Parker hails ‘heroic’ Fulham defending after derby defeat

Fulham boss Scott Parker lauded his team’s ‘heroic’ defending in their 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea.

But Parker was disappointed with Antonee Robinson’s rash challenge that reduced the Whites to 10 men for the second half.




The home side came close to keeping their west London rivals at bay even after Robinson’s dismissal, but Mason Mount ultimately made them pay 12 minutes from time.

And although they came away with no points, Parker feels proud of the fight his team showed throughout.

Parker said: “You get to 70-odd minutes and you’re playing the clock a little bit second half.

“I thought we defended heroically. It’s a shame they got in front. But overall, nothing but admiration for my team.

“For 10 or 15 minutes before the sending-off we were in the ascendancy.”

While Robinson’s rush of blood may have been costly, Parker insisted that he is looking for his team to show that kind of tenacity

He said: “I’ve not seen the red card again. But it definitely changes the game.

“I want every single one of our players to play right on the edge. I want us to be aggressive.

“We’re disappointed because it was probably a needless tackle. He will learn from that and understand that.”