Big Mac serves up real tasty equaliser
FULHAM ......... 2 CARDIFF ........ 2
KEVIN McDONALD kept up Fulham’s unbeaten start to the Championship season with a late equaliser.
Cardiff trailed to teenager Ryan Sessegnon’s opener before two fine strikes from Joe Ralls and Anthony Pilkington turned the game.
But McDonald, a summer signing from Wolves, struck with four minutes left to earn Slavisa Jokanovic’s side a deserved point.
Fulham made the brighter start and finally made their pressure tell
in the 44th minute. Sone Aluko turned Matthew Connolly and Sessegnon, who had only been on for three minutes, scrambled the ball home.
The left wing-back became the youngest-ever scorer in the Championship at 16 years and 94 days.
Cardiff’s 2-1 midweek win over Blackburn was thanks to two own goals but one of their own players equalised with their first shot on target on the hour.
Midfielder Ralls found space and fired spectacularly home from 25 yards out.
Pilkington then cut inside before curling beyond David Button just five minutes later.
Peter Whittingham hit the Fulham bar with a free-kick before McDonald drove through a crowd of players for his first Cottagers’ goal.
Jokanovic praised England Under-17s star Sessegnon and said: “Ryan can be good for us. He made a great impact for us.
“He is a real winner and a real young player.
“I’m sure in the future he can be big part of my squad and help us. He can play in different positions.”
Cardiff boss Paul Trollope said: “It was a topsy-turvy game. We were disappointed with the first half.
“We were passive with and without the ball. We didn’t play to our capabilities but we turned it around.
“The players showed good mental and physical strength and we managed to get on the front foot.”
FULHAM: Button; Odoi, Kalas, Madl, Malone (Christensen 71st); Parker, McDonald, Cairney, Aluko; Ayite (Sessegnon 41st), Woodrow (Smith 61st) CARDIFF: Marshall; Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Richards (Harris 59th); Gunnarsson, Whittingham (Ecuele Manga 90th), Ralls, John; Immers, Pilkington (Gounongbe 82nd) STAR MAN: Kevin McDonald Ref: J Simpson