Robins hit back but wait for home win continues
BRISTOL CITY FULHAM 1 1
KASEY Palmer scored within three minutes of coming on as a substitute to earn Bristol City a battling 1-1 draw against Fulham at Ashton Gate.
The visitors took a 50th minute lead when half-time sub Neeskens Kebano crossed from the left and Harry Wilson nodded across goal for Aleksandar Mitrovic to head in from close range.
But City refused to buckle and Palmer volleyed home from a narrow angle in the 79th minute after Fulham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga had done brilliantly to palm out Chris Martin’s shot.
The result extended City’s run without a home win to 15 games, but they took much credit from a committed performance against superior opponents.
Fulham, backed by a large contingent of travelling fans, made a strong start, with crosses that created several half-chances.
Bobby Decordova-Reid had a 23rd-minute shot blocked before Nahki Wells miskicked six yards out at the other end.
Both goalkeepers were brought into action as the interval approached, Gazzaniga saving low from Martin and City’s Dan Bentley diving to stop a similar effort from Josh Onomah.
Marco Silva made two changes at the break, sending on Kebano and Harrison Reed for Nathaniel Chalobah, who had been booked, and Onomah.
The decision paid quick dividends with Kebano setting up the opening goal.
Wilson was getting too much space on Fulham’s right and almost doubled their advantage when beating Bentley only to see his effort role agonisingly wide.
City boss Nigel Pearson responded by sending on Nathan Baker for Cameron Pring and moving Jay Dasilva forward to left wing-back, also replacing Tyreeq Bakinson with Joe Williams after 64 minutes.
It did not stop Wilson getting in behind the defence again in the 69th minute, only to dwell on his shot and allow Baker the chance to make a recovery tackle.
Wells and Baker headed inches over, Dasilva had a shot blocked and Williams fired wide from distance as City tried to stage a late rally. But Fulham remained a threat and Bentley had to spread himself to save at the feet of Kebano.
Gazzaniga made two outstanding saves to deny Wells and Martin, but the second saw the ball drop for Palmer, who had replaced full-back George Tanner, to find the net and level the score despite Fulham cries of offside.
Both sides had chances in a thrilling finale, Fulham being denied by the crossbar when Jean Michael Seri’s shot was deflected and Mitrovic twice shooting narrowly wide before also clipping the woodwork at the death.
Afterwards, City boss Nigel Pearson was encouraged by what he ad seen.
He said: “The players showed great tenacity against good opponents. While Fulham could have had more goals, so could we.
“I’m 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, but 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.
“I said when we signed George that he was one for the future, but he has come in today and done very well.”
Pearson felt Fulham midfielder Chalobah should have received a second yellow card in the first half before being replaced by Silva at the interval.
“He was guilty of two poor challenges after being booked, which were yellow card offences,” he said.
“The fact that he was substituted at half-time probably says it all. But I’m more concerned with my own players and again they gave a fully-committed performance.
“I’m not bothered whether our goal was offside or not. That is for their manager to debate.
“It was a tight game in the first half and the second shows that you cannot open up too early against a team including a lot of players with Premier League experience.
“We had to be positive at 1-0 down and that left a few gaps. But we also had chances late on and overall I’m pleased.
“I expect all my players to work hard and that was the case.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva was adamant that Palmer netted City’s pointsaving goal from an offside position.
While he conceded that failure to take numerous scoring chances cost his side victory after taking the lead, Silva was furious that Palmer’s leveller was allowed to stand.
“The goal was clearly offside,” said Silva. “It wasn’t a difficult decision and I can’t understand why the linesman failed to spot it.
“I have seen a replay, but I knew at the time from the bench that it was offside. A 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.
“There were so many clear opportunities created, but we couldn’t get the second goal to kill them off.
“We have to do better in that respect. We moved the ball well in the second half and could have had the game wrapped up before they scored.
“The game was played in a fantastic atmosphere, which was good for us. I respect Bristol City and in the first half we didn’t play the way we wanted to.
“We controlled the second half, although they had some chances as a very good counter-attacking side.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t add to our lead and the linesman has given one goal to them, which never should have been.”
Bristol City (0) 1 Fulham (0) 1
Bristol City: Bentley,Tanner (Palmer 76),Kalas,Atkinson,Dasilva Weimann,James,Bakinson (Williams 64),Pring (Baker 64),Wells Martin.
Subs Not Used: Simpson,King,O’Dowda,O’Leary. Booked: Pring.
Goals: Palmer 79.
Fulham: Gazzaniga,Odoi,Adarabioyo,Ream,Robinson,Se ri Chalobah (Reed 46),Wilson,Onomah (Kebano 46) Reid (Ivan Cavaleiro 88),Mitrovic.
Subs Not Used: Rodak,Rodrigo Muniz,Bryan,Mawson. Booked: Chalobah,Reid,Reed.
Goals: Mitrovic 50.
Att: 19,326
Ref: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).