Cardiff dealt blow, as Parker hails Fulham

ADAM Armstrong’s 45-yard wonder goal dented Cardiff’s playoff hopes as Blackburn took the spoils with a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Tony Mowbray’s Rovers twice came from behind thanks to Danny Graham and Dominic Samuel before Armstrong (below) produced one of the goals of the season.

Cardiff’s Will Vaulks had opened the scoring with another superb strike and Robert Glatzel put the Bluebirds back ahead after Graham’s equaliser but they had not banked on Armstrong’s effort.

Fulham boss Scott Parker, meanwhile, hailed the resilience of his team after they kept alive their automatic promotion hopes with a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.

A game of few clear-cut chances was settled in first-half injury time by Harry Arter’s left-foot effort from outside the penalty area which flew into the top corner.

It was the midfielder’s second goal in three matches and gave Fulham a third straight victory and moved them to within four points of second-placed West Brom, who host Derby tonight.

All three wins have come in the absence of star player Aleksandar Mitrovic following his retrospective ban for elbowing Leeds’ Ben White last month.

“I am very proud of my team. It’s a big result for us but there’s a bigger picture,” said Parker. “We were also without Tom Cairney and players have had to step up. Harry has done that, he was fantastic in terms of the goal.

“That’s two in three now for Harry. We lost Mitrovic three games ago and we have had to find another way.”

Said Benrahma and Ethan Pinnock sealed a dramatic comeback as Brentford boosted their bid for automatic promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Charlton.

The Addicks led through an eighth-minute goal from Macauley Bonne, but Benrahma levelled from the penalty spot before Pinnock headed the winner five minutes from time.

A late goal by Barnsley substitute Aapo Halme saw the Tykes salvage an important point in a 1-1 draw at Luton in the battle of the bottom two teams. The draw leaves Luton at the foot of the table on 41 points, with Barnsley a single point better off.

Huddersfield scrapped their way to what may prove a vital point in their fight against relegation following a goalless draw at Reading.