryan Fredericks again who inspired his team to score, and Cyriac's goal appeared to be a late winner. Joao was not finished and in added time he outwitted Tim Ream, gaining his team a valuable point and depriving Fulham of the coveted sixth place.
This climax offered a mirror image of the Leeds game (when Cairney scored just before time), and it was sad to hear some boos from the Hammersmith End for a team that had gone eight League games without defeat.
Earlier some of those spectators had been singing about Wembley. Perhaps the reality check of two points lost was too much for them. Fulham is a splendid football team but the playoffs are not yet assured, let alone a date at Wembley Stadium.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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