Nottingham Forest vs Fulham. Sky Bet Championship.
The City GroundAttendance21,208.
Tuesday 26 September 2017 23:02, UK
Fulham secured a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in a game that could have gone either way.
Daryl Murphy's header had cancelled out Aboubakar Kamara's early strike to ensure the two sides went in level at half-time. But a superb Stefan Johansen free-kick and a late goal on the counter from substitute Neeskens Kebano ensured Slavisa Jokanovic's side claimed three points and left Mark Warburton to contemplate a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
Murphy had almost made the breakthrough early on, when he latched onto an incisive pass from Kieran Dowell, before cutting back onto his left foot to fire a shot towards the far post that David Button saved well. Jason Cummings had an effort from range that was not too far away, while Denis Odoi did the same for Fulham.
There was a small amount of controversy surrounding the game's opening goal in the 13th minute. When Ryan Sessegnon sent Kamara racing clear, he appeared to be a yard offside - although replays suggested it was a very tight call.
Either way, Kamara had no hesitation in beating Jordan Smith with a powerful strike. Smith then denied Sheyi Ojo before Dowell drove a low shot narrowly wide for the home side. Murphy continued to be Forest's main threat, doing brilliantly to flick the ball over his marker's head but then showing less quality to fire over the bar.
It felt like a Forest goal was coming - and it was. Cummings fed Armand Traore on the edge of the box and he whipped a cross to the far post, where Murphy was arriving to send a simple header back across goal and inside the far post 12 minutes before half time.
Cummings and Dowell both had shots charged down as Forest made a bright finish to the half. When the two combined early in the second period, Cummings might have done better when presented with a shooting chance from 12 yards, but fired over. Johansen skimmed the bar with a shot for Fulham.
But Button saved again to deny Cummings as he sent a low shot towards the far post, with Tomas Kalas blocking brilliantly to deny Dowell's shot from the rebound.
Fulham's Kamara drove a shot against the foot of the post - and they did take the lead for a second time in the 72nd minute after Mills had brought an unsubtle halt to a Ryan Sessegnon run on the edge of the box.
Johansen stepped up to deliver an inch perfect free-kick, sent curling over the wall and high into the corner of the net. Murphy was inches away from another equaliser as he beat Button with a low shot, but saw it roll wide of the post.
As Forest committed men forward in search of an equaliser, Fulham hit them on the break with Yohan Mollo feeding fellow sub Kebano to drive home off the underside of the bar in the 89th minute.
Mark Warburton: "I am not going to stand here tonight and tell you guys that I am happy with what we have just seen on the pitch - because we have just lost the game 3-1 at home. We have to take our chances. If we score that second goal, this was our game. The small margins are really hurting us at the minute. They really, really are. Please take this the right way but it is fine margins that are costing us.
"That is this division and this is a relentless league. There are no excuses. The fans turned out in great numbers and our job has got to be to fill the City Ground. I hope people can see that we are getting there. But if you do not take chances and you do not defend your goal, you will pay the price. Daryl has had chances, Jason (Cummings) has had chances and Kieran (Dowell) has had chances - it is about the team, not individuals. But we had numerous chances as a team."
Slavisa Jokanovic: "It is always important for your confidence to win, particularly when we have just failed to win at home. Winning a game like this tonight will only help. It always makes life easier after you have won, but now we must be focused for QPR. We must be satisfied because we head home with three points. We knew it was not going to be easy for us.
"In the first 45 minutes we did not adapt very well in the game; we started in shy fashion. We know Forest are a team who are fighting for the possession of the ball. In the second half, we tried to take more risks, to push forward and press them harder and we scored two more goals as well as hitting the post twice. I must be satisfied with the result, but I am also happy with our second half performance."
