Mitrovic has Fulham in driving seat
FULHAM’S Aleksandar Mitrovic strengthened his side’s hopes of automatic promotion with a second-half winner and completed a memorable week for owner Shahid Khan.
This week, Khan launched an £900million bid for Wembley – and said in his programme notes he hoped the Cottagers would see out the promotion race without going through the play-offs.
And the chances of the US businessman getting his wish increased after Slavisa Jokanovic’s side moved two points above Cardiff into second place – ahead of the Bluebirds’ trip to Hull today.
It looked as if this might be a night to forget for Fulham when Sunderland teenager Joel Asoro put the relegated side ahead in the 28th minute. But Fulham levelled through Lucas Piazon before the break – and Newcastle loanee Mitrovic completed the comeback in the 76th minute with his 12th goal since arriving in January.
Defeat meant that Sunderland became the first team since Wolves in the mid-eighties to finish bottom of the top two divisions in successive seasons, in a bad night for manager Chris Coleman – a former Fulham player and manager.
Fulham almost had the worst possible
FULHAM SUNDERLAND
start when captain Tom Cairney had treatment inside the first minute.
And while the midfielder was soon back in action, Fulham struggled to find their feet.
And Sunderland deservedly made the breakthrough in the 28th minute when Asoro marked his 19th birthday in style.
Asoro did well to turn Matt Targett after collecting Ashley Fletcher’s nod down and placed his shot beyond keeper Marcus Bettinelli. With Fulham failing to fire, there appeared to be every chance Sunderland would reach the break ahead.
But Fulham drew level in the 45th minute – although Coleman’s side were convinced they were hard done to when referee Peter Bankes waved away appeals for a spot-kick after Ovie Ejaria went to ground after a challenge by Tim Ream.
Fulham broke immediately through Aboubakar Kamara, who played in Ryan Fredericks to drill in a low cross that was turned home by Piazon from close range.
The momentum shifted and Mitrovic finally made an impact, forcing keeper Jason Steele to save, and then scoring the winner. REPORTS IF Manchester City’s Premier League title suggests a club has to spend big to win big, National League champions Macclesfield are living proof the opposite can hold true.
The Silkmen will be handed the trophy after the final game of the season against Dagenham and Redbridge today at Moss Rose, having pulled off an unexpected cut-price triumph.
Cobbled together on a budget of £350,000 in a league in which several sides operate on more than £1million a season, Macclesfield have defied financial logic to return to the Football League after a six-year absence.
It is an accomplishment that has been compared to Leicester City’s Premier League fairy-tale title, but manager John Askey thinks it is even more impressive.
“At least Leicester had some backing,” he says. “We have the lowest budget in the league by quite a way so it is very much against the odds.
“At the start of the season we had one player signed; by the end of July we had four. But I’ve been fortunate in terms of the players who have been prepared to come to the football club.
“Even though we have the lowest budget we have some very good players at the level we play in. They have all gelled, they all have fantastic