report Fulham 2-2 Hull City
theguardian
Fulham throw away two-goal lead against Hull City to stay deep in trouble
Fulham remain rooted in the relegation zone after relinquishing a two-goal lead against Hull City. Quick-fire goals from Ashkan Dejagah and Fernando Amorebieta seemed set to give Felix Magath's men rich reward for a second-half transformation, but Hull then made changes of their own and fought back to claim a draw thanks to goals by Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long. Fulham thus remain a point behind 17th-place Norwich before the Norfolk side's trip to Old Trafford.
Fulham have spent most of this season exploring abysses, having lost 23 of their 35 Premier League matches going into this game, but the visit of Hull evoked memories of the darkest low. The 6-0 defeat at the KC Stadium in December was a grim humiliation, especially as it came at a time when Fulham had been emitting tentative traces of improvement. Magath's men arrived for this match amid similar flickers of optimism, having won two of their previous three games to stoke hopes of a repeat of the great escape that Roy Hodgson orchestrated for the club in 2008. The vibrancy of the Craven Cottage crowd suggested the home fans believed it was possible, but would Hull deliver another reality check and, in the process, secure their own top-flight survival
The visitors may have the FA Cup final on their minds, but Steve Bruce knew the best way to prepare for that would be to banish any lingering relegation fears and, besides, his attack was led by Jelavic and Long, two players who are ineligible for the Wembley date.
Only four of the Fulham players who had started December's thrashing began here, an indication of the changes wrought by Magath. Most encouragingly for the hosts, Lewis Holtby returned to action after being forced to sit out last week's defeat away to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining on loan in January, Holtby has emerged as the chief creator in the side and he would likely need to flourish again. But even his conjuring would probably not be enough if Fulham continued to suffer from the defensive incompetence that has bedevilled them all season, conceding from set-pieces being a particularly regrettable habit.
Both sides seemed set up to avoid defeat. After a cagey opening, Jon Arne Riise was the first to look like unlocking Hull's five-man defence, but his shot from 20 yards out whizzed wide. The play was scrappy, but six minutes later Amorebieta summoned enough class to swing a superb pass across Hull's six-yard box, but Hugo Rodallega failed to connect with it.
A weak header from Jelavic was easily saved by David Stockdale as Hull mounted their first raid of the match moments later, and a second incursion into the Fulham box ended with Ahmed Elmohamady being booked for a dive.
The home fans booed the Egyptian intensely after that, mainly because there was little else to get animated about: the stakes may have been high, but the quality was low. Holtby and Tom Huddlestone, the two players most likely to elevate matters above the mundane, barely had a significant touch in a bleak first half.
Fulham owner Shahid Kahn must have been wincing as he watched, though referee Lee Mason gave the home fans some cheer by declining to award Hull a penalty after Long tumbled in the box under a heavy challenge from Amorebieta just before the break.
Magath, never afraid to tinker, introduced Dejagah and Kieran Richardson at half-time, in place of Riise and Holtby. Within moments of the resumption, Fulham had the clearest sight of goal yet, but Rodallega volleyed over from 10 yards out after a corner. Now Fulham were going for it and, in the 53rd minute, Magath dared even further, introducing Darren Bent for Sidwell.
Fulham's new-found ambition was rewarded moments later when Dejagah collected the ball at the edge of the area, feinted past David Meyler and curled a sweet left-foot shot into the far corner. It got better. With their very next attack another of Fulham's substitutes made a key impact, Richardson swinging in a cross that Amorebieta headed into the net. Fulham were a team transformed.
Jubiliation turned to jitters in the 75th minute when Sascha Riether deflected a shot on to his own crossbar and Jelavic nodded the rebound into the net. Two minutes later, the Fulham bar was rattling again, when a long shot from Sone Aluko took a nick off Scott Parker and beat Stockdale. This time, however, the ball bounced to safety.
Fulham survived another scare in the 85th minute, when a shot by Elmohamdy came back off the post, but they could not hold out until the end, and Long was allowed to meet Aluko's cross at the back post and sent a header into the net.
Fulham remain rooted in the relegation zone after relinquishing a two-goal lead against Hull City. Quick-fire goals from Ashkan Dejagah and Fernando Amorebieta seemed set to give Felix Magath's men rich reward for a second-half transformation, but Hull then made changes of their own and fought back to claim a draw thanks to goals by Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long. Fulham thus remain a point behind 17th-place Norwich before the Norfolk side's trip to Old Trafford.
Fulham have spent most of this season exploring abysses, having lost 23 of their 35 Premier League matches going into this game, but the visit of Hull evoked memories of the darkest low. The 6-0 defeat at the KC Stadium in December was a grim humiliation, especially as it came at a time when Fulham had been emitting tentative traces of improvement. Magath's men arrived for this match amid similar flickers of optimism, having won two of their previous three games to stoke hopes of a repeat of the great escape that Roy Hodgson orchestrated for the club in 2008. The vibrancy of the Craven Cottage crowd suggested the home fans believed it was possible, but would Hull deliver another reality check and, in the process, secure their own top-flight survival
The visitors may have the FA Cup final on their minds, but Steve Bruce knew the best way to prepare for that would be to banish any lingering relegation fears and, besides, his attack was led by Jelavic and Long, two players who are ineligible for the Wembley date.
Only four of the Fulham players who had started December's thrashing began here, an indication of the changes wrought by Magath. Most encouragingly for the hosts, Lewis Holtby returned to action after being forced to sit out last week's defeat away to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining on loan in January, Holtby has emerged as the chief creator in the side and he would likely need to flourish again. But even his conjuring would probably not be enough if Fulham continued to suffer from the defensive incompetence that has bedevilled them all season, conceding from set-pieces being a particularly regrettable habit.
Both sides seemed set up to avoid defeat. After a cagey opening, Jon Arne Riise was the first to look like unlocking Hull's five-man defence, but his shot from 20 yards out whizzed wide. The play was scrappy, but six minutes later Amorebieta summoned enough class to swing a superb pass across Hull's six-yard box, but Hugo Rodallega failed to connect with it.
A weak header from Jelavic was easily saved by David Stockdale as Hull mounted their first raid of the match moments later, and a second incursion into the Fulham box ended with Ahmed Elmohamady being booked for a dive.
The home fans booed the Egyptian intensely after that, mainly because there was little else to get animated about: the stakes may have been high, but the quality was low. Holtby and Tom Huddlestone, the two players most likely to elevate matters above the mundane, barely had a significant touch in a bleak first half.
Fulham owner Shahid Kahn must have been wincing as he watched, though referee Lee Mason gave the home fans some cheer by declining to award Hull a penalty after Long tumbled in the box under a heavy challenge from Amorebieta just before the break.
Magath, never afraid to tinker, introduced Dejagah and Kieran Richardson at half-time, in place of Riise and Holtby. Within moments of the resumption, Fulham had the clearest sight of goal yet, but Rodallega volleyed over from 10 yards out after a corner. Now Fulham were going for it and, in the 53rd minute, Magath dared even further, introducing Darren Bent for Sidwell.
Fulham's new-found ambition was rewarded moments later when Dejagah collected the ball at the edge of the area, feinted past David Meyler and curled a sweet left-foot shot into the far corner. It got better. With their very next attack another of Fulham's substitutes made a key impact, Richardson swinging in a cross that Amorebieta headed into the net. Fulham were a team transformed.
Jubiliation turned to jitters in the 75th minute when Sascha Riether deflected a shot on to his own crossbar and Jelavic nodded the rebound into the net. Two minutes later, the Fulham bar was rattling again, when a long shot from Sone Aluko took a nick off Scott Parker and beat Stockdale. This time, however, the ball bounced to safety.
Fulham survived another scare in the 85th minute, when a shot by Elmohamdy came back off the post, but they could not hold out until the end, and Long was allowed to meet Aluko's cross at the back post and sent a header into the net.
