Feisty Fulham feel at home in Eastlands
Another wonderful late display here yesterday helped them grab the most unexpected of draws in an arena which is fast becoming their second home.
Yesterday they looked dead and buried against Manchester City when Martin Petrov scored the home side’s second but, once again, Fulham launched an enthralling recovery in the final 30 minutes to snatch a point and extend their remarkable tale at this stadium.
Certain teams just seem to like playing at certain venues. It cannot really be explained or quantified but Fulham emphatically prove that old adage still holds true.
They may have lost here recently in the Carling Cup but that was with a scratch side. When Fulham arrive here for a league encounter, something magical happens to their squad: in the past four years, they have won just eight games on the road yet three of them have been at Eastlands, and all from losing positions.
Most famously, they were virtually relegated at the ground in 2008 as they trailed by two goals in the dying stages. Then, with half an hour left, they snatched a 3-2 win which gave them momentum to escape the drop.
That match has entered Fulham folklore and this latest encounter is heading in the same direction because this City side, brought together by the stratospheric size of Sheikh Mansour’s wallet, is supposedly a bona fide Premier League challenger.
But Fulham yesterday proved that old-fashioned mettle is just as valuable as the millions at Mark Hughes’ disposal, as Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey wiped out the two-goal advantage City had carved for themselves courtesy of goals from Joleon Lescott and Petrov.
“We do like it here,” Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said. “You know when we come here that you have to work hard defensively and we did that.
“Full credit to the players, we came back again, scored two good goals and I think we can say that after the 97 minutes, which was a long match, we worked hard enough and deserved our result.”
The game may have evolved into a great advert for the Premier League later on but in the opening stages there was very little quality on display.
After 18 minutes, Fulham finally created the first cast-iron opportunity but Diomansy Kamara’s poor control scuppered any hopes that they could take the lead.
Bobby Zamora cleverly flicked the ball on to Kamara who evaded the offside flag to race through on goal but his touch was too heavy and he allowed the ball to run into the grateful arms of a sliding Shay Given.
City began to settle into the match, as did their opponents and Fulham had Schwarzer to thank for rescuing them as he made a brilliant save to deny Nigel de Jong’s point-blank effort as Hughes men warmed to their task.
City continued to push and Carlos Tevez’s header appeared to be goal-bound following an impressive Petrov corner but his effort skimmed onto the roof of the net as the breakthrough remained elusive.
Micah Richards then had what looked to be a perfectly legal header ruled out after referee Kevin Friend spotted an infringement somewhere in the penalty box and ruled out his impressive finish, with Petrov again brilliantly providing the delivery.
But that talking point was overtaken by another as Fulham then missed what has to be the simplest goalscoring chance of the season so far. Given had done well to block a Dempsey effort but the ball bobbled to the feet of Zamora less than two metres out but he somehow blasted over the bar. “It was a horrific miss,” Hodgson admitted afterwards.
“But it’s a pity because Bobby played so well. Unfortunately people who watch the match on TV will see the miss.
“If he had scored, it would have been a crowning glory. But all it will be seen as now is a glaring miss and a blot on his copybook. That said, I was very pleased with his performance.”
Fulham were immediately made to pay for the error when Joleon Lescott nudged the ball over Schwarzer’s goal-line from less than a metre out from yet another City corner on 54 minutes and, when Petrov doubled that lead with a clinical finish six minutes later, the contest appeared to be over.
However, Fulham drew inspiration from the history books and again demonstrated their indefatigable streak. City clearly thought they had it won and relaxed enough to allow Duff drive past a helpless Given from the edge of the box before Dempsey brilliantly guided a Greening delivery into the back of the net to truly stun City two minutes later.
A winner could not be found in a frantic last 25 minutes and although City will see this as two points lost, Fulham will no doubt consider it just another afternoon at their favourite ground.
“At 2-0 we should see the game out comfortably but we have allowed them back into the game,” Hughes said with a sigh.
“We started really well [this season] in terms of defensive work and but we have conceded goals and we are working hard on that.
“We will hopefully learn from the mistakes we made today
REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire) 5: Disallowed Richards’ effort, which seemed harsh, and was too quick on his whistle at times.
MATCH RATING: *** A topsy-turvy classic. Fulham looked dead and buried but they proved their ever-increasing mettle against a City side that has now won just once in their last five league matches.
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