Fulham vs Derby County. Sky Bet Championship.
Craven CottageAttendance18,509.
Saturday 18 November 2017 20:34, UK
Derby held Fulham to a lively 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in the Sky Bet Championship as Slavisa Jokanovic's side failed to find a breakthrough in a pulsating second half.
Oliver Norwood's excellent 25-yard free-kick gave the hosts the lead on the half-hour mark after David Nugent had handled, but the Rams were level shortly after half time following a wonderful run and pass from Tom Lawrence to set up Matej Vydra for a simple finish.
Nugent should have put Derby ahead when he got on the end of Tom Huddlestone's searching ball and was denied by Button, but it was the hosts who had the better of the chances to win it, substitute Luca De La Torre heading over as Fulham ran Derby ragged down the right flank.
Floyd Ayite thrashed over from substitute Aboubakar Kamara's cut back late on as Fulham piled pressure on a stretched Derby defence, but the Rams held firm to leave the Cottagers mired in the bottom half.
Fulham had won only once at home in league all season but it was they who had the first clear chance thanks to Norwood, his reaching ball from halfway landing on the head of Ayite who angled his header on goal only to see the diving Scott Carson claw it around the post with his fingertips.
Fulham were comfortably in control of the ball and the chance to take the lead came on the half hour mark, Curtis Davies body checking Rui Fonte 35 yards out giving Norwood the chance to strike at goal.
The Norther Ireland international's first effort was blocked by the hand of David Nugent, and from the subsequent free-kick he flashed his finish past the un-sighted Carson in the Derby goal.
But Fulham's lead lasted only five minutes into the second half, Lawrence winning the ball in midfield and skipping into the penalty area before spotting the run of Vydra who finished coolly past the advancing Button.
Nugent raced through from Huddlestone's pin-point through-ball minutes later only to be denied by a fine save from Button low to his right, but as the second half wore on it was Fulham who took control, De La Torre heading over from Ayite's cut back as the hosts got in behind Derby time and time again down the right.
Ayite and De La Torre continued to combine with the excellent Ryan Fredericks at full-back as Derby became stretched, with Ayite wasting a golden chance to win the game when he blazed over the bar after being picked out by Kamara, as Fulham's wretched form in front of their home fans continued.
Gary Rowett: "I think Fulham started brightly, we couldn't quite find the composure to take the sting out of the game which you know you're going to have to do sometimes here.
"It's five games unbeaten now at some very difficult places. At times we controlled possession of the ball and we dragged them around a little bit."
Slavisa Jokanovic: "I can't blame my players. They made great work, we are close to our best performance but we didn't score from the six yard box, I don't know how many times we cross. This problem is not only today."
The full-back was instrumental in Fulham's speedy breaks down the Derby left, stretching Gary Rowett's defence with direct intensity as the second half wore on. His vision and penetration helped set up his side's best chances to steal all three points as Jokanovic's side became increasingly desperate.
Fulham play away at Sheffield United on Tuesday at 7.45pm, whilst Derby host QPR also on Tuesday at 7.45pm.
