MIGHTY MITRO TOO SUPER FOR COOPER
FULHAM could have been forgiven for feeling a little trepidation ahead of this trip to the division’s in-form team. But after a thumping win against Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest, the Cottagers returned to the top two with a display that should act as a warning to their rivals in the Championship.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s brace added to an own goal and Neeskens Kebano’s strike as Marco Silva’s side triumphed over a team who had won four and drawn another in new boss Cooper’s first five games.
Fulham have now won four of their last five — with a surprising 4-1 thrashing at Coventry sandwiched in the middle — and only a fool would bet against them making an immediate return to the Premier League.
These three points take them back into second behind only Bournemouth, who are still unbeaten under former Fulham boss Scott Parker. ‘It was a complete performance, a clean sheet and four goals away against a team in a fantastic moment with a great atmosphere,’ said Silva.
Fulham took their goal tally to 33 for the season, nine better than any other club. But it was Forest who were the better team here for the best part of an hour, missing a handful of chances either side of the break.
Much of the build-up was about how Cooper is starting to awaken ‘sleeping giants’ Forest and, while it is early days, a deafening rendition of club song Mull of Kintyre pre-match painted a picture of a fanbase able to believe again.
But just seven minutes were on the clock when they were silenced by a strong dose of reality. For all the positives around Cooper’s start, defensive mistakes cannot be eradicated overnight. They littered this performance.
Mitrovic got in at the near post from a corner unmarked and directed the ball goalwards with his left foot. In the melee of bodies in the six-yard box, the ball deflected into the net — later to be awarded as Djed Spence’s own goal.
Cooper fumed at a potential foul on Joe Worrall as the corner came in. ‘The referee didn’t look ready. It was a late change in who was meant to be in charge and he fell short today,’ he said. ‘I was really annoyed.’
Regardless, it was a sloppy goal to concede. Forest had come from behind to win twice in Cooper’s first five matches, but repeating that against high-flying Fulham was always going to be a bigger task than doing so against Barnsley and Bristol City.
Cooper’s side responded well, though, and attacked with pace and purpose. Brennan Johnson, the 20-year-old academy graduate, was the shining light.
He constantly drove at the Fulham defence but, as with most of his team-mates, the end product was lacking.
Johnson swung and missed at a chance of his own late in the first half and, with the first attack of the second period, Lewis Grabban was unmarked 12 yards out but his shanked shot went over.
Forest continued to be the side in the ascendency but were dealt a sucker-punch as Fulham scored three goals in eight minutes to put the game to bed.
Defenders Scott McKenna and Tobias Figueiredo collided and fell to the ground, the ball dropping straight to Mitrovic who tucked away from six yards. Bad luck.
Then Harry Wilson threaded in Kebano, who unleashed a hard, low shot in at the near post for 3-0. Game over.
Mitrovic made it four from the spot minutes later, after Denis Odoi was bundled over as he lined up a shot. Capitulation.
‘The score is tough to take,’ added Cooper after his first loss. ‘We gifted them goals and we had a wobble after they got a second.
‘But we won’t let this derail us. The players shouldn’t let this impact their confidence.’