THE SESS MACHINE
Teenager Ryan’s dazzling displays could be bad news for Cottagers..
RYAN SESSEGNON’S sixth sense could make his Premier League dream come true far sooner than Fulham would like.
The exciting teenager, 17, showed his great ability to be in the right place at the right time once again, as his double secured a fourth successive Championship win for the in-form Cottagers to lift them into the play-off places.
Sessegnon’s seven goals in as many games recently have raised the prospect of him landing a move to the top flight before this week’s transfer deadline, with Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool his biggest admirers.
But Fulham will be desperate to hold on to their hottest property as they look to sustain a charge up the Championship table. “Hopefully, he stays with us and keeps on scoring goals,” said Fulham skipper Kevin Mcdonald. “The kid is unbelievable and each week he takes it to another level.
“Sess has kept his feet on the ground and not let all the transfer talk get to him. He has many great attributes, but his timing is incredible.”
Mcdonald – who grabbed Fulham’s crucial second – pointed to some harsh words at half-time as the turning point in Fulham’s performance as they came from behind to triumph.
But the dismissal of Barnsley defender Dimitri Cavare just before the break was clearly an influential factor.
“We went from having the best performance of the season against Burton to the worst performance in the first 45 minutes here. It wasn’t acceptable,” he said.
“We knew a win in this game would lift us into the play-off places and I said at half time that we needed to do everything possible to get that win.
“We’ve got to give ourselves credit for the fact we were down in 16th a few weeks ago and now we’re sixth. We’ve done incredibly well to get there, but now we’ve got to work just as hard to make sure we stay.”
Barnsley hoped to add a victory to their tributes to late owner Patrick Cryne when Liam Lindsay bundled home a 31st-minute opener.
But Cavare saw red for a second bookable offence just before the break, after he sent Stefan Johansen flying with a push to the back of the head.
“It’s a major kick in the teeth for us all,” groaned winger Ryan Hedges, after a defeat which means Barnsley have now won just once in 14 games.
“The sending off does change things. We were playing really good football and, if we’d kept 11 men on the pitch, it would have been a totally different match.”
BARNSLEY: Davies 7, Cavare 4, Pearson 6, Lindsay 7, Yiadom 6, Mallan 6, Gardner 7, Moncur 6, Hammill 5 (Hedges 66, 6),
Moore 7 (Thiam 81), Bradshaw 5 (Pinillos 45, 6)
FULHAM: Bettinelli 6, Fredericks 7, Kalas 6, Ream 6, Odoi 5 (Targett 45, 6), Norwood 6, Mcdonald 7, Johansen 6 (Kamara 70, 5),
Piazon 6 (Kebano 63, 6), Fonte 7, Sessegnon 8