Fulham boost promotion hopes by beating Ipswich

Fulham 3 Ipswich 1

Goals from Floyd Ayite, Scott Malone and Stefan Johansen gave play-off chasing Fulham victory at Craven Cottage.

Ayite pounced on 17 minutes after Chris Martin’s shot was parried by Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski.

Malone exchanged a neat one-two with Ayite, who back-heeled the return pass, to double the lead on the half-hour mark.

And Johansen finished a swift counter-attack by cutting inside the last defender and firing into the near corner from close range in the second half.

Ipswich, who scored a late goal courtesy of Christophe Berra, hit the post through David McGoldrick just before the break and the Whites needed Marcus Bettinelli to make several good saves to keep the visitors out.

Bettinelli started ahead of David Button, whose errors cost Fulham in a heavy defeat at Derby in midweek, but the England Under-21 international was not seriously called into action until the second half, with the Whites already 2-0 to the good.

His first fine stop was a low kick to his right, denying Freddie Sears from close range after he had been set up by McGoldrick’s low cross.

And Bettinelli’s low dive to his left to deny Grant Ward led to the Whites breakaway which culminated in Johansen’s 61st-minute goal.

Berra’s late header gave the visitors some consolation.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Bettinelli; Fredericks, Madl (Ream 57), Kalas, Malone; Johansen (Piazon 78), McDonald; Ayite (Kebano 85), Cairney, Aluko; Martin
Subs not used: Button, Parker, Cyriac, Sessegnon