Palmer drama as Silva rages over late Robins leveller
MARCO SILVA insisted Bristol City’s equaliser in an Ashton Gate thriller should have been disallowed.
The Fulham boss admitted that failure to cash in on countless chances ultimately cost his team after Aleksandar Mitrovic had headed them into a 50th-minute lead.
But Silva was also adamant that Robins substitute Kasey Palmer was “clearly offside” when volleying a 79th-minute equaliser following a brilliant Paulo Gazzaniga save from Chris Martin.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision,” said Silva.
“I have seen a replay, but I knew at the time from the bench that it was offside.
“How the linesman has missed it from his position, I don’t know.
“But on top of our missed chances, one poor decision has gone against us.
“I wasn’t happy with our first-half display.
“But we made a couple of changes at the interval and the second half was much better.
“The substitutes made an impact, but the whole team played with more purpose.
“We just have to be calmer with our finishing.”
Mitrovic nodded in from close range after Harry Wilson had headed a cross from one of the substitutes Neeskens Kebano back across the goalmouth.
But after Palmer had levelled from a narrow angle just three minutes after taking the field, it was Mitrovic who squandered three golden chances to win it in the closing moments.
Twice the striker shot wide when he should have scored, while his third effort clipped the crossbar.
Jean Michael Seri also saw a late effort deflected against the woodwork.
But City also created chances in a real end-to-end game and deserved something from a committed display.
Boss Nigel Pearson said: “The players showed great tenacity against good opponents.
“While Fulham could have had more goals, so could we.
“I am not kidding myself and we have a lot of work still to do.
“But the players know their jobs and that they have to defend as a team.”
Pearson praised the home debut of right-back George Tanner, a summer signing from Carlisle United.
But he was again frustrated by a home record that now reads 15 games without a win.
“That continues to be a concern,” he said.
“But the players are giving everything to turn home results around and if that continues it will happen.”
Pearson felt Fulham midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah should have received a second yellow card in the first half before being replaced by Silva at the interval.
BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 8; Tanner
7 (Palmer 76th), Kalas 7, Atkinson
7, Dasilva 6; Weimann 6, James 6, Bakinson 6 (Williams (63rd) 6), Pring 6 (Baker (63rd) 7); Martin 7, Wells 7
FULHAM: Gazzaniga 8; Odoi 7, Tosin 7, Ream 7, Robinson 7; Seri 7, Chalobah
6 (Reed (46th) 7); Wilson 9, Onomah
6 (Kebano (46th) 8), Decordova-Reid 7 Cavaleiro 88th); Mitrovic 8
STAR MAN: Harry Wilson
REF: S Hooper