Fulham travelled to the West Midlands to take on Birmingham City at the St. Andrew’s Stadium. The Cottagers were looking to secure maximum points from the contest in order boost their chances of clinching a promotion spot at the expense of Cardiff City in the league table. The visitors started the game slow and fell behind to a 15th-minute goal from Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Harlee Dean doubled Birmingham’s lead just before half-time to leave the Cottagers with a mountain to climb in the second half. Slaviša Jokanović’s team fought hard after the break and got a goal back in the 84th minute courtesy of Tom Cairney’s header from close range. However, Che Adams came off the bench to seal the fate of the contest in favour of the home side in the 89th minute when he scored from a difficult angle. The match ended with Birmingham City claiming a 3-1 victory over their London opponents which ensured their English Championship lives for another season.
Let’s take a look at how each Fulham player performed during the contest.
GK: Marcus Bettinelli – 6/10
He made a few great saves to keep his team in the contest. However, the English keeper was guilty of conceding three goals during the encounter which won’t please him.
RB: Ryan Fredericks – 6/10
The 25-year-old full-back made a huge impact while going forward but defensively, he was found napping at times.
CB: Denis Odoi – 5.5/10
Not the best outing for him as part of the Fulham backline, the Belgian defender made a few errors while defending and was justifiably booked in the second half for a bad foul.
CB: Tim Ream – 5/10
He huffed and puffed but failed to keep the Birmingham attackers at bay.
LB: Matt Targett – 6/10
The left-back set up a great chance for Lucas Piazon in the 4th minute and made a few good runs in the opposition half. However, the on-loan defender from Southampton had to go off with an injury at half-time.
CM: Stefan Johansen – 6/10
The Norwegian had a few great attempts at goal during the match but failed to find the back of the net.
CM: Kevin McDonald – 6/10
The Scottish midfielder won a number of freekicks in the Birmingham half but got cautioned for a reckless challenge in the 70th minute.
CM: Tom Cairney – 7.5/10
The 27-year-old midfield enforcer was guilty of missing some wonderful opportunities during the first-half and his finishing left a lot to be desired. However, Cairney made amends in the 84th minute when he scored with his head to give Fulham some hope of a late comeback.
RM: Lucas Piazon – 6/10
The Brazilian went close with an early effort and did well to earn a few free kicks for the Cottagers. However, his impact in the game faded as the match went on, which led to his substitution after the hour mark.
ST: Aleksandar Mitrovic – 6.5/10
The on-loan Newcastle United forward had a good game and set up a number of great opportunities for his teammates. However, he was unlucky in front of goal which capped off a disappointing outing for the Cottagers.
LM: Ryan Sessegnon – 5/10
The Fulham youngster was unable to make his mark in the game and had a day to forget.
Substitutes:
RM: Floyd Ayité – 7/10
The Togolese midfielder came off the bench to set up Cairney’s goal in the 84th minute.
RB: Cyrus Christie – 6/10
The English full-back did well to have an impact in the attacking third and was a threat down the right flank.
ST: Aboubakar Kamara – 6/10
The French forward came off the bench to make a real impact inside the Birmingham City box. Although, he failed to find the back of the net which led to his team’s defeat on the day.
