Mitrovic snatches victory but Kamara enrages Fulham’s fans
There was no doubting the most relieved man inside Craven Cottage yesterday. After winning his side a penalty, Aboubakar Kamara wrestled the ball from designated taker Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Tom Cairney trying to act as peacemaker.
Kamara won the argument but missed the kick. So irate were the supporters that many of them booed each of the Frenchman’s touches for the remaining nine minutes.
“When a man thinks only of himself, it’s not right,” said Fulham coach Claudio Ranieri. “He don’t respect me, the club, his team-mates, the crowd. I speak a little with him,” added the Italian before hinting that he may take further disciplinary action against him.
“He doesn’t understand the reason. It’s unbelievable. It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever seen this. The other players are calm because we won but for me it doesn’t matter if we win or lose. It matters what you do and why.”
Thankfully for Kamara, Mitrovic spared his blushes to score the most precious of match-winning goals in the 91st minute and lift Fulham above Huddersfield. “I believed until the end,” said Ranieri. “The first half was very difficult for us because they pressed a lot in front. We lost a lot of balls. In the second half we played better. It was very important for us.”
Spare a thought for Huddersfield Town this festive season. December has not been a month of celebration for them – they have lost all seven of their Premier League games. It is the worst run in their history and the joint-worst in the competition.
After a wonderful 2017-18 season in which David Wagner kept his side in the division against all the odds, the prospects for next year look much bleaker.
“Obviously this was a real low point,” said Wagner. “Not only that we lost the seventh game in a row but how we lost it. We need longer to think about it. It was very difficult. It was a game where you could see that both teams were struggling without any clear-cut chances.”
A dreadful first half saw neither side make any impression. The closest Huddersfield came was when Sergio Rico fumbled Philip Billing’s speculative effort while Mitrovic headed tamely over the bar from Jean Michael Seri’s corner for the home side.
Ranieri withdrew the injured Alfie Mawson and the disappointing Seri at half-time but Fulham only began to wake up in the final 25 minutes. Joe Bryan set up their best chance by far as Jonas Lossl saved brilliantly from Mitrovic’s near-post header.
With the game drifting towards stalemate, Fulham were handed a lifeline. Kamara scooped the ball back towards the area and the ball struck Chris Lowe’s arm.
A lengthy and fierce consultation ensued between Kamara and Mitrovic as to who would take the spot kick.
Kamara won but ultimately proved the loser as Lossl saved to his right and Fulham’s chances of victory looked to have vanished.
Thankfully for Kamara, Ryan Sessegnon had the pace and direct running to create one final chance for Mitrovic on the counter which the Serbian converted through the legs of Lossl.