ALEK KEEPS FULHAM FLYIN’
ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC showed once again if you give the Serb an inch, he will take away your smile.
The Fulham striker scored his
34th league goal of the season to extend the Cottagers’ lead at the top of the Championship.
It was not the deadly marksman’s best performance of the campaign, but it was good enough because Cardiff must have had their fingers in their ears in the days beforehand.
Mitrovic had been given plenty of praise on every airwave for setting a new record for goals in a Championship season with
14 matches still to go.
But the amount of space given to the forward at the back post four minutes before the break was unforgivable – although Cardiff boss Steve Morison claimed his defenders had been blocked off the ball as Mitrovic headed home from Harry Wilson’s cross.
That was enough to give Marco Silva’s men their eighth league win in 10 matches.
Cardiff managed to raise a late assault and they did spurn an early opportunity when striker James Collins shot straight at Fulham keeper Marek Rodak.
But with a sickness bug having ruled out seven of their players beforehand, they lacked the cohesion to make the most of their moments of pressure.
The temperature rose late on when Fulham manager Silva gestured to the fourth official that Perry Ng had flung an elbow into the face of Ivan Cavaleiro. But Silva played down the incident afterwards and Morison insisted: “It was handbags.
“Come on! Let’s get it right. I have watched it back 10 times and Perry Ng has brushed him. It’s pathetic.”
Mitrovic was subdued for much of the game but he sprang to life just before the interval for the game’s decisive moment.
He escaped Aden Flint at the far post and was picked out perfectly by a cross from Wilson.
Silva said: “As we expected it was tough, it is always hard to come here and play. We knew what type of game it would be.
“We always expect first and second balls and balls in our box. Apart from one moment when we slept completely, we dealt well with the situation.
“We controlled big parts of the match and although were a bit slower than I wanted we created enough, we were the best team and deserved the three points.”
Morison, whose team are without a win in their last three games, was pleased given the circumstances of the bug.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my players, I thought we were fantastic,” said Morison.
“We went toe-to toe with the best team in the league and we limited them to the least shots they have managed this season.
“Mitrovic had one moment and he scored. That’s why he’s a goalscorer.”
Smithies 6; Ng 6, Flint 5, McGuinness 6; Drameh 6, Vaulks 6 (Wintle
76th), Doyle 7, Ralls 6, Doughty 6 (Bagan (67th)
7); Collins 5, Colwill 5 (Davies (57th) 6) Rodak 6; Williams 7 (Tete 79th), Adarabioyo 6, Ream 8, Bryan 7; Chalobah 7, Reed 7 (Onomah 76th); Decordova-Reid 5 (Cavaleiro 85th), Carvalho 6, Wilson 7; Mitrovic 7
Tim Ream
L Doughty