LET’S HEAR IT FOR ODOI
Deadly Den & wonderkid Ryan fire Fulham to final
Fulham defied the odds and omens to overturn Derby’s first-leg lead and reach the final after second-half goals from their topflight starlet-in-waiting Sessegnon and unlikely hero Denis Odoi.
The Rams managed to silence Sessegnon in Friday’s first leg. But they had no answer to the teenager in the return. He scored one and set up Odoi’s winner as Fulham finally earned a play-off victory at the eighth attempt.
And last night’s sweet 16th goal of the season for Sessegnon was a fine way to kick off the celebrations in the week he turns 18.
Fulham now play either Aston Villa or Middlesbrough in the final at Wembley on Saturday week for the £170million promotion jackpot, allowing owner Shahid Khan, who flew in for this game, to get an early look around the national stadium he is bidding to buy.
Play-off history, as well as a Derby side packed with Premier League experience, was against Fulham ahead of the second-leg of this finely-poised tie.
County’s lead was just a slender one but they had reached the final on each of the three previous occasions when they went into the second leg ahead – while Fulham had failed to win any of their previous seven play-off games.
Derby had limited Fulham’s threat at Pride Park with a disciplined defensive display.
They played the role of spoilers again at Craven Cottage and tried to take the sting out of the home side and the electric atmosphere by slowing down the game at every opportunity.
But they were later made to regret their time-wasting when they had to chase the game.
The visitors’ initial master-plan should have been blown apart after eight minutes, but Sessegnon could not apply the finish to a threeagainst-one Fulham counter attack.
It was the start of a busy night for former England keeper Scott Carson,with Fulham peppering his goal and doing everything but score.
Stefan Johansen sliced wide, Aleksandar Mitrovic had three efforts off target and one soaring header brilliantly-batted away onehanded by Carson, who also repelled another attempt from the Serbian and long-rangers from Aboubakar Kamara and Ryan Fredericks.
But Carson was helpless two minutes into the second half when Sessegnon blasted in Johansen’s knockdown to level the tie.
And Odoi lifted the roof off Craven Cottage when his brilliant header redirected Sessegnon’s corner into the net off the far post.
Kamara could have killed off Derby but chose to dive after going past Carson and was booked for his troubles.
Yet nothing was going to spoil this famous Fulham night and they held on to reach the final. Sessegnon 47, Odoi 66