Parker hails Mitrovic as forward strikes to maintain Fulham’s run
Scott Parker praised Aleksandar Mitrovic after his 20th goal of the season maintained Fulham’s push for automatic promotion at Ewood Park.
Mitrovic’s 65th-minute strike settled the sort of hard-fought, scrappy game that Parker says his team need to win if they are to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Parker said of the Serbian striker: “To have 20 goals is a big return at this stage of the season. It was a quality goal but what I’m most proud of is not only his performance on the pitch but his leadership qualities in the dressing room. He was getting everyone up for the battle before the game and once on the pitch he rolled his sleeves up, worked hard and he got his reward.”
Fulham were 12 points off the automatic promotion places after three successive defeats in December but a run of six wins and two draws in their past nine games – coupled with the faltering form of early pacesetters West Bromwich Albion and Leeds – has put them right back in contention.
But Parker is refusing to get carried away. “I’m really pleased to keep the pressure on near the top,” he said. “At one point we were 13 or 14 points off it. But in this league if you take your eye off the ball for one second you get a jab on the nose.”
Mitrovic broke the stalemate midway through the second half. He had his back to goal when he controlled Joe Bryan’s cross from the left but spun Tosin Adarabioyo before beating Christian Walton with a low shot.
Fulham deserved victory because they played the better football and always looked the more likely team to score. Walton denied them on several occasions including a stoppage-time save when substitute Stefan Johansen looked certain to score.
Marek Rodak, the Fulham keeper, had little to do apart from a fine save late on to deny Sam Gallagher. Fulham also had a huge slice of good fortune when Darragh Lenihan had a legitimate “goal” disallowed for offside.
Defeat ended a four-game unbeaten run for Rovers which had left them on the fringes of the play-off places.
Tony Mowbray, their manager, said: “Frustration is the name of the game. We knew it would be tough. Fulham have some special individual footballers and Mitrovic’s goal is what quality strikers do. But it should have been 1-1. Lenihan’s goal was two, maybe three, yards onside. Sometimes you don’t mind losing if the opposition are that much better, but they weren’t.”