Fulham and Liverpool played out a highly entertaining one-all draw at Motspur Park on Tuesday afternoon. Liverpool took the lead through a second-half Conor Coady penalty but the Whites equalised with a strike from Cauley Woodrow.
Fulham got the match underway with Norwegian international Bjorn Helge Riise adding his experience to an otherwise youthful Fulham line-up featuring several promising Academy players.
After a tight start to the match the first chance of the match fell to Liverpool’s towering striker, Michael Ngoo, after six minutes play.
A free-kick from the right, following a foul by Alex Smith on Nathan Eccleston down Fulham’s left hand side, found Ngoo unmarked four yards from goal. Fortunately, Fulham goalkeeper Csaba Somogyi was perfectly positioned to save Ngoo’s headed effort on the goal line.
Fulham winger Alex Kacaniklic burst through Liverpool’s midfield on several occasions during the opening 15 minutes and was denied a one-on-one after 11 minutes after being brought down 20 yards from goal. Tom Donegan’s resulting set piece flew over Martin Hansen’s cross bar.
Tuesday’s visitors certainly possessed an abundance of pace and trickery down the flanks in the form of Nathan Eccleston and Raheem Sterling. However, Fulham’s full backs, Alex Smith and Alex Brister did a fine job of cutting Liverpool’s supply line on Tuesday afternoon.
Tom Donegan went closer than his earlier set piece effort with his second attempt of the match after 17 minutes, forcing Martin Hansen into diving save to deny Fulham.
As the half-hour mark approached Fulham possessed the greater attacking threat with Kacaniklic impressing against his former club. However actual goal chances were few and far between as both teams remained defensively solid.
After 26 minutes play Fulham produced a superb passage of play that resulted in Cauley Woodrow heading against the cross bar. Fulham moved the ball from back to front with a lengthy spell of possession and patient build-up play. The final delivery eventually came from the right flank but Woodrow was denied by the woodwork.
Liverpool responded immediately through Raheem Sterling, who curled a fine shot to the far corner of the goal from the left hand side of the area. Once again Somogyi was perfectly positioned to collect with a diving save.
Cauley Woodrow was offered another sight of goal barely a minute later but the striker failed to direct his header past Martin Hansen after finding space in a crowded area.
Joshua Pritchard, playing in central defence alongside Daniel Burn, performed superbly against the physically imposing Michael Ngoo during the first-half. Despite the striker’s clear physical advantage, Pritchard stood toe to toe with the striker and was rarely beaten in the air.
Pritchard’s no nonsense approach earned him a booking after 36 minutes after the defender brought Sterling down with a late tackle in the middle of the park.
As half-time approached Liverpool attacked down Fulham’s right channel but Fulham looked more than comfortable and Somogyi was forced to make just one clean and relatively simple save before the break.
Three minutes before half-time Alex Smith's desire was almost rewarded with a goal when the left back raced on to a pass through Liverpool’s defence with an overlapping run. Smith's shot across goal agonisingly swept wide of Martin Hansen’s far post. Whilst it remained goalless at the break Fulham had enjoyed arguably the better chances during the first half.
Liverpool started the second-half in fine form but winger Eccleston earning himself a yellow card after falling a little too easily inside the area. Liverpool were awarded a penalty 15 minutes into the second half that Conor Coady dispatched to earn the visitors a lead.
The second-half continued at and entertaining pace with both sides displaying excellent close control and technique.
Fulham came close to netting the equaliser on 61 minutes when another positive run from Alex Smith down the left flank resulted in Courtney Harris ariving at the far post to volley just over the bar.
The action switched to the other end and an outstanding reaction save from Somogyi denied a certain second for Liverpool after Eccleston got on the end of a Raheem Sterling cross.
Fulham were back on level terms on 73 minutes. Alex Smith, an ever-present threat down the left wing for the Whites, supplied the cross which found Alex Kacaniklic on the right side of the area. The winger jinked past his marker and laid a pass to Cauley Woodrow, who finished emphatically from five yards – setting up a thrilling finale.
Driving runs from Bjorn Helge Riise and Tom Donegan spearheaded the Whites’ attacking endeavours as Fulham looked to finish the game stronger.
However there were some nervous moments for Fulham's defence seven minutes from time when Sterling was put clean through on goal. Fulham's keeper raced to the edge of his area to challenge the onrushing attacker, taking the ball but also giving away a free kick on the edge of the area resulting in a yellow card. The resulting free kick struck the wall and was cleared to safety.
Fulham finished the game controlling possession but were unable to fashion any further opportunities.
Fulham: Somogyi, Brister (Dean 60), Smith, Pritchard, Burn, Minkwitz (Altman 60), Harris, B. Riise, Woodrow, Donegan, Kacaniklic
Subs not used: Joronen, Bettache, Banya