MITROVIC IS A CLASS ACT
Striker’s 33rd goal extends lead to nine
ALEKSANDAR Mitrovic became the highest scorer in a single Championship-era season as Fulham stormed nine points clear at the top.
Aleksandar the Great powered home a 28th-minute penalty for his 32nd of the campaign to eclipse Ivan Toney’s previous record for the 18 years the second tier has been known by its current name.
And a 33rd of the season followed in the second half as Peterborough, whose new boss Grant McCann watched on, suffered their 21st defeat of the campaign.
Surely Fulham are going straight back to the Premier League. And it is Mitrovic’s goalscoring that has put them in a dream position.
Marco Silva’s men were on it from the off as they put a 2-1 loss to Huddersfield on Saturday behind them.
Mitrovic threatened twice with headers and then Harrison Reed should have scored after the Serbian headed down.
But the Fulham No.9 was not to be denied. He was brought down in the box by Harrison Burrows.And there was never any doubt that he would beat Steven Benda, with the Craven Cottage crowd acknowledging his feat.
Peterborough had seen Darren Ferguson quit the club on Sunday and were under the caretaker charge of Matthew Etherington, below.
Ex-Hull chief McCann will be unveiled as Posh manager for the second time today.
And he will not have been happy as his new side struggled to get out of their own half for long periods. They were better after the break, though, with Jonson Clarke-Harris’s free kick deflecting over. Fulham should have scored as Reed’s shot was saved by Benda following a superb run by NecoWilliams. Mitrovic proved he is human as he headed wide unmarked from Jean Michael Seri’s corner.
But his second arrived shortly afterwards in the 62nd-minute with a cool volley from Neeskens Kebano’s cross. Few would now bet against him bettering Guy Whittingham’s post-war second tier record of 42.
Fulham substitute Ivan Cavaleiro’s curler was kept out by Benda, while Mitrovic was kicking himself after heading straight at Benda from Seri’s cross. And he was denied again by Benda after chesting the ball down from Seri’s pass over the top.
Peterborough did score a consolation on the break a minute from time, with Callum Morton and Jack Marriott combining for the latter to score. FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak 6; Williams 7, Adarabioyo 6, Ream 7, Robinson 7; Reed 7 (Wilson 64, 6), Seri 7; Decordova-Reid 7 (Onomah 83), Carvalho 6, Kebano 7 (Cavaleiro 64, 6); Mitrovic 8. Goals: Mitrovic 28 pen, 62. PETERBOROUGH (4-5-1): Benda 7; Knight 6, Edwards 6, Kent 6, Burrows 5; Ward 6, Brown 6 (Morton 72), Grant 6, Norburn 6, Szmodics 6 (Jones 77); Clarke-Harris 6 (Marriott 71). Goal: Marriott 89.