THE VERDICT: FULHAM 1 TOWN 0 Great Dane Jonas can’t prevent late heartbreak
TOWN RATED KEEPER IS TOWN HERO AFTER SPOT-KICK SAVE BUT INJURY-TIME GOAL MAKES IT SEVEN STRAIGHT LOSSES
SUBSTITUTES
KACHUNGA: (Pritchard, 65) Didn’t get chance to influence things 5
DEPOITRE: (Mounie, 65) Had a physical battle with Le Marchand 5
NOT USED: Ben Hamer, Juninho Bacuna, Adama Diakhaby, Isaac Mbenza, Jon Gorenc Stankovic DANISH keeper Jonas Lossl was a hero with a penalty save, but still couldn’t stop Town’s recordequalling seventh straight defeat.
Lossl saved the 80th-minute spot kick from Fulham sub Aboubakar Kamara, after earlier making another brilliant stop to keep out Aleksandar Mitrovic’s flying header, but he could do nothing to prevent the stoppage-time agony of a Fulham winner.
It came from a Ryan Sessegnon break and when Serbian Mitrovic got half a yard of space on the edge of the box, he slid the ball beneath the advancing Lossl. It completed a miserable December spell for Town which leaves them staring relegation in the face unless they can spark a remarkable turnaround.
Town equalled a club record of seven straight defeats, last set in 1955.
Wagner made three changes for the clash and reverted to the 5-3-1-1 formation, which he has preferred in most matches.
It meant widemen Isaac Mbenza and Elias Kachunga were put back on the bench, along with striker Laurent Depoitre.
Steve Mounie returned up front, after appearing as a sub in the defeat at Manchester United, while Chris Lowe got the call at left wing-back and Jonathan Hogg returned after injury to captain the side in the centre of midfield.
Town went into the fixture bottom of the Premier League with 10 points. At the same stage last season, they were 11th with 22 points.
Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri sprang something of a surprise by naming exciting England Under-21 raider Sessegnon on the bench, along with Andre Schurrle, who was in the German World Cup-winning squad of 2014 along with Town’s Erik Durm.
Mounie was quickly into the action, needing treatment for a kick to the head, while Town got a first corner in the sixth minute as Tim Ream cleared a dangerous Durm cross from the right.
Then, with eight minutes on the clock, Fulham stood off Billing and he unleashed a wicked low left-foot drive which Spanish keeper Sergio Rico managed to scramble away.
Fulham’s first meaningful attack came in the 15th minute, but Luciano Vietto’s swinging cross evaded everyone at the back post.
It was cat-and-mouse stuff from both sides, with most of the noise coming from Town’s large bank of travelling support.
But Mitrovic had the home fans out of their seats when heading over from a 20thminute corner, this after a string of Fulham players had been left on-side at a preceding freekick from Jean Michael Seri – Hadergjonaj clearing the initial danger.
Seri was booked by referee Kevin Friend for a shocking late challenge on Hadergjonaj in the 25th minute, and Fulham suddenly sparked into gear, with Mitrovic heading wide from another corner.
With half an hour gone, Lossl had to be alert to smother at the feet of home skipper Tom Cairney from another speedy Fulham counter – boss Ranieri urging his men forward in animated style from the technical area.
It was Town, however, who had the next effort on goal, Hogg picking out Mounie with a precision cross, but the Benin international directed his