Battling Fulham snatch point at Wigan

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Wigan 3 Fulham 3


Bryan Ruiz scored a late penalty – his second goal of a six-goal thriller – to rescue a point for Fulham in a game that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Adam Forshaw put the Latics ahead from the penalty spot early on before Lasse Vigen Christensen and Ruiz struck in quick succession to put Fulham 2-1 up at the break.

Roger Espinoza restored parity with a stunning long-range effort before Fulham forward Ross McCormack was sent off and Shaun Maloney put Wigan ahead with eight minutes remaining.

Ruiz ensured that Kit Symons started his reign as permanent Fulham manager with a point, completing his brace from the penalty spot on 88 minutes after Leon Barnett was sent off for felling Hugo Rodallega.

After Forshaw had put Wigan ahead, Rodallega played an instrumental role in the first equaliser as his dummy pass allowed Scott Parker’s through-ball to run into the box.

Midfielder Christensen did well to hold off Barnett and drill the leveller past Scott Carson on the half-hour.

The goal sparked a flurry of chances for the Whites, with Rodallega testing Carson with a low shot before Ruiz met a McCormack cross to chest the ball home from point-blank range.

Uwe Rosler’s Wigan side made an energetic start to the second half and piled the pressure on Fulham’s defence before Roger Espinoza made it 2-2 with a thunderous half-volley past Marcus Bettinelli from 25-yards.

Bettinelli then parried a McManaman shot to launch Fulham on a counter-attack, which ended with McCormack testing Carson with a volley.

Both sides continued to push for the winner either side of McCormack’s red card for a second booking on 77 minutes.
Maloney came off the bench to restore the home side’s lead, turning the ball home from an Espinoza pass.

Their lead and one-man advantage was short lived as Barnett was shown a straight red card for bringing Rodallega down in the box as the Colombian threatened to race free on goal.

Ruiz stepped up to convert the penalty and secure a hard-earned point for Symons’ men.

Fulham (4-4-2): Bettinelli; Zverotic, Bodurov, Burn, Stafylidis; Parker, Christensen, G Williams (Dembele 84mins), Ruiz; McCormack, Rodallega.
Subs not used: Kirlay, Hutchinson, Roberts, Woodrow, Hyndman, David.

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