Fulham denied victory by late Cardiff goal
Fulham 1 Cardiff City 1
Ryan Sessegnon netted 15 minutes from the end but Fulham are still looking for their first home win of the season after shipping a late equaliser.
The teenager was in just the right place to sweep home past Cardiff keeper Neil Etheridge after Floyd Ayite’s shot, blocked by defender Sean Morrison, fell perfectly to him.
But Bluebirds sub Danny Ward powered home a close range header eight minutes later to salvage a point for the table-topping visitors.
Ward had only been on the field 10 minutes, with the assist coming from fellow-sub Liam Feeney, the former Hayes & Yeading winger, who himself had only been sent on four minutes earlier.
In a frantic finish, Feeney clipped the bar with what looked like an intended cross, but defeat would have been very harsh on Slavisa Jokanovic’s men.
Cardiff began with all the confidence you would expect from a top of the table side with a 100 per cent record, but although Junior Hoilett’s darting runs and the muscle of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Kenneth Zohore threatened carnage, the rhythms of Fulham’s passing began to dictate.
In one free-flowing move, Denis Odoi and Stefan Johansen combined to give Sessegnon a chance, which the winger curled just wide, and a free-kick from debutant Yohan Mollo passed the outside of Etheridge’s left hand post by inches.
Fulham also came close to breaking the deadlock when Johansen chanced his arm from distance and the ever-alert Ayite almost prodded in the rebound after the busy Etheridge had parried.
More chances came and went after the break – Ayite striking a post from distance and Johansen having a shot blocked by Joe Bennett after Etheridge had raced out of his area to make a headed clearance but failed to launch the ball out of danger.
The Whites were deservedly in front soon after, but could not quite hold on for the win.
Fulham: Button; Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Odoi; McDonald; Mollo (Kamara 59), Johansen, Cisse (Norwood 54), Sessegnon; Ayite. Subs not used: Bettinelli, Madl, Graham, D’Jalo, O’Riley.
