Fulham hurt by penalty drama
Andersen red card lifts Toon plodders
IT is just as well there are no supporters inside St James’ Park right now. They would not have enjoyed this, and would have let that be known, too.
Outplayed for more than an hour against promoted Fulham but then handed a lifeline when Joachim Andersen was sent off and Callum Wilson levelled the scores from the penalty spot, Steve Bruce’s side still did not have the wit to win it.
For Fulham and Scott Parker, this was two points dropped, given their dominance before being reduced in number. They deservedly led at the break and were better in almost every department. Except at centre-forward that was, where former Magpie Al e ks a ndar Mitr o vi c looked off the pace. With a more in-form marksman, you feel, Fulham would have been out of sight by the time Newcastle equalised.
Bruce said this week that he would have liked to work with Mitrovic, the striker who left Newcastle for Fulham in a £22million deal two years ago. It sounded like a swipe at the man who sold him, Rafa Benitez, who was never keen on the Serb. He didn’t trust him and wasn’t impressed by his work-rate.
Bruce was right when he said Mitrovic was a cult hero in these parts. But hidden within that — the clue is ‘cult’ — was that one half of the fanbase agreed with Benitez. On the evidence of 76 minutes largely ineffective minutes last night, the Spaniard was right.
Newcastle looked shot during the closing stages of Wednesday’s 5-2 defeat at Leeds — conceding three times in the final 12 minutes — and picked up with the same lethargy here, despite five changes. There were recalls for two full- backs barely seen in recent months. Paul Dummett had not played since January because of injury, while DeAndre Yedlin’s last Premier League start was in July. And so it was that the team-sheet wore the look of a side still dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak. It showed, too.
The first half belonged to Fulham. They had more of the ball — 65 per cent — and the best of the chances. Indeed, there was a 15-minute spell before half-time when Newcastle barely had any possession at all.
Fulham played the opening period like a side who fancied a victory. The only surprise was that it took 42 minutes to take the lead. Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie had endured a wretched night to that point — a player usually so sharp looking blunted by an injury-hit 2020 — and he suffered the indignity of an own goal when Tosin Adarabioyo’s header bounced up into his face and crept inside the post. It was a smack in the chops for Newcastle and Ritchie, quite literally. Adarabioyo was afforded space to connect with Ademola Lookman’s corner for the second time in the space of a few minutes, but the goal had been coming for many more.
Fulham should have led when Bobby Decordova-Reid found himself one- on- one with h Karl Darlow on 26 minutes s but the winger prodded ed straight at the onrush- ing goalkeeper.
Decordova- Reid was soon staring down the whites of Darlow’s eyes once again but he should have kept his gaze on the ball — Mario o Lemina had dropped a wonderful pass in behind hind — and the Fulham man an sliced wide from eight yards.
There was a chance at the other end for Miguel Almiron but his shot was snaffled by Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola after the Paraguayan had taken aim for the bottom corner. Newcastle, though, have a way of digging themselves out of such holes. Bruce’s detractors call it good fortune. It has happened too many tim times now for that to be the sole cause. But red car cards and penalties do ha have a way of rescuin ing them. Fulham had committed bodies forward in search of a s econd goal j ust after the hour when Newcastle broke and Jonjo Shelvey f ed Almiron, who slipped a through pass to send Wilson in on goal. Andersen made no attempt to win the ball. The Dane’s intention, rather, was to disturb Wilson’s stride. He achieved that but at the expense of a foul as the striker stumbled to the turf in the area. Penalty, yes. Red card? A recovering defender clouded the judgment of referee Graham Scott and only after a lengthy VAR check did he dismiss the defender.
Wilson, to no one’s surprise, maintained his composure to slot home an eighth of the season, equalling his tally for relegated Bournemouth last year.