Verdict: Fulham much improved and Lemina brilliant – but still some disappointment

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Fulham secured a third point in a week with a 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

After dominating the first half, the key moment in the second 45 was a red card for Joachim Andersen and a penalty that saw the hosts level.

The Whites will be somewhat disappointed, and this is why.


Red card but not a penalty

Yes, Joachim Andersen pulled back Callum Wilson bearing down on goal, but not in the box.

The Dane was smart enough to let go before he crossed that white line, and it was 50-50 whether there was a touch on Wilson’s heel.

But the camera angle on VAR was too distant to show where the tug or the heel contact occurred.

Wrong decision on the spot-kick, and that’s 2-1 against Fulham in the last three when it comes to the technology.

And while here, the yellow card late in the game for Antonee Robinson was shocking.

All he did was get in front of Miguel Almirón, who held the front of his face as if he’d been right hooked by Anthony Joshua.

Poor from the official and poor from the Newcastle player.

Tom Cairney – the verdict

With Cairney you get a player who puts his foot on the ball to buy you time.

On the other hand, even when you’re a tad match-rusty you’ve got to take half-chances when they appear.

Twice in the first half, captain Tom missed his moment.

The first when he needed a millisecond too many, and the second a terrible slice over the bar.

When he was tactically substituted to make way for Michael Hector, Cairney had done OK, but nothing earth shattering.

There again, he probably would have had another 27 minutes to prove otherwise.

Quiet night for Mitro on his Newcastle return

If you play Aleksandar Mitrovic without Ivan Cavaleiro, injured in the warm-up, you’ve got to feed him crosses he can attack along with balls to feet in and around the box.

If not, and it was mostly not in the first 45, you’re looking at the Portuguese and his undoubted pace sadly sat on the bench.

Mitro shook his head when the ball wasn’t played to him first time in the last knockings of the first half.

But he had another 35 yards to goal, and the Serb’s not the most likely to win a foot race.

It’s the bloke’s body language that bothers fans.

He lets you know when he’s unhappy with his team-mates or himself, and then some.

Possession is nine parts of the law

You keep the ball long enough, like 67% in the first half, chances are you will score sooner or later.

Fulham did just that in the first 45 and Matt Ritchie duly obliged with an own goal.

In fact, the Newcastle man’s slip just before let in Robinson to win a corner that led to Fulham’s lead.

Well done Bobby Decordova-Reid and Mario Lemina

BDR wasn’t meant to play because he was nursing a dodgy quad muscle, but the enforced shuffle before kick-off meant he had to put in a shift. He did well in the circumstances.

Lemina was everywhere.

The midfielder got through an almighty shift in the centre of midfield and in the end was the glue that creviced another result from an improving Fulham.