Forlan on fire as Fulham fall short

FULHAM’S capacity to defy the odds finally deserted them in the 116th minute of the 19th and final game of their thrilling Europa League campaign.

With penalties looming, Diego Forlan connected with Sergio Aguero’s cross to ensure that it was Atletico Madrid and not Roy Hodgson’s side that won the inaugural final of European football’s re-constituted second competition.

A campaign that began in Lithuania on July 30 and took in unforgettable victories over Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk, Wolfsburg and Hamburg reached its agonising conclusion when Fulham’s reserves expired in the final stages of marathon season.