IT’S SIX GAMES WITHOUT A DEFEA

ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC struck his seventh goal in nine Premier League games to deny Bournemouth victory – but Fulham still couldn’t burst Gary O’neil’s bubble.

This draw extended the Cherries’ unbeaten run to six games under interim head coach O’neil, who took charge when Scott Parker was axed after the 9-0 drubbing by Liverpool.

And while some will point to the fact they have drawn four of them, making a side hard to beat is as good a starting point as any.

Fulham boss Marco Silva is the latest who can attest that the former Portsmouth and

By Tom Hopkinson

Middlesbrough midfielder has done that.

Bournemouth were quickly ahead through Dominic Solanke, and Jefferson Lerma then put the visitors back ahead after Issa Diop had equalised.

Mitrovic levelled matters again after the break and, while both sides will fancy they could have won an entertaining game, a draw was ultimately a fair result.

There were just 65 seconds between the first burst of referee Graham Scott’s whistle and Solanke bulging the back of the

Fulham net. The Bournemouth striker picked up a pass from Lerma before putting in Philip Billing beyond the home defence.

Billing then returned the ball to Solanke and, on the volley, he fired home beyond Bernd Leno.

But Fulham soon settled and, as their pressure increased, so too did the number of chances they created. Neeskens Kebano’s dangerous cross caused problems in Bournemouth’s defence but was finally dealt with.

While the ever-involved Andreas Pereira’s effort from outside the box was never going to trouble goalkeeper Neto on its way over, it was still a warning of growing intent. It came as no

rise, then, when Fulham level, Diop proving himself h stronger than Marcos si to get his head to Pereira’s er.

R Robert Jones agreed with t that Ryan Fredericks went n too easily when Tim Ream an arm on him but, despite r disappointment at not ng a penalty, it wasn’t long re Bournemouth regained ead. lanke was involved again but time in the role of provider, little pass inside finding a (right) in space and the mbian doing the business a neat, low finish. rma and Adam Smith both went close to extending Bournemouth’s lead shortly before the break but were denied by an excellent double save by Leno.

And those interventions proved even more vital early in the second half when Lerma grabbed Mitrovic in a bear hug, wrestled him to the ground and gave Scott no choice but to point to the spot.

The Cottagers had already had two penalty appeals for handball waved away by the referee in the first six minutes of the half.

When opportunity finally knocked for Mitrovic, he wasn’t going to miss, the big Serb’s first goal in three club fixtures getting him back on the

Fulham scoresheet with a neat spotkick beyond Neto.

This was a good game, end to end, and Leno was tested by Solanke at his near post.

Harry Wilson got a proper reception when he came on for Kebano with 30-odd minutes to go for his first home appearance this season following injury, as Silva pushed for a timely victory.

But despite lots of hustle and bustle at both ends going forward, clear-cut chances were few and far between.