Late Tosin header rescues point for Fulham
Tosin Adarabioyo’s late equaliser kept Fulham the top of the Championship table.
Former Whites boss Scott Parker looked to have come back to haunt the club he left to take over at Bournemouth in the summer when Dominic Solanke’s magnificent strike put them ahead straight after half-time.
Fulham dominated large periods of the second half but were frustrated by the resolute visitors, who defended superbly with skipper Steve Cook and goalkeeper Mark Travers producing outstanding displays.
But Tosin grabbed a point with his first goal in Fulham colours when he nodded home Tom Cairney’s flighted cross.
An absorbing first half, played a break-neck pace, saw both teams have chances to score, with Solanke going closest for the Cherries when he headed wide from close range before dragging a shot past the post.
The hosts had plenty of opportunities to score before the break and should have had a penalty when Harry Wilson was caught in the box by Solanke, but the appeals was waved away by referee Tim Robinson.
Aleksandar Mitrovic and Fabio Carvalho were denied on the stroke of half-time by a magnificent piece of defending from Cook, who first blocked the Serbian’s goal-bound effort with his leg and then threw his body in front of the follow-up shot from Carvalho.
But it was Bournemouth who opened the scoring just six seconds after the restart when Philip Billing chipped the ball to the onrushing Solanke from the kick-off and the former Chelsea trainee outpaced Denis Odoi and blasted into the top corner for a magnificent finish.
Mitrovic, who has 21 goals to his name this season, missed three good opportunities as Fulham desperately pressed for an equaliser.
It looked like it wasn’t going to be Fulham’s night when Neeskens Kebano missed a glorious chance when he somehow shot wide after Travers had parried a diving header from Mitrovic into his path.
But Fulham’s pressure finally paid off in the 84th minute when Tosin glanced home from inside the box to rescue a point.
Fulham: Rodak, Odoi, Tosin, Read, Bryan, Reed, Seri (Cairney 70), Wilson, Kebano, Mitrovic, Carvalho (De Cordova-Reid 70).
Subs not used: Tete, Hector, Onomah, Muniz.
