Tuesday Fulham Stuff (09/12/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Schwarzer Wanted
   
Having previously turned down an approach from Fulham Football Club, for the services of Mark Schwarzer, could the veteran goal-keeper be going off an emergency loan spell?

The reason we ask is that it appears Alan Pardew, up at Newcastle United, is reportedly set to ask Chelsea if he can loan Schwarzer, a plea necessitated by the fact his two first-team keepers, Tim Krul and Rob Elliot, are both injured.

Fulham`s request was rejected because, at the time, there were doubts as to whether Petr Cech would remain at Stamford Bridge past the transfer window.

However, with Cech`s agent confirming that the Czech keeper was going nowhere until at least the summer, the situation has kind of changed.

But, if Pardew`s request is to be granted it will need special dispensation from the Premier League for it to go through.

Also, with Newcastle inflicting Chelsea`s first defeat of the season on Saturday, are we really sure we`d want to be helping them out?


Read more: http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=548305#ixzz3LKVcpc5C

[WhiteJC]

 
U21s set for cup clash
The Development Squad take on Fulham in their final U21 Premier League International Cup group stage match on Monday

West Ham United U21s take on Fulham on Monday evening to close the group stage of their U21 Premier League International Cup campaign.

Having defeated Jong PSV and been edged out by Athletic Bilbao, the Hammers can still progress should they see off Fulham at Rush Green.

The Development Squad gave a fine performance to defeat Dutch giants PSV in their last outing.

The Hammers have already taken on Fulham in league action this season, registering a 1-1 draw at the Cottagers' Motspur Park home in September.

Kick-off at Rush Green is at 7pm, with admission free for Season Ticket Holders and £3 adults, £1 concessions.

whufc.com will bring you live text commentary, as well as exclusive reaction and highlights


http://www.whufc.com/articles/20141208/u21s-set-for-cup-clash_2236884_4353110?

[WhiteJC]

 
REDFEARN WANTS QUICK RESPONSE
Head coach now looking ahead to Fulham...

Head coach Neil Redfearn has urged his United side to pick themselves up quickly from the defeat at Ipswich and focus getting a response against Fulham on Saturday. Redfearn's men raced into a fourth-minute lead at Portman Road through Mirco Antenucci, but Ipswich soon hit back and went on to secure a 4-1 win on a miserable afternoon for the visitors.

United now face Fulham at Elland Road, where they have lost just once since August, and Redfearn sees it as a good opportunity for his players to bounce back.

"This is the first time since I've been in charge where I can probably say it hasn't happened for us and we haven't played well," said the head coach. "These things happen in football, you've got to pick yourself up and go again.

"We've got to raise our performance again and we've got to go and play Fulham and get a result against them at home, which we're more than capable of. "I think this season is going to be one of those sorts of seasons. It's a stop-start sort of season.

"It's in the infancy of its growth. We've had a lot of players come together, it's a very young side.

"The owner is building a side that can hopefully go and challenge so we've just got to be tough in this interim period."

United's away form has been a worry for Redfearn and the head coach admits it is something he is keen to address following his side's third consecutive defeat on the road. "It's not so much pointing things out, it's answers they need," said Redfearn.

"How are we going to solve this? "We need to solve it because we've been in good positions away from home where we've gone a goal up and for whatever reason it's not quite happening.

"We've got to really think about this and get over the line. It's character building.

"There's a lot of young players in there – Cook, Mowatt, Byram and people like that. They're going to have to grow with it. "It'll make them better players."



- See more at: http://www.leedsunited.com/news/article/1cuv5iul8pvtg1glz6djqmsx5v/title/redfearn-wants-quick-response?#sthash.iZ25lM6m.dpuf

[WhiteJC]

 
Burn Left Deflated

Dan Burn was left bewildered after Fulham's humbling by Watford on Friday night, and admitted that the evening's events were nothing short of 'terrible.'

Having gone behind after a quarter of an hour, the Whites were given a huge mountain to climb when they were reduced to 10 men following Marcus Bettinelli's foul on Matej Vydra in the box.

The visitors put away the subsequent penalty and added a third before half-time, before following up with two more goals after the interval to cap a miserable night for Fulham.

"It was terrible, right from the very first minute," a visibly crestfallen Burn told fulhamfc.com. "We started sloppy and then we never really improved. We never really started so it's just very disappointing.

"I don't know why we started so slowly. Everyone was bang up for the game. Football's funny like that sometimes, you have a bit of a sloppy start, put yourselves under pressure and they took their chances when they had them.

"They had a lucky free-kick – they played it under the wall which was disappointing – and then the penalty. But then after that we just never really got going. To be fair, I thought we were a lot better second half but even then the goals that we conceded were just schoolboy, absolutely schoolboy."

The loss of Bettinelli on 18 minutes was a key moment in the game, but Burn refused to place any responsibility at the goalkeeper's door.

"Betts has been brilliant all season so no-one's going to blame him for anything," he said. "We did our own undoing and everyone's just going to have to look at themselves and make sure we bounce back in the next game."

Kit Symons' charges will now be looking for a positive response when they travel to Elland Road on Saturday to take on Leeds United.

And if a Play-Off place is to prove an attainable target come the end of the campaign, Burn knows that his side need to add some consistency to their results, with Friday's defeat especially surprising on the back of last week's excellent away win at Brighton & Hove Albion.

"If we want to hit the Play-Off places we've got to get a few wins on the bounce," he admitted. "With the Christmas fixtures coming up we'll get back to two games a week so hopefully we can string a few results together and start climbing.

"We'll have a long hard look at the [Watford] video and then we'll kick on for Leeds. That's going to be a tough game so we can't be feeling sorry for ourselves. We've got to brush ourselves off and get back on it."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/december/08/burn-left-deflated?

[WhiteJC]

 
Owls receive additional Fulham allocation

The Owls' original batch of 2,700 tickets for the trip to Fulham have now sold out.

Wednesday travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday 20 December and SWFC have been allocated a final batch of 1,000 tickets.

These will go on general sale at 9.00am on Wednesday 10 December.

Prices are as follows:

Adults   £25
65 and over   £20
Under 21s   £20
Under 16s   £1

Ambulant disabled supporters are £12.50 adults, £10 for 65 and over/under 21s and 50p for under 16s with a carer free of charge.

There are five wheelchair spaces available priced at £12.50 adults, £10 for 65 and over/under 21s and 50p for under 16s with a carer free of charge.

Inter City Owl

Limited spaces remain on the Inter City Owl which departs at 8.30am. Prices are as follows:

Adults:     £27
Children:  £26
 
East Midlands Trains

As part of the club's ongoing partnership with East Midlands Trains, Sheffield Wednesday are pleased to provide rail options.   

Flexible first class tickets from Sheffield to St Pancras are priced at £70.

Please note that the tickets are only applicable on trains that arrive in London after 11.00am (8.49am departure from Sheffield or later) and return to Sheffield after 6.58pm. 

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Ticket Office, at the Sheffield Wednesday Online Shop or by telephone on 0871 900 1867 (£2 booking fee per ticket)

Supporters who attend this game will receive ten Ticket Priority Points.



Read more at http://www.swfc.co.uk/news/article/owls-receive-additional-fulham-allocation-2130494.aspx#3LlC6QjiME7t7Csl.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Union Interested in Danish midfielder William Kvist?

The 29 year old has played nine matches this season with English Championship side Wigan Athletic

Friday morning Kevin Kinkead reported that the Philadelphia Union are targeting 29 year-old Danish international WIlliam Kvist as a possible signing during the offseason.  The defensive midfielder, who has made 52 appearances with the Denmark national team, currently plays for Wigan Athletic in the English Championship.  Recent Union front office hiring Rene Meulensteen acquired Kvist earlier this year in January during his short-lived stint as manager at Fulham.

Kvist has played at the highest levels both at club-level and internationally.  He started in Denmark's midfield for all three matches at Euro 2012.  Before arriving at Fulham, he was a consistent starter for three years at German Bundesliga club VFB Stuttgart.  Fulham declined to pick up Kvist's contract option during the summer after making only eight appearances, making him a free agent.  Wigan signed Kvist to a one year deal in September, but Kvist has not appeared in the Latics' gameday eighteen for a month. He appears to be out of favor with the club.

At first glance, this appears to be a odd target for the Union given the club's scoring struggles during the last months of the season, the club's deep reserve of defensive midfielders, and Kvist's recent poor form.  It makes a lot more sense when you look a little deeper.

Besides the search for a top drawer striker, one the Union's biggest offseason quandaries is what to do with Maurice Edu and Amobi Okugo.  Amobi is most likely headed to Orlando City, Brian Carroll might be retiring after a long, storied MLS career, and Michael Lahoud hasn't shown any sign that he could be a capable starting defensive midfielder.  Edu currently has all the leverage to put a serious dent in the Union's wallets despite the fact that he had an up-and-down first season with the Union. Signing Kvist would give the Union some breathing room in negotiating with Edu; resigning him would no longer be a necessity.  Don't get me wrong, I like Edu's leadership on and off the field and his flexibility in being able to play two positions is very valuable.  But it helps the Union's chances at securing a high-profile striker if they don't have to give Edu the farm, and a center back pairing featuring Carlos Valdes and Ethan White (with Kvist in front and Rais M'Bolhi) is perfectly adequate.

Kvist's lack of recent playing time with a English Championship side threatened by relegation might be a red flag.   The Dane may also just need a change of scenery.  As a Liverpool fan, I've seen plenty of talented non-English players (Andriy Voronin, Iago Aspas, Mario Balotelli) who don't fare well with the physical nature of English football.  In the last 18 months, he's played top leagues like the EPL and Bundesliga, and in the summer of 2013 he was close to signing with Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid.  At 29 years old, Kvist could still be a terrific player in a league like MLS.

Like last winter's signings Cristian Maidana (mutually agreed to terminated his contract), Vincent Nogueira (Sochaux were facing relegation), and Maurice Edu (out of favor), acquiring Kvist would be the Union taking advantage of an adverse club situation to create a bargain.  As long as Kvist isn't asking for a Designated Player-level salary, the Union should press hard to sign a player who could potentially be part of one of the league's best defences.



http://www.brotherlygame.com/2014/12/8/7346471/union-interested-in-danish-midfielder-william-kvist

[WhiteJC]

 
Forward Thinking

Fulham may not demand the same column inches these days, but the signing of Ross McCormack certainly made waves in the media during the summer. Passionate, fiery and determined, the Scotsman is also one of the jokers of the dressing room. Undoubtedly one of the Whites' players of the season so far, McCormack sat down with Fultime to discuss his career to date and his desire to lead Fulham to success...

"I honestly didn't feel any pressure," insists McCormack on his much-publicised switch to Fulham. "I've seen players moving for a lot of money and people saying 'oh, he's not worth that' but you're only worth what someone's willing to pay for you. Fulham paid the money, however much it was I'm certainly not going to disclose, but it was a lot for this league. I'm just grateful they did and now I'm really enjoying myself.

"I spoke to a few clubs but I came and met Felix Magath in the summer and everything he said was spot on. You have to take him seriously for what he's done in the game and what he's achieved. Things didn't work out for him here but I'm never going to say a bad word against him as he signed me.

"But it's very different under Kit Symons. The mood in the changing room... you can have a laugh and relax, it's not too regimented but we do work hard. All in all, it's a more enjoyable environment to work in."

Hot headed at times, McCormack believes he has matured as he's got older. Now married with a young son, Layton, there's no doubt the passion still burns. He reveals when he was suspended for the 2-2 draw with Blackpool, he was so angry at seeing the Seasiders score a second that he punched a window in the Cottage balcony thinking it was plastic.

"I didn't realise it was glass," he laughs. "The whole place shook. Everyone stared at me! Thankfully it didn't smash.

"When I was a bit younger, I was very different. I've learnt to chill out a bit. I've got my missus and my little man who I focus more on now. So I don't take life too seriously but that doesn't mean I don't work hard when I come into work. If you ask the lads, I'm one of the first into the training ground and one of the last out. I like to work hard but having a laugh is important and if you look at the upturn in results since Kit came in when people are a bit more relaxed, we've played with a lot more freedom."

The winter edition of Fultime is out now!

Just some of the exclusives from the jam-packed digital magazine are:

Shahid Khan sets his sights on a top-six finish
Kit Symons discusses his management style
Dan Burn on his path to Fulham's first XI
A feature on the sad story of Jimmy Conway
Mark Crossley on the five games that mean the most to him
Ben Taylor, AKA 'The Magic Mod', on following the Fulham
We conclude our take on the 100 men who shaped FFC
Sean Davis answers your questions
Simon Morgan recalls his time as Whites skipper
Former Fulham striker Bob Thomas is profiled
Kevin Keen takes stock of his time as Under-18s boss
Brian Talbot explains his role as the Club's chief scout
And Gordon Davies picks his Fulham Dream XI
The new digital Fultime is sent to all our Season Ticket Holders and Members to read on your tablet, so make sure you check your inboxes.

For non-Season Ticket Holders and non-Members, Fultime can be downloaded for £2.49 via Pocketmags.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/december/08/forward-thinking?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham willing to listen to offers for striker

Boss Symons will consider letting Trotta move on in January

Kit Symons says Fulham are willing to listen to offers for Marcello Trotta in January.

The striker has made just three senior appearances for the Cottagers and has spent most of his time out on loan at Wycombe, Watford, Brentford and, most recently, Barnsley.

Trotta has scored once in five games for the Tykes and is due to remain at Oakwell until the new year.

The Italy U21 international hasn't featured for Fulham's first-team since August 2012 and boss Symons admits the club will consider selling him when the transfer window re-opens.

He said: "Marcello is someone I know very well. He's a good character and a good person.

"We would judge each individual case on its merits as it arises. We would look to do the right thing for all parties."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-willing-listen-offers-striker-8251491?

[WhiteJC]

 
International Cup Commences

Fulham Under-21s play their first Premier League International Cup match on Monday evening when they take on West Ham United at Rush Green.

It's the final Group B match for the Hammers, who opened the tournament with a thrilling 5-3 defeat by Athletic Bilbao in Romford.

They followed that up with a narrow 2-1 success over PSV Eindhoven, who defeated Bilbao 1-0 in the group's other game. It leaves Group B wide open, as all three of Fulham's opponents have played two – winning one and losing one each.

West Ham currently sit third with the worst goal difference of all the sides – although there is very little in it. If Fulham win by two or more goals on Monday then they will move straight to the top of the group.

The Whites will follow up with a meeting against Bilbao next Wednesday at Motspur Park, before welcoming PSV to the Training Ground on 21st January.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/december/08/international-cup-commences?

[WhiteJC]

 
Cardwell nets twice in impressive U18s victory

Reading U18s 3-1 Fulham U18s

Harry Cardwell's first-half double and a brilliant strike from Noor Husin earned Reading's U18s a more-than-deserved victory over Fulham at Hogwood on Saturday morning.

In a dominant display from first whistle to last, Cardwell put the young Royals in control before Husin powered in a sweet shot on the hour mark.

Fulham were awarded a penalty 10 minutes from time but visiting forward Josh Walker blazed the resulting spot-kick over the crossbar.

They grabbed a consolation as the clock struck 90 through Ryan Sessegnon, who bundled in at the far post. Reading, though, were not to be denied as they recorded their third win in four games.

Scottish international Cardwell broke the deadlock after just six minutes when he collected possession on the edge of the penalty area and slotted across Whites stopper Magnus Norman and into the corner.

It was 2-0 after 32 minutes and it was Cardwell again. After Hammed Lawal had made a driving run down the left, Cardwell's touch took him away from the Fulham centre-backs, which allowed him stab home left footed.

Husin made it three with the game's best goal after the break. After his corner had been partially cleared, the midfielder recycled possession out to the right hand side.

The ball eventually dropped at the feet of Cardwell, who unselfishly teed up Husin and he jinked beyond his marker before dispatching a low drive into the corner of the net.

Zac Jules conceded a penalty 10 minutes from time with an untimely trip and, although goalkeeper Lewis Ward dived the correct way from the spot-kick, it did not matter as it sailed over the crossbar.

The visitors did pull one back through Sessegnon in stoppage time when he turned home a loose ball from a corner, but the Royals were full value for the three points. 

Reading: Ward (c), Watson (Andresson 70), Lawal, Collinn, Bennett, Jules, Smith, Husin, Cardwell (Williams 76), Richards (Barrett 53), Davis.

Fulham: Norman, Fossey, Edun (Sessegnon 55), Elworthy, Opoku, Smile (c), Nabay, Adeniran, Buffonge (De La Torre 55), Humphrys, Walker.



Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/reading-football-club-academy-2131418.aspx#sdEKcCcrifzzwEEl.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Bristol Rovers winger Lyle Della-Verde returns to Fulham after ankle injury cuts loan spell short

On-loan winger Lyle Della-Verde will not play for Bristol Rovers before the end of his loan spell after suffering an ankle ligament injury at Wrexham last week.

Della Verde, 19, rolled his ankle on a bumpy pitch at the Racecourse Stadium and was withdrawn in distress during the first-half of the goalless draw.

The results of a subsequent scan have revealed that the exciting wideman will be out for at least three weeks.

Rovers boss Darrell Clarke has today confirmed that Della-Verde had returned to Fulham for treatment on his injured ankle and he added: "Lyle won't be available to us before the end of his loan period at the start of January.

"He looked to be a very exciting prospect in the three or four games he played for us and it is a shame we won't get to see a bit more of him.

"Unfortunately, injuries are all part and parcel of the game and that's why we have a squad to deal with that. It is a case of a door opening for someone else now and we just have to get on with it."

Della-Verde had been contracted to remain at the Memorial Stadium until January 4 after Clarke opted to extend his initial one-month loan spell following a number of impressive performances.

He debuted from the bench in a 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Tranmere Rovers and went on to make four starts and two further appearances as a substitute.



Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rovers-winger-Lyle-Della-Verde-returns/story-25443634-detail/story.html?#ixzz3LKYv2hDH
Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter | bristolpost on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Former Fulham boss Felix Magath rejects Bosnia offer

Felix Magath has rejected the chance to become the new head coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Bosnia have been without a head coach since Safet Susic was sacked in the middle of November.

Having led the club to their first ever World Cup Finals tournament, Susic had failed to repeat similar successes in the qualification campaign for Euro 2016. Four games played have brought two draws and two losses, and the winless Bosnian's currently sit four points off a play-off space, and six points off automatic qualification.

The short-list of potential replacements included former Algeria boss Vahid Halilhodzic, who led the African nation to the knock-out stages of the World Cup, but he turned the offer down. Felix Magath was the Bosnian FA's second choice candidate, and talks had been ongoing for a number of weeks before the German ruled himself out of the running.

The former German international was most recently in charge of Fulham, having taken them from the Premier League and into the Championship on an incredible run of defeats. A dreadful start in the second tier saw him sacked on September 18, having failed to win any of his 11 games in charge, and all-but ending any chances of the Cottagers winning promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt.

Having held advanced talks with Bosnian officials, Magath was said to be close to agreeing the role, but he was quoted by HLN as turning down the role, despite the potential 'exciting' challenge that he would have endured from accepting the job.

"It would have been an exciting sporting challenge," said Magath. "In recent days I have intensively thought about it, but I decided not to take the offer."

The former Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg boss is said to be keen on returning to management, but it is hard to see many clubs who would take him following his spell at Craven Cottage


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/12/08/report-former-fulham-boss-felix-magath-rejects-bosnia-offer/?

[WhiteJC]

 
FA Cup Draw

Fulham have been drawn at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Third Round of the FA Cup with Budweiser.

The fixture will take place the weekend of Friday 2nd January.

Confirmation of the date and ticketing information will be detailed on fulhamfc.com in due course.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/december/08/fa-cup-draw?

[WhiteJC]

 
HEAD-TO-HEAD: McCormack v Antenucci - Leeds past and present

Fulham travel to Leeds this weekend, with a certain Ross McCormack set to face his former club.

So the day has finally come for Ross McCormack.

The Fulham striker traded Leeds United for the west London side this summer for a fee believed to be around £11 million, with an initial payment of £6m. This Saturday, his Fulham team will travel to Elland Road for the first time since his move.

The assumption will be that the Scot plays for the Cottagers, while he will no doubt still travel should he for some reason be made unavailable.

Leeds' top scorer Mirco Antenucci, meanwhile, is similarly likely to be Neil Redfearn's main man this weekend - assuming, again, that he isn't injured or suspended. And the key question ahead of Saturday's Elland Road clash is, which of the two has played better so far this season?

Team   Goals   Assists   Chances Created   Successful Final-Third Passes   Dribbles Won   Aerial Duels Won   Shot On Target Ratio   Mins Played
Mirco Antenucci   Leeds   8   1   13   116   10   7   38%   1,503
Ross McCormack   Fulham   4   7   40   180   17   3   38%   1,606

As Opta stats show, the Italian and the 28-year-old can be judged on two categories: scoring and non-scoring.

In terms of goals, Leeds' Antenucci is the clear winner. The striker has scored twice as many Championship goals as McCormack so far this term with eight.

But, shooting aside, ex-Leeds man McCormack is dominant in almost every department. Fulham's forward has seven assists to his name and has created a superb 40 chances - more than any Leeds or Fulham player by far.

McCormack has also completed far more final-third passes and won seven more dribbles, although Antenucci is better in the air and both strikers have the same shot on target ratio.

Who, though, will come out on top this weekend?



http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/12/08/head-to-head-mccormack-v-antenucci-leeds-past-and-present/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Wolves will travel to Fulham in FA Cup

Wolves have been drawn away at Fulham in the FA Cup third round.

The draw was made in Hull this evening, and pits Wolves against a side that they have already beaten in the league this season.

Kenny Jackett's men earned their first away win of the campaign at Craven Cottage back in August, when Bakary Sako scored the only goal to earn the points.

Wolves currently sit five points ahead of Fulham in the table.

The tie will be played at Craven Cottage during the weekend of January 3 and 4.



Read more: http://www.cannockmercury.co.uk/Wolves-travel-Fulham-FA-Cup/story-25444707-detail/story.html#ixzz3LL8AKQYI
Follow us: @SuttonObserver on Twitter | sutton.coldfield.observer.official on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
For Fulham It's - Wolves
   
After the huge disappointment of losing 5-0 at home to Watford, on Friday evening, the draw for the 3rd round of the FA Cup took place this evening.

Broadcast live on BBC2, Fulham were drawn to play Wolves at Craven Cottage.

It`s an all Championship tie and one that we could win!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=379418#ixzz3LL8KyHVj

[WhiteJC]

 
FT: Dev Squad 2-3 Fulham
Coverage from Rush Green as the Dev Squad lost narrowly 2-3 to Fulham

FT: Dev Squad 2-3 Fulham U21

Fulham clinch an away win in a game that could've gone either way. Unfortunately that is the end of the Dev Squad's European adventure for this year. We'll have reaction to come very shortly.

93: Free kick in a great position here for Bywater or Turgott...Bywater connects well but the keeper is equal to it.

92: Whitehead miss times his jump and clatters into Plumain. It wasn't malicious but it was clumsy and a free kick.

91: Final stages here. Fulham have it back in the corner. Three minutes of time added on at the end. 

90: Diego Poyet is booked for a trip as Fulham looked to counter.

89: Fulham have it in the corner flag and are happy to keep it there. Turgott wins the ball back and Poyet plays it wide. The move breaks down as Westley is caught in possession.

87: Tunji Akinola almost scores on his debut! What a moment that would've been. He rises highest from a corner but it is clawed away.

84: Into the last few minutes for the Hammers. They're committing men forward, leaving holes at the back. Poyet floats a good ball in but the linesman judges Gordon to be offside. 

82: Gordon breaks through the defence but Baba outmuscles him to clear the danger.

80: Fanimo tears down the wing and feeds Turgott who wins a free kick. Bywater drills it alongside the six yard box and all it needed was a touch to make it 3-3.

79: More direct running from Plumain, he beats two, three men and then is hauled down on the edge of the box. Brown clutches the shot gratefully and starts the counter by feeding Fanimo.

76: The Hammers are again pilling the pressure on. Gordon finds himslef in some space on the edge of the box and he shoots strongly yet goalkeeper Rodak is equal to it.
74: Turgott again looking like the most likely outlet for the Hammers. He's causing more problems down the right hand channel but his cross goes out of play.

72: Quick feet from Turgott as he beats two men and floats a good ball into the box. Gordon reaches it but can't quite get enough of a connection on it.

68: Terry Westley responds by brining on Jaanai Gordon and Blair Turgott to try and force their way back into the game. It's do or die time now.

67: Goal 2-3. Fulham take the lead for the second time as substitute Tigao Casasola prods home from close in.

65: Seconds later and Fanimo breaks the offside trap. He's one-on-one with the goalkeeper who makes himself big and saves well.

64: Sadlier almost gets the better of Noe Baba but the right back stays strong and wrestles back possession.

61: West Ham builidng pressure but lacking the final ball. The Fulham defence is standing tall. The chances will come if the Hammers keep up the pressure and remain patient.

58: Stoppage in play as Fulham defender Solomon Sambou goes off injured. He is replaced by No16. With the enforced change the visitors appear to have reverted to a 3-5-2 formation.

55: Suggish start to the second half as both teams are yet to get going. A lot of industry and hard work but not much invention or composure. 

52: Plumain has started the second half very well. His pace and trickery is proving to be a real a handful. 

48: Poyet's loose ball sets a Fulham counter attack up but the final ball evades David. Down the other end Sadlier's snap shot is pushed out for a corner. Page gets his head to the resulting cross but it falls wide.

46: We're back under way here at Rush Green, a big 45 minutes ahead for both sides. Amos Nasha is on in place for Paul McCallum who had an excellent return to the Dev Squad, scoring twice.

HT: Dev Squad 2-2 Fulham U21

46: Goal 2-2. The pressure takes it toll as Ange-Freddy Plumain rises highest to head home Fulham's equaliser.

45: Not long before the Cottagers have another good chance. Dean O'Halloran turns smartly, his shot beats Brown but the post comes to his rescue.

43: Fulham go close to an equaliser as Jordan Evans whips a great ball into the danger zone. However, there's no striker anticipating the cross and it goes to waste.

40: The Hammers have got their tails up and look more likely to score the next goal. Whitehead and Poyet and enjoying a lot more of the ball and are beginning to control the midfield battle.

37: The visitors have responded well. Tim Brown has been forced into two great saves when the Cottagers really should have equalised.

35: GOAL 2-1. Paul McCallum score his second of the evening as he stabs home from close range. A real poacher's finish. COYI!

32: From the resulting corner, Whitehead shoots from distance, his connection is good but it flies just wide.

31: Good spell of pressure for the hosts. Fanimo gets round the back and drills a cross along the six yard box. A desperate clearance takes it off Sadlier's toe as he was winding up to shoot.

29: McCallum and Lletget are really playing well together. They string a series of 1-2 passes together which beats the Fulham defence. The final ball just lets them down, otherwise a superb move.

25: GOAL 1-1. Paul McCallum scores on his first game of the season. Poyet spread a delicious ball out wide, Lletget running into the box is clearly fouled yet the referee plays a good advantage as McCallum pounces. 

23: Another great chance for the Hammers. Lletget again pulling the strings to set Sadlier free. His shot is well blocked by Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak. 

20: The Hammers are trying to get a foothold in the game are struggling to maintain any possession. 

18: The hosts can't seem to hold the ball and it's cost them. Eisfeld picks up a loose ball and fires coolly past Brown. 0-1.

16: Superb work from Cameron Burgess who brings the ball out of defence, from the half way line runs to edge of the box and fires just wide. How did he get so much space?

15: David gets another chance as the Cottagers break down the left wing. Roberts again lays David off, again Brown clutches without too much bother.

13: West Ham are claiming a penalty. Lletget's ball over the top falls to McCallum who flicks it into Sambou. It would have been a harsh decision but you've seen them given!

12: Chance for Fulham as David attempts to curl a shot from the edge of the box into the far corner. It was not far off s the ball flies narrowly over the bar.

10: Diego Poyet is penalised for fouling on the edge of the box. Good chance for Eisfeld here...Eisfeld's shot is not the greatest and Brown clutches at the second attempt.

8: Patrick Roberts is beginning to show his class as he sets Jordan Evans free down the right flank with a flick from the outside of his boot. Evans' cross is poor and the attack comes to nothing.

6: Huge chance for the Hammers! Sebby Lletget dinks a great ball for Paul McCallum, six yards out his header goes just wide. A good chance early on.

4: Kieran Sadlier attempts a cross from the left wing but the ball is cut out by Solomon Sambou.

2: The Hammers have started the brighter, enjoying the majority of the possession in the early stages.

The teams are coming out to the tune of Bubbles, handshakes are done and we're about to kick off. Captain Kieran Bywater has won the toss and the Hammers will get s under way. COYI!

Less than five minutes to until kick off. There's a decent crowd here at Rush Green, especially fo a cold Monday evening.

Diego Poyet is back in the famous Claret and Blue shirt having returned from a short loan spell at Huddersfield Town. Blair Turgott returns to action after a lengthy absence due to injury, he starts on the bench. 

Several new faces in the Dev Squad tonight. Tunji Akinola makes his Dev Squad debut while Paul McCallum starts for the first time this season.

With less than 30 minutes until kick off both teams are out on the pitch warming up, it's a cold evening here at Rush Green.

The Hammers kicked off their European campaign with a 5-3 defeat by Bilbao Athletic, before beating Jong PSV 2-1. That means, a win for the Hammers gives them a fantastic chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. However, they know anything less will almost certainly send them out of the Premier League International Cup.

The two teams have met earlier in the season, ending in a 1-1 draw at Fulham's Motspur Park training ground. Marcello Trotta opened the scoring before striker Elliot Lee equalised almost immediately.

Fulham: Rodak, Baba, Evans, Sambou (Casasola 58), Buatu, Burgess, Roberts, Eisfeld, O'Halloran, David, Plumain
Subs: Barnes (GK), Taggart, Tue Na Bangna, Casasola

West Ham United: Brown (GK), Westley, Fanimo, Whitehead, Page, Akinola, Bywater, Lletget (Gordon 68), McCallum (Nasha 45), Poyet, Sadlier (Turgott 68)
Subs: Nasha, Boness (GK), Makasi

Tonight's teams are...
Tonight's game is the Hammers' third of their Premier League International Cup campaign having already faced Bilbao Athletic and Jong PSV. However, this is Fulham's first game of the European tournament. As such, the Hammers will have to wait until all games are played to learn their fate.
Hello and welcome to tonight's coverage of the West Ham United Development Squad v Fulham U21s, live from Rush Green.


http://www.whufc.com/articles/20141208/ft-dev-squad-2-3-fulham_2236884_4353809?

[WhiteJC]

 
Craven Cottage Cup Clash

Wolves head to Fulham in third round

Wolves have been drawn away to Fulham in the third round of the FA Cup.

Of the 81 previous meetings between the two, only one has come in the FA Cup, all the way back in the 1920/21 campaign.

On that occasion the third round tie at Fulham went in Wolves' favour with Arthur Potts grabbing the only goal.

The two sides are of course rivals in the Sky Bet Championship, with Wolves currently 13th in the table and Fulham 18th.

The previous meeting at Craven Cottage saw Wolves run out 1-0 winners thanks to a first half goal from Bakary Sako.

The third round ties in the FA Cup will be played from January 3-6, and the date and ticket details for the trip to Fulham will be announced when confirmed.



Read more at http://www.wolves.co.uk/news/article/craven-cottage-cup-clash-2132017.aspx#wFi4OdHSUWb66Qab.99