Mitrovic gives Fulham victory in Ranieri’s first game

Fulham 3 Southampton 2

---

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice for Fulham as they clinched a vital win in their first match under Claudio Ranieri.

They made a poor start to the new manager’s reign, falling behind to Stuart Armstrong’s opener.

The Whites were ahead at the interval courtesy of Mitrovic’s headed equaliser and Andre Schurrle’s far-post finish.

And after Armstrong’s second goal hauled Southampton level, Mitrovic volleyed in a 63rd-minute winner.

It lifted his team off the bottom of the Premier League table and increased the pressure on Southampton’s former Fulham and QPR boss Mark Hughes.

It also put Fulham, beaten in their previous six matches – a run which led to Slavisa Jokanovic being sacked and replaced by Ranieri – level on points with Hughes’ side.

Southampton went ahead when Nathan Redmond crossed from the left and Maxime Le Marchand’s weak header away was pounced on by Armstrong, who fired home.

Earlier, Fulham had a lucky escape when Manolo Gabbiadini missed a great chance by shooting straight at Sergio Rico after the Whites keeper had parried Armstrong’s shot.

But Fulham hit back when a slick move culminated in Mitrovic heading in Le Marchand’s left-wing cross.

And Schurrle struck to put them in front a couple of minutes before half-time.

After Ryan Sessegnon went past Cedric Soares and sent in a low cross from the left, Schurrle sneaked behind former Fulham loanee Matt Targett to score from close range.

Armstrong equalised with a fine goal in early in the second half, sweeping the ball beyond Rico from near the edge of the penalty area.

But Mitrovic restored the lead by finding the far corner with a perfect strike after Sessegnon had headed on Cyrus Christie’s cross.