By Blake Bint
Record Breaker Aleksandar Mitrovic made the difference in Fulham’s 1-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium.
A half-cleared Fulham corner on 41 minutes was put back into the box by Wales international Harry Wilson and found the head of the unmarked Mitrovic at the back post. The Serbian striker headed home for his 34th league goal this season. It was another turn of brilliance from the record-breaking goalscorer as he had been kept quiet until this moment in the match.
In a possession based opening 10 minutes at the Cardiff City Stadium, Fulham looked the better of the two sides, knocking the ball around with ease. Wilson looked bright on the right hand side, catching the Cardiff defense off guard on a couple of occasions to force the keeper into action.
James Collins had the Bluebird’s best chance of the match on the 12 minute mark, when an Alex Smithies route one ball was flicked on by Rubin Colwill to a one-on-one opportunity that the City striker squandered.
Fulham’s sustained pressure in the first half led to a total dominance, following the early Collins chance. The hosts looked to remain in shape but frequently gave the ball away cheaply as a result of the London’s side’s high tempo. A Neco Williams cross found the head of Mitrovic on 32 minutes, but it was glanced wide.
Despite conceding a goal late in the first half, the hosts came out of the blocks quickly in the second half. One of their two corners within the first five minutes of the half resulted in the ball in the back of the Fulham net, only for Collins to be ruled offside in anti-climactic fashion.
A smart Smithies save denied the visitors’ first chance of the half when a Harrison Reed free kick was cleverly flicked on towards goal by Bobby Decordova-Reid.
Mitrovic looked bright in the early parts of the second half, spurred on from his late first half goal, ruling out his quiet start to the game. Another headed chance from close range on the hour mark was once again tipped over the bar by Smithies.
Cardiff’s first bright spell of the half since the opening few minutes came with Tommy Doyle forcing three consecutive corners from his low cross from the right hand side on 63 minutes.
With Fulham unable to clear the ball out of their half for the subsequent few minutes, a Reed foul in a dangerous area left Doyle with a chance to equalise from his free kick just outside the area. The Bluebird couldn’t capitalise however as his effort sailed marginally over the crossbar.
Joel Bagan came close to adding to his unusual scoring form of late, shortly after being brought on. A deep flighted cross from the right hand side found the left wing-back at the back post who saw his header go wide.
After a quiet remainder of chances left in the game for City, the Cottagers’ back three maintained solid and unphased by the pressure of their 1-0 lead in the closing minutes.
Line ups:
Cardiff: Smithies, Drameh, Ng, Flint, McGuinness, Doughty (Bagan 67’), Doyle, Vaulks (Wintle 76’), Ralls, Colwill (Davies 57’), Collins
Unused Subs: Phillips, Hugill, King, Denham.
Fulham: Rodak, Williams (Tete 78’), Tosin, Ream, Bryan, Reed (Onomah 75’), Chakobah, DeCordova-Reid (Cavaleiro 85’), Carvalho, Wilson, Mitrovic
Unused Subs: Hector, Muniz Carvalho, Gazzaniga, Seri.