U23 : The yoof 2 -2 Braga B

[aaronmcguigan]

U23s: Braga B 2-2 Fulham
Saturday 15 July 2017 21:00
Fulham drew 2-2 with Braga B on Saturday afternoon in their first of two matches in Porto, whilst on pre-season tour.

A deft goal from George Williams levelled the match before Stephen Humphrys won and scored a penalty to take the lead. Braga found a response in the last ten minutes and neither team could find the net again before the fulltime whistle.

The Whites endured a difficult opening to the game, Braga were keeping the ball and were deep in Fulham's half. Luca Ashby-Hammond was called into action early as a ball dropped to Braga's striker. He managed to turn and shoot low to his left, but Ashby-Hammond matched the shot with a good save.

Five minutes on Braga looked to have scored, Fulham were saved by the offside flag. The ball was swept into the box and hammered into the net before the linesman called for offside.

Half an hour into the match and Fulham had found their rhythm, getting on the ball more and venturing up the pitch. However, just as things were starting to look good, Braga converted one of their chances.

In the 30th minute, Steven Sessegnon attempted a tackle but the ball bounced back to the attacker and he shot across the face of goal into the right of the net to give the Portuguese the advantage.

Fulham responded perfectly two minutes later with a counter attack. Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson, who probably covered every blade of grass in the match, managed to steal a ball deep in his own half and chip the ball through to Elijah Adebayo.

Adebayo galloped up the pitch and linked up well with Williams, the Welshman slipped his shot under the on-rushing goalie, levelling for The Whites.

On the stroke of halftime Fulham looked like they had gone ahead for the first time in the match. A ball was lofted into the box and Jayden Harris jumped high to keep compete with the keeper.

Harris headed the ball and knocked it into the back of the net, but came together with the keeper and the referee blew for a foul and disallowed the goal.

In the second half both teams had chances, Braga had a free kick that went close and Fulham were sending balls into the box, with Williams nearly putting a header away.

In the 65th minute Thorsteinsson played a sensational through ball to send Humphrys on his way. He drew the defender and cut inside the box and was taken out by the Braga man for a penalty.

Humphrys took it himself and confidently picked out the bottom right of the corner to take the lead.

With ten minutes left in the match Braga equalised controversially, as Thorsteinsson was fowled in the build up. Braga sprinted down the left of the pitch and their winger crossed low and hard, with one of their midfielders finding the back of the net.

In the dying minutes Joe Felix sent a perfectly weighted ball through to Isaac Pearce, who struck early with his left and the Braga keeper had to make a very good diving save to keep the game level. Sonny Hilton also made a goal line clearance late in the match before the referee blew his whistle to end the match.

Line Up:

L. Ashby- Hammond, S. Sessegnon (65' Felix), Mundle-Smith, Andrason, Davies, Opoku, Williams(65' Hilton), Harris, Adebayo, Humphrys (65' Pearce), Thorsteinsson(75' Santos-Clase).

[keithh]

Many thanks.