Fulham 1-0 Leeds United
The weather last Saturday alternated between bright warm sunshine and torrential rain. Fulham's home match with Leeds United offered similar contrasts. The first half, under blue skies, was tedious and largely uneventful. The second period, commencing in a rainstorm, contained half an hour of excitement leading up to a dramatic conclusion.
Leeds fans might complain that their team did at least try to score in the earlier part of the match. Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a free header from a corner, which he directed into Bernd Leno's hands, then Sasa Lukic blocked a shot from Noah Okafor, after which Sean Longstaff nearly put the visitors ahead. Fulham offered nothing in response scarcely touching the ball in the Leeds penalty area.
Sky TV heard 'a smattering of boos' at the interval. Certainly the Hammersmith Enders could not believe their team's limp performance. They wanted action from Marco Silva especially the introduction of the newly signed Kevin but the coach kept the same eleven for the second half.
Leeds still looked the more dangerous though at least there was something to cheer when Kenny Tete made a last-ditch tackle and Leno foiled Brenden Aaronson. An hour into the match Rodrigo Muniz was wrestled to the ground and Harry Wilson sent the resultant free kick arrowing towards the top left-hand corner only to see Karl Darlow somehow palming the ball away. Shortly afterwards Harry was substituted together with Josh King.
The latter richly deserved the supporters' award of goal for the month for his invalidated point at Stamford Bridge. Neither Harry nor Josh had shown their usual effectiveness against Leeds.
Hoping that a sub would once again score the winner Silva sent on Adama Traore and Emile Smith Rowe. This brought about some improvement. Darlow had to save a soft header from Muniz and a much trickier shot from Smith Rowe (this latter effort would have been invalidated anyway because of a foul by the Mexican).
In the 76th minute the manager finally bowed to the supporters' pleas and released his new signing. Kevin promptly fed Ryan Sessegnon who gave Sasa Lukic a difficult opportunity then the newcomer kept two defenders at bay before releasing a powerful centre that Traore headed over. There was excitement every time Kevin touched the ball but the match was still heading for a goalless draw.
Well into added time Kevin released what should have been the matchwinner. Darlo somehow saved but conceded the corner that led to an astonishing goal. Like commentator Jamie I at first thought that substitute Tom Cairney had headed home but Tom had missed the ball. Instead it struck the Leeds player Gabriel Gudmundson, who was off balance and moving towards his own goal. Not even Darlo could stop Gabriel's involuntary header.
Fulham's luck had changed. I was delighted with the three points and Kevin's wonderful debut. Even so the team will have to show an overall improvement when they host Brentford.
New kits under the spotlight
I have not yet commented on the team's latest kit. You would not expect me as a traditionalist to favour the white shorts but at least they are more opaque than the ones worn in a previous season. I do approve of the badge with its allusions to the history of the club and of the Fulham area. Were the ancestors of Joachim Andersen or Sender Berge among the Vikings who settled briefly by the Thames around 879 AD? The last invaders were finally beaten at Stamford Bridge in 1066 perhaps falling foul of referee Rob Jones.
When Chelsea FC came into existence early in the last century the directors had to agree on a suitable kit. According to Rick Glanvill's entertaining Chelsea Miscellany (History Press 2015) the chairman Claude Kirby 'presented the idea of white sleeved, blue bodied shirts' because he had been impressed by the smart appearance of a man in a white shirt and a blue short-sleeved jumper.
Kirby failed to persuade his colleagues but, tongue in cheek, Glanvill credits him with inventing Arsenal's iconic white sleeved strip. It is a nice try but I suspect that the other Chelsea directors remembered Fulham FC playing in red shirts with white sleeves from 1896 to 1903 (this is confirmed by various team photos). The Blues would not have wanted to borrow anything from their neighbours.
I am not claiming that Fulham invented the pattern. The successful Aston Villa wore stylish claret shirts with blue sleeves but few other clubs in the 1890s chose this two-colour arrangement. Arsenal did not adopt the fashion until their glory days of the 1930s. Avant-garde Fulham abandoned it in 1903 for white shirts and (lest we forget) black shorts.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
