Bobby’s the man to concentrate on the league
PARKER HAILS HIS CUP GOAL HERO... AND SAYS NOW DO IT IN THE PREM
SCOTT PARKER believes Bobby Decordova-reid’s goalscoring knack could fire Fulham to Premier League safety.
Decordova-reid set Fulham on the way before Neeskens Kebano finished off their west London neighbours QPR in this extra-time FA Cup win.
The Championship hosts were left to curse a failure to take their chances.
Macauley Bonne and Lyndon Dykes had two fine chances each for QPR but failed to hit the target.
Aleksandar Mitrovic went close three times for Fulham – but the game needed extra-time to split the sides.
“Bobby has a real knack of being in the right areas and has an eye for a goal,” said Fulham boss Parker.
“We are going to need someone who can get goals for us this season. He has been fantastic for us.” It was Fulham’s first game since Boxing Day after a Covid outbreak at the club.
“I was pleased after the couple of weeks we have had to take it to extra-time and look so strong,” added Parker.
“Momentum sticks with us, we are unbeaten now in five and got a clean sheet, too. There were a lot of positives.”
Bonne had an excellent chance after just two minutes as he headed Tom Carroll’s corner over the bar.
Joe Bryan was inches wide from fully 40 yards as he collected a clearance from Seny Dieng be f o re returning fire with the QPR keeper stranded.
QPR were grateful for an impressive last-ditch block by Yoann Barbet to deny Mitrovic after a fast Fulham break.
Bonne wasted a great chance nine minutes after the break, when Todd Kane’s cross from the right sat up nicely for him but he somehow shot over. Barbet once again came to QPR’S rescue as he cleared Mitrovic’s shot off the line.
Bright Osayi-samuel opened up the Fulham defence in the 76th minute, before his cross just eluded both Charlie Kelman and Dykes, who seemed to stub his toe as he tried to finish.
Extra- time was equally fraught, with Decordova-reid scraping just wide as Dieng scrambled to try to reach it.
But, two minutes from the end of the first period of extratime, Cordova-reid finally broke the deadlock, playing a one - two with Mitrovic on the edge of the area, before curling a low shot into the corner past the outstretched Dieng.
As QPR pushed forward, Fulham found them short at the back and added a second when Josh Onomah teed up Kebano to fire inside Dieng’s near post.
Rangers boss Mark Warburton said he hoped to add three or four players to his squad this month.
Charlie Austin, a former QPR hero, is close to agreeing a loan deal from West Brom to provide some much-needed experience in attack.
“I thought we went toe-to-toe with a good Premier League side, but we created four or five gilt-edged chances and it’s the same old story, we have to take them,” Warburton said.
“We created chances but once again, we haven’t taken them. I’m like a broken record.”
QUEENS PARK RANGERS: Dieng 7; Dickie 6, Cameron 7 (Masterson 90, 6), Barbet 8; Kane 6, Ball 6, Carroll 6; (Bettache 82, 7), Osayi-samuel 6 (Hamalainen 90, 6); Chair 7 (Thomas 82, 6), Bonne 5 (Kelman 73, 6) ; Dykes 6. Unused subs: Barnes, Willock, Adomah. FULHAM: Rodak 7; Aima 6, Ream 7, Kongolo 6 (Hector 67, 6); Tete 7 (Odoi 90, 6), Onomah 8, Reed 7 (Kebano, 78, 6), Bryan 8; Cavaliero 5 (De Cordova-reid 67 8), Mitrovic 6, Loftus-cheek 6 (Robinson 90, 6). Unused subs: Ramirez, Adarabioyo, Carvalho, Jasper. MAN OF THE MATCH: Bobby Cordova-reid. Substitute found killer a finish Premier League side had been lacking . REFEREE: Simon Hooper 7.