Fulham vs Luton Town FC (23rd Oct 2019)

REPORT | FULHAM 3 LUTON TOWN 2

Potts and LuaLua net first of the season, but Town lose out

The Hatters fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage despite a promising second half showing.

Aleksandar Mitrovic put the hosts two goals to the good by the 53rd minute, but Dan Potts did get one back for the Hatters on the hour mark to increase the pressure on Fulham during an impressive start to the second half.

Despite gaining momentum, the Serbian forward completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute to make the score 3-1, before Kazenga LuaLua scored his first goal of the season late in added time, to give the Cottagers a nervy end to the game.

After Ivan Cavaleiro had a comfortable effort saved by James Shea in the opening exchanges, the Hatters were next to trouble as Potts got his head to Izzy Brown’s corner, but Marek Rodak saved comfortably.

James Collins came closer to scoring the opening goal as Brown slid the ball through to him, but his stretched effort went just wide of the post.

In the 16th minute after a good spell of Town pressure, Mitrovic gave Fulham the lead with a thumping finish. Cavaleiro found space inside, played the ball to the number nine and he emphatically finished past Shea.

The goalkeeper did his best to keep the Hatters in the game as he made two fine saves from Cavaleiro and Mitrovic just after the 20 minute mark, first with his legs and then a strong parry away from goal.

Brown led the charge to try and get the Hatters back into the contest just after the half-hour mark. He drove forward with pace, set the ball to Collins on the left-hand-side, but uncharacteristically, his first-time effort went over the bar.

The Hatters started the second half brilliantly and had two good chances within the space of five minutes.

Forty seconds after the restart, Cornick hit the side netting after Brown laid the ball off to him. Brown then went close himself, but his deflected effort went just wide of the post.

Similar to their opening goal, Fulham flurried forward after a wave of Luton attacks to go two-nil up.

Knockaert sent the ball down the line to Bobby Decordova-Reid and his quick, first time delivery was tapped home by Mitrovic.

On the hour mark, Luton got a deserved goal back through Potts, his first in just over a year since heading in the injury-time winner at Oxford.

Brown delivered a fantastic free-kick into the box and Potts glanced his header off the surface and into the top corner.

It took seven minutes for the hosts to restore their two-goal advantage as Mitrovic completed his hat-trick, heading home from Joe Bryan’s cross into the box.

The Serbian’s third of the game increased his total for the season to 11 goals, a tally that makes him the Championship’s top goalscorer.

Shea was forced into a good low save to deny Cavaleiro with eight minutes left, before Hatters substitute LuaLua scored a late consolation in added time.

Fellow sub Luke Bolton put a tantalising ball across the box which evaded everyone apart from LuaLua, who stabbed home at the back post.

After trying desperately to get the ball back into the box after the restart, referee John Brooks blew for full-time as Town couldn’t manage successive wins in the Sky Bet Championship despite their excellent efforts to try and do so.

FULHAM: Rodak, Odoi, Mawson, Ream, Bryan, Cairney, Reed (McDonald 85), Decordova-Reid (Johansen 81), Cavaleiro, Knockaert (Onomah 70), Mitrovic. Subs not used: Bettinelli, Le Marchand, Sessegnon, Kamara.

Goals: Mitrovic (16, 53, 67)

Yellows: Cairney

TOWN: Shea, Bree (Bolton 70), Pearson, Cranie, Bradley, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Brown, Cornick (LuaLua 78), Collins (McManaman 78). Subs not used: Sluga, Shinnie, Jones, Butterfield.

Goals: Potts (60) LuaLua (90)

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 18,082 (1,970 Hatters)

GRAEME JONES ON THE DEFEAT TO FULHAM

Town boss Graeme Jones felt his side showed Fulham too much respect in their 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage.

Aleksandar Mitrović grabbed a hat-trick, with goals from Dan Potts and Kazenga LuaLua not enough for the Hatters to get anything out of the game.

The result sees the Town slip down to 18th with 13 games played.

Jones said: “I think the first thing we have to accept is, they’re an exceptional team with an exceptional budget. I think first half we maybe gave them a little bit too much respect, we changed it for the second half and really played on the front foot, we took the game to them and drew the half 2-2. So there’s some pleasing aspects.

“We were in the ascendancy at that point [when they scored their third goal]. We didn’t need to be gung-ho, we just needed to be playing each phase with a level-headed approach and the goal would have come, I have got no doubt. Composure, if we got the ball out wide, we would have got the second goal – we didn’t, Ryan gives the ball away with a bit of a rash challenge, all of a sudden you’re defending a wide free-kick, we didn’t defend it well enough, a Premier League striker scores two goals. But you look at yourself first, it can be prevented, we don’t have to give it away. I think Ryan gives the pass away and then reacts to it. So that’s disappointing, but I am thinking Harry Cornick had a fantastic chance at 1-0, there were key moments that didn’t go our way and went Fulham’s way and that’s probably why we lost.

“The players need to know that that’s our DNA now [to create chances]. I think we were joint fifth top goalscorers going into tonight. It’s Luton Town, with the greatest respect, you have to speak about the budgets, it’s not a level playing field. So for us to achieve that at Fulham is good, but we want to win football matches, that’s what we’re here for. There’s another level of the game we need to go to be killers, be ruthless, do whatever it takes, to win the game and we are getting there, we are definitely getting there, it’s just frustrating that we have taken a bit of a step backwards tonight.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQayfbT5BLU&t=4s – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNLzSu2npTo – Match highlights

Hatters beaten by Mitrovic's treble

Championship: Fulham 3 Luton Town 2

Luton were handed a lesson in finishing by Fulham striker Aleksander Mitrovic who notched a masterly hat-trick to just about defeat the Hatters this evening.

The Serbian talisman showed exactly why the Cottagers forked out £22m for him back in July 2018, as although he rarely left his centre forward's position, he didn't need to, hardly breaking sweat to notch a match-defining treble.

Town had their moments on the night, and had Kazenga LuaLua's goal to make it 3-2 not come in stoppage time, they might have had a chance to snatch a point, but were ultimately done by the forward's class, as will no doubt a great many teams at this level over the season.

The Hatters were unchanged for the clash, Izzy Brown and James Bree both recovering for their knocks picked up during Saturday's 3-0 win over Bristol City.

Fulham might have been ahead inside two minutes, Anthony Knockaert's header glanced wide by Denis Odoi, while Ivan Cavaleiro snatched at his shot from outside the box.

After being devoid of possession early on, the Hatters gathered their thoughts and almost were in front when Collins won it back upfield and was found by a delicious outside of the boot through ball by Brown.

He got there ahead of keeper Marek Rodak, but missed the top corner by a matter of inches.

Just as Town looked to be getting a foothold in the contest, they were behind though with a goal of their own making on 16 minutes, Matty Pearson's ill-judged pass inside picked up by Cavaleiro.

He then rolled it into Mitrovic, who made space inside the area, fending off Sonny Bradley's attentions and unleashed a rocket past James Shea that was in the moment he pulled the trigger.

Fulham looked for a second, Shea having to hurridly palm away as Tom Cairney broke into the box, before deflecting Knockaert's effort with his legs and then diving full length to parry from the classy Mitrovic, who sent an ambitious bicycle kick over the top.

Knockaert curled off target from a decent position, as Luton's best chances came when Brown was in possession and driving into space, as he outmuscled Odoi to feed Collins, who sliced wide on his left foot.

On-loan Brighton attacker Knockaert should have doubled Fulham's lead on 36 minutes, found in space by Cavaleiro but fired millimetres over on his favoured left foot.

Town then won back possession after another poor Cottagers' pass out of defence, which was a theme all evening, Harry Cornick disappointingly dragging his effort, Collins flagged for handball as he controlled the rebound.

Cavaleiro hurtled off his wing and let fly, only narrowly missing the far corner, while a poor James Bree header was eventually seized upon by Joe Bryan whose low cross was just out of the reach of Mitrovic.

After the break, the Hatters could have been on level terms immediately, Brown finding Cornick, who screwed his attempt the wrong side of the post, while Brown went for goal himself, a home defender flicking behind.

But just as they had in the first period, Town then conceded as they looked to be in with a chance of restoring parity, Dan Potts losing Bobby Decordova-Reid and he picked out the unmarked Mitrovic to tap home his 10th of the season on 53 minutes.

Luton were swiftly on the front foot once more though, Mpanzu doing excellently on the right to send over two crosses, one that Cornick couldn't generate enough power from and another that was blocked behind.

The Hattters did give themselves a lifeline on the hour mark as Brown's free kick was met by Potts, who glanced beyond Rodak for his first goal in over a year.

Town's hopes only lasted seven minutes, as the Cottagers played a short free kick to Joe Bryan and his cross was headed home by that man Mitrociv for an imperious hat-trick.

Collins wasn't too far away from 25 yards as he looked to pull yet another back, as Town's top scorer, along with Cornick made way for Callum McManaman and LuaLua.

Late on, Cavaleiro had a blast parried behind by, while Town's two replacements went for goal, before another substitute, Luke Bolton, raced down the wing and crossed low for LuaLau to score at the far post.

It was just too little, too late for Town as Fulham saw out the final 90 seconds without any further alarm.

Cottagers: Marek Rodak, Joe Bryan, Tim Ream, Alfie Mawson, Denis Odoi, Tom Cairney, Harrison Reed (Kevin McDonald 85), Bobby Decordova-Reid (Stefan Johansen 80), Ivan Cavaleiro, Alexsander Mitrovic, Anthony Knockaert (Josh Onoma 70).

Subs not used: Marcus Bettinelli, Maxime Le Marchand, Steven Sessegnon, Aboubakar Kamara.

Hatters: James Shea, James Bree (Luke Bolton 70), Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley (C), Matty Pearson, Martin Cranie, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick (Kazenga LuaLua 78), Izzy Brown, James Collins (Callum McManaman 78).

Subs not used: Lloyd Jones, Jacob Butterfield, Andrew Shinnie, Simon Sluga.

Booked: Cairney 73.

Referee: John Brooks.

Attendance: 18,082.

Jones felt key moments went against Town in Cottagers defeat

Hatters boss Graeme Jones felt that the key moments went against his side during the 3-2 defeat at Fulham this evening.

Town had appeared to weather the storm in the first period, before Aleksander Mitrovic fired home the opening goal on 16 minutes, after a sloppy pass from Matty Pearson.

In the second period, with Luton on the front foot, Mitrovic then made it 2-0, only for the visitors to hit back through Dan Potts on the hour mark.

However, Ryan Tunnicliffe gave away a needless free kick for Mitrovic to complete his treble, heading home Joe Bryan’s delivery, leaving Kazenga LuaLua’s stoppage time goal as consolation.

Jones said: “The first thing we have to accept is they are an exceptional team with an exceptional budget.

“I think first half we maybe give then a little bit too much respect, but we changed the shape second half and really played on the front foot, took the game to them, drew the half 2-2, so some pleasing aspects,

“We were in the ascendancy at that point (2-1 down), we didn't have to be gung ho, we needed to be playing each phase with a level headed approach and the goal would have come, I’ve got no doubt.

“Composure, got the goal out wide, we would have scored the second.

“We didn’t, we gave the ball away and a bit of rash challenge, and all of a sudden you’re defending a wide free kick and we don’t defend it well enough.

“So, a Premier League striker, he scores goals, but you have to look at yourself first, it can be prevented.

“We didn’t have to give it away, I think Ryan gives the pass away and then reacts to it, so that’s disappointing, but I think Harry Cornick has missed a fantastic chance at 1-0.

“It was key moments for us tonight that didn’t quite go our way that went Fulham’s way and that’s probably why we lost.”