Fulham’s Reserves played out a lively 2-2 draw with the reigning Barclays Premier Reserve League champions, Chelsea, on Monday evening at Motspur Park.
In an archetypal ‘game of two halves’, Billy McKinlay’s charges confidently and stylishly surged to a 2-0 lead at the break, but their multi-million pound local rivals rallied in the second period to ensure a share of the spoils in the SW6 derby.
After a minute’s silence in honour of Gary Speed, the game began at a frantic pace that Fulham looked the more comfortable with, forcing the Blues onto the back foot with a dangerous break down the right. Tom Donegan played a lofted through-ball into the box to Orlando Sa, but Chelsea ‘keeper Jamal Blackman rushed out to intervene.
However, the loose ball fell to Bjorn Helge Riise on the edge of the area and the winger placed a shot towards the top corner of the open net, only for Blackman to recover spectacularly to tip it over.
Chelsea then threatened on eight minutes, left-back Gordon finding himself in space on the edge of the six-yard-box, but his low shot was well blocked by Csaba Somogyi.
At the other end, Blackman was again called into action. Sa raced through on goal, and as he approached the final defender, he squared to Donegan who was running into the penalty area. But as the midfielder shaped to shoot, the Chelsea ‘keeper made himself big enough to pull off an impressive block with his leg.
Donegan was again in the thick of things on 12 minutes, picking the ball up in the middle of the park and threading a delightful through-ball to Alex Kacaniklic. The Swedish winger ran clear, but had his shot deflected out for a corner. The resulting set piece was only half-cleared however, and when Riise delivered a second deep centre, Sa rose highest in the box to head home.
Just before the half-hour it was two. Kacaniklic played a delightful through-ball that sliced open the Chelsea defence and Donegan ran through. The midfielder took a touch to cut inside the final defender and then drilled a low shot under Blackman.
The Whites had the ball in the net again before the break, as Riise picked out Sa with a fine ball across the area. However, as the striker side-footed into the net, the linesman raised his flag for offside.
Chelsea should have scored before the interval though as £5million Brazilian Lucas Piazon found himself free in the area. But despite plenty of time to place the ball, Somogyi was equal to the shot, knocking it around the post.
The visitors came out for the second-half with renewed impetus, forcing the Whites’ defence into sustained activity for the first time. From one attack down the right, only a late intervention from Josh Pritchard denied Chalobah a close range shot at goal.
Meanwhile at the other end, Blackman made a fine low stop to keep out a dangerous turn and shot from Sa.
But Chelsea did find the net on 70 minutes. Advancing down the left, Chalobah played a teasing lofted pass into the penalty area where Lalkovic was free to side-foot volley past Somogyi who had little chance from close range.
The goal appeared to unsettle the Whites who found themselves defending desperately for a spell shortly afterwards. And they were let off when the ball fell to Magnay at the back post, but the centre-back poked it wide when it appeared easier to score. Mitrovic then had a shot deflected wide as the Blues turned the screw. However, from the resulting corner, Fulham eventually succumbed, Chalubah forcing the ball over the line from close range.
As both sides tired, the match looked headed for a tie until Chelsea were awarded an 87th minute penalty after a Pritchard foul in the box. However, with the game there for the taking, Lalkovic blasted the spot kick over the bar to ensure honours would be shared.
Fulham: Somogyi; Brister, Pritchard, Burn, Kavanagh (Banya 71); Minkwitz, Riise, Harris, Kacaniklic, Donegan (Dean 89); Sa