Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FUL STRETCH
Nervy Cottagers pushed to limit as they seal final spot
IT will be a proper old West London extravaganza at Wembley on Tuesday night – but it was very nearly gatecrashed.
No, it won’t be the Notting Hill Carnival, and there probably won’t be a raffle, or a tombola – but for the winner of the teams involved, there will be the £170million prize of Premier League football.
Fulham, a mere 4.6 miles away from their neighbours down the Thames, booked their place in Tuesday’s bonanza against Brentford and what will surely be the most eagerly awaited West London derby in ages. But boy did they make their absent fans sweat before booking their ticket. Cardiff, despite starting two goals down from the first leg, fought so bravely, and their players slumped to the Craven Cottage turf in tears at the end.
Curtis Nelson had given them an early lead, Neeskens
Kebano snuffed that out 24 seconds later – but Lee
Tomlin’s goal made this a real nail-biter.
Neil Harris’ team faced a mammoth task.
No side had ever come back from two goals down in a Championship play-off – and Cardiff have now gone up once from six play-off campaigns. But they could not have got off to a better start. Joe Ralls swung in a corner, and as the Fulham defence stood and watched, Nelson powered his header home. Yet Cardiff ’s elation was brutally snuffed out.
Josh Onomah found Bobby Decordovareid, who crossed low, and Kebano got in front of Leandro Bacuna to flick his shot home. Cardiff were stunned. And as Anthony Knockaert saw his shot turned round the post by Alex Smithies, it looked they might fall apart.
Smithies then could not hold a dive from Cyrus Christie, but Cardiff escaped as Knockaert’s shot was deflected an inch over. But two minutes after the restart, Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak pushed away substitute Nathaniel Mendez-laing’s header - but the Bluebirds other substitute Tomlin (left) stabbed in the rebound. Game on again.
Josh Murphy headed straight at Rodak when he should have done better.
Fulham should have sealed the tie when first Aboubakar Kamara forced Smithies into an excellent save, and a minute later hit the post.
But then Rodak saved Fulham with a brilliant tip over from Will Vaulks, Mendez-laing’s fierce drive flashed an inch wide, and Robert Glatzel volleyed over at the death.