Fulham 2-1 Brentford
Monday evening's TV spotlighted a fixture that Fulham fans were approaching with trepidation. Results in recent years have tended to go Brentford's way and there was particular concern about the Bees' habit of striking both early and late in the game, periods when the Whites are notoriously vulnerable.
As I put it in last week's blog 'Keep tabs on Mr Mbeumo'. In the event spectators and Sky viewers had to wait 24 minutes for a goal and Bryan Mbeumo never came close to beating Bernd Leno though he worked as hard as anyone on the Craven Cottage pitch. Timothee Robinson stifled the Cameroonian's one serious attempt.
The period leading up to that goal was dominated by Fulham. Reiss Nelson, replacing Adama Traore in the starting line-up, drew a double save from Mark Flekken and later shot wide. Of course domination can be meaningless. From 25 yards Vitaly Janelt impressively opened his account – 'Bees up, Fulham down' as the visiting supporters chorused.
Those fans were cloaking their anxiety. Brentford had already lost three away matches after scoring first. Fulham did not alter their approach but the finishing remained limp, as typified by Emile Smith-Rowe's unconvincing header.
Second half pressure
The Whites stepped up the pace in the second half especially Robinson and Alex Iwobi but time after time the ball ended comfortably in Mark Flekken's gloves. It looked as if Brentford would achieve a rare clean sheet and Keane Lewis-Potter reminded the home side that the Bees still had their sting.
With his players running out of ideas Marco Silva sent on Traore. Kenny Tete and Calvin Bassey joined in the assault on Flekken's goal but to no avail. Meanwhile the keeper indulged in time-wasting that would have embarrassed even Marek Rodak. The quirky referee Stuart Attwell had shown leniency to the physicality of both teams and he was not bothered by Flekken's antics. Nor did he intervene when Brentford spent an age making substitutions.
In the end it was the Fulham's changes that mattered – Tom Cairney, Timothy Castagne and in the 82nd minute Harry Wilson all got their chance. We waited to see how much time would be added to the 90. The officials indicated six, a conservative estimate but I guess it was approaching Mr Attwell's bedtime.
Late drama
The first 90 minutes will have made entertaining TV and I would have been content to watch in the warmth and comfort of my front room. The added time chaos as seen from the Hammersmith End was exhilarating and nerve shredding, an experience not to be missed.
First we had a subs' goal when Harry Wilson stuck out his foot to meet Traore's cross and the ball very slowly looped into the net. Then Fabio Carvalho, perhaps stung by his hostile reception, hit a shot so fierce that it would have felled some keepers but just bounced off Bernd Leno. Finally in the seventh of the six allotted minutes the inexhaustible Antonee Robinson put in a low centre and Harry's diving header gave Fulham a totally unexpected victory.
Regrettably but I suppose inevitably there was a pitch invader, who looked like Old Father William - or was it Merlin the Wizard milking the applause? Back in the stands joy was unconfined though I tried not to see the abject misery of the Brentford defenders. They will want to forget those added minutes but the fans will remember them for a long, long time.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
