McCormack injured as Fulham lose again

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Fulham 0 Leeds United 3

Ross McCormack limped off and Kostas Stafylidis was sent off on a dismal night for relegation-threatened Fulham.

Goals from Sam Byram and Sol Bamba put Leeds United in control at Craven Cottage before the hosts were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Stafylidis picked up two yellow cards in the space of a minute.

Substitute Mirco Antenucci scored a late third after Fulham forward McCormack, playing against his former club, suffered what looked like a knee injury.

Kit Symons’ side are six points and only one place above the relegation zone, having won only one of their last 13 matches.

And McCormack going off on 83 minutes was a worrying sight for Fulham ahead of the all-important run-in as they look to ensure their Championship status.

McCormack and fellow ex-Leeds man Matt Smith missed chances to score, whereas their former side created fewer opportunities but were much more clinical.

An unmarked Byram headed home Gaetano Berardi’s left-wing cross five minutes before the break, and worse followed for Fulham three minutes into the second half when they failed to clear Alex Mowatt’s corner and Bamba was able to head in at the far post.

Symons’ men battled on even after Stafylidis, just booked for dissent, was dismissed after scything down Byram.

Shaun Hutchinson headed against the Leeds post before Antenucci got his name on the scoresheet.

Byram’s cross was palmed out by keeper Marcus Bettinelli towards the Italian, whose miscued volley bounced off the ground and looped into the net.

Fulham: Bettinelli, Richards, Hutchinson, Turner, Stafylidis, Hoogland, Parker, Tunnicliffe, Ruiz (Kacaniklic 63), Smith, McCormack (83).
Subs not used:  Kiraly, Bodurov, Woodrow, Rodallega, Kavanagh.

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