Hyndman’s injury-time strike edges Fulham near safety
Fulham 2 Cardiff City 1
Fulham took a giant stride towards Championship survival as Emerson Hyndman’s injury-time winner – his first goal for the club – earned them their third victory in the space of a week.
The Whites trailed at the break to Lex Immers’ header four minutes before half-time.
Scott Parker levelled just 21 seconds into the second half, with his first goal in almost 18 months.
And just as it appeared they would have to settle for a point, substitute Lasse Vigen Christensen’s tenacity created a chance for Hyndman, who drilled in to clinch a win.
Having beaten MK Dons last Saturday and Preston on Tuesday, this latest success for Slavisa Jokanovic’s side lifts them to 17th – 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
Fulham had had the better of the first half chances prior to Cardiff’s opener, with Hyndman and Ross McCormack both denied by visiting keeper David Marshall.
They were caught out, though, when Aron Gunnarsson escaped the attentions of Richard Stearman and, with the outside of his right boot, clipped in a cross for the unmarked Immers to head in.
Cardiff almost doubled their lead immediately afterwards as Sean Morrison’s header came back off the post.
Fulham’s response after half-time was instant. Moussa Dembele chipped the ball through for Parker, who had found space in the box, and he coolly netted his first goal since November 2014.
Dembele had a shot blocked after good work by Fredericks down the right, while Cardiff were restricted to a Scott Malone effort which cleared the crossbar.
The hosts pressed late on, Dembele forcing a smart stop from Marshall and McCormack’s deflected shot brushing the top of the bar.
Then, with seconds to go, Christensen – in his first appearance for two months – kept an attack alive on the byline and cut the ball back for Hyndman, on his 20th birthday, who slotted home.
Fulham: Bettinelli; Stearman, Madl (Fredericks 46), Amorebieta, Garbutt; Tunnicliffe (Christensen 67), Parker (Baird 78), Ince, Hyndman; McCormack, Dembele.
Subs not used: Lonergan, Burn, Woodrow, Smith.
