Bobby Reid
Assist by Josh Brownhill
Ryan Kent Card was given for a foul
Aden Flint
Bobby Reid Card was given for arguing during match
Player was substituted for tactical reasons
On:Joe Bryan
Off:Hördur Bjorgvin Magnusson
Player was substituted for tactical reasons
On:Niclas Eliasson
Off:Ryan Kent
Player was substituted for tactical reasons
On:Lois Diony
Off:Famara Diedhiou
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Assist by Cyrus Christie
Stefan Johansen Card was given for arguing during match
Player was substituted due to an injury
On:Floyd Ayité
Off:Matt Targett
Player was substituted for tactical reasons
On:Aboubakar Kamara
Off:Aleksandar Mitrovic
Player was substituted for tactical reasons
On:Oliver Norwood
Off:Tom Cairney
Fulham extended their unbeaten run to an 11th match following a 1-1 draw at promotion rivals Bristol City.
Aleksandar Mitrović gave his side the perfect start when he provided a simple finish after fine work by fellow new boy Cyrus Christie.
The Robins ensured the two teams would go into the break level, though, when the lively Bobby Reid planted a confident strike beyond Marcus Bettinelli.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium after the restart and so a draw was perhaps a fair result all round.
Slaviša Jokanović suggested prior to the game that he would be making full use of his squad, and that was evident in three changes to his starting XI. Christie was handed a debut as Denis Odoi and Lucas Piazon also came in, with Ryan Fredericks, Tomas Kalas and Floyd Ayité dropping to the bench.
Fulham carved open the first shooting chance of the game inside five minutes when Matt Targett cut back to Mitrović who tried his luck from 20 yards out, but his left footer was straight down the throat of Frank Fielding who claimed comfortably.
City’s first spell of pressure came in the form of a trio of corners in quick succession, but the Whites were able to deal with the threat without too much stress.
Two of our January arrivals combined for the opening goal on 14 minutes. Christie drove forwards and drilled in a clever low pass with the outside of his right boot that Mitrović stabbed home from close range.
The hosts should have levelled almost immediately when Hördur Bjorgvin Magnusson got on the end of Ryan Kent’s free-kick, but inexcusably nodded wide from a good position.
The Robins’ main threat was coming from Magnusson’s monster throws, with one almost bringing about an equaliser shortly after the half hour mark, only for Bettinelli to make a low diving punch away.
But they did restore parity 10 minutes before half-time through their top scorer Reid who coolly slotted inside the far post after playing a one-two with Korey Smith.
That boosted the Bristolians’ confidence but Fulham continued to probe themselves, although Tom Cairney’s long ranger in the dying embers of the first half sailed harmlessly over.
The Whites had the first good chance of the second period after five minutes. Piazon showed considerable strength to win the ball on the edge of the opposition box and passed backwards to Stefan Johansen. He slipped in Mitrović who rifled a powerful shot towards goal that Fielding beat away.
Mitrović then got on the end of Johansen’s near post corner but couldn’t get enough of an angle on his header to direct it on target.
The referee got his cards out for the first time just before the hour mark when Kent was booked for cynically halting a Fulham counter by bringing down Cairney.
A fine chance to restore the lead arrived with 20 minutes to go when Ryan Sessegnon capitalised on a defensive slip to deliver a tantalising centre towards Mitrović, but the striker couldn’t quite reach the ball on the stretch.
Fulham were then dealt a blow as Targett limped off. Ayité replaced him in a move that saw Sessegnon drop to left back, while Aboubakar Kamara came on for Mitrović.
City also made a switch involving their left-back, as Joe Bryan replaced Magnusson in a like for like swap.
A wayward Tim Ream header in the 78th minute dropped kindly for Jamie Paterson in the box, but thankfully he rushed his shot and volleyed wide.
The two bosses then made their final changes as Cairney gave way for Oliver Norwood, and Lois Diony and Niclas Eliasson took the places of Famara Diedhiou and Kent.
Norwood threatened with a bobbling effort eight minutes after coming on, but Fielding watched his 30 yarder all the way to make the save.
Moments later Reid looked set to smash his side in front from close range following a fortuitous passage of play, but Odoi made a sensational clearance to take the ball of his toes.
Aden Flint was then booked for preventing Bettinelli from releasing the ball as quickly as he would have liked.
In stoppage time Reid followed his teammate into the book for a similar situation further up the pitch as we tried to take a free-kick, with Johansen also cautioned for showing his frustration at Reid’s antics.
The Robins threatened once more in the final minute of five added on but Ream prevented Reid from converting to confirm the spoils were shared from what was an even encounter.
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Date: Wednesday 21 February 2018
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: Ashton Gate, Bristol
Attendance: 21,236
Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Line-up: Fielding; Wright, Flint, Baker, Magnusson (Bryan 74'); Kent (Eliasson 80'), Brownhill, Smith, Paterson; Diedhiou (Diony 80'), Reid
Unused substitutes: Steele, Kelly, Walsh, Engvall
Manager: Lee Johnson
Line-up: Bettinelli; Christie, Odoi, Ream, Targett (Floyd Ayité 74'); Johansen, McDonald, Cairney (Norwood 79'); Lucas Piazon, Mitrovic (Kamara 75'), Ryan Sessegnon
Unused substitutes: Button, Fredericks, Kalas, Kebano
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
Pos | Club | Pl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 33 | 73 |
2 | Cardiff City | 33 | 64 |
3 | Aston Villa | 33 | 60 |
4 | Derby County | 33 | 59 |
5 | Fulham | 33 | 56 |
6 | Bristol City | 33 | 54 |
7 | Sheffield United | 32 | 52 |
8 | Middlesbrough | 33 | 51 |
9 | Preston North End | 33 | 51 |
10 | Brentford | 33 | 50 |
11 | Leeds United | 33 | 46 |
12 | Norwich City | 33 | 46 |
13 | Millwall | 33 | 45 |
14 | Ipswich Town | 33 | 45 |
15 | Queens Park Rangers | 33 | 39 |
16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 33 | 37 |
17 | Nottingham Forest | 33 | 37 |
18 | Reading | 32 | 33 |
19 | Bolton Wanderers | 33 | 33 |
20 | Birmingham City | 33 | 30 |
21 | Hull City | 32 | 29 |
22 | Burton Albion | 33 | 29 |
23 | Barnsley | 32 | 28 |
24 | Sunderland | 33 | 26 |