Below-par Fulham are beaten at Villa
Aston Villa 2 Fulham 1
Goals from former Chelsea captain John Terry and ex-Harrow Borough winger Albert Adomah condemned Fulham to defeat at Villa Park.
Terry opened his account on his 13th Villa appearance by nodding in Conor Hourihane’s free-kick midway through the first half.
Another set piece allowed Fulham to level a minute before the break, as Stefan Johansen (pictured) curled in to the far bottom corner from the edge of the box.
But Adomah, who played for Harrow between 2006 and 2008, swept home early in the second half for what proved to be the winner.
Fulham were far from their best but could have equalised for a second time not long after Adomah’s goal, with Floyd Ayite meeting Ryan Fredericks’ low cross only for Villa keeper Sam Johnstone to make an excellent save from close range.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium until Terry’s header but the goal buoyed Villa, and Whites keeper David Button made saves from Hourihane, Josh Onomah and Jonathan Kodjia.
Fulham did improve late in the first half and levelled thanks to Johansen’s fine strike, after Glenn Whelan’s clumsy foul.
Adomah restored Villa’s lead and the home side also felt they should have had a penalty when Kodjia went down in the box, but referee Mike Jones was unmoved.
Tom Cairney, once again a substitute as he continues his recovery from injury, came on for the final half an hour but for all their possession, Fulham could not make it count.
And they had Button to thank for keeping the score down as he saved brilliantly to keep out Ritchie De Laet’s header late on.
Fulham: Button; Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Sessegnon; McDonald, Johansen (Cisse 73)|, Norwood (Cairney 60); Ayite, Fonte (Kebano 79), Kamara.
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Odoi, Soares, Mollo.
