Cairney sent off as Fulham are crushed by Wolves

Fulham 0 Wolves 3

Ten-man Fulham came back down to earth with a bump as Wolves cashed in Tom Cairney’s dismissal.

Cairney received a straight red card for a two-footed lunge at Adam Le Fondre on 35 minutes and although the Whites were still level at the break, they never looked likely to keep the visitors at bay.

Wolves’ half-time substitute Sheyi Ojo broke the deadlock on 56 minutes when he cut inside Ryan Tunnicliffe on the left edge of the area to send a curling shot in off the far post that took a slight deflection off Le Fondre.

And just three minutes later, the winger repeated the trick by side-stepping his marker just inside the area before firing a low shot that Andy Lonergan contrived to allow through his legs.

It was rough on the Fulham keeper, who made some fine saves in the first half to keep the Whites in the game on a night Friday’s 4-0 drubbing of QPR seemed like a distant memory.

The evening had already started to look problematic for them before they were reduced to 10.

Lonergan was called into action twice within a minute, reacting well to block a header from his own player – Ryan Fredericks inadvertently guiding a right-wing cross goalwards when under pressure – and then turning aside James Henry’s piledriver from outside the box.

With Ross McCormack forced to funnel back into the right side of midfield vacated by Cairney, Fulham surrendered any initiative they may have had going forward, while at the other end, Benik Afobe became an increasing menace.

There was only going to be one winner once Wolves got their noses in front. Fulham were largely confined to scraps during a comfortable half for the visitors. Meagre ones at that.

Henry rubbed salt in the wounds with a perfect free-kick right on the edge of the area 12 minutes from time.