Sunday Fulham Stuff (21/04/19)...

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Results

Saturday
Man City	1 - 0	Spurs
Bournemouth	0 - 1	Fulham
Huddersfield	1 - 2	Watford
West Ham	2 - 2	Leicester
Wolves	0 - 0	Brighton
Newcastle	3 - 1	Southampton

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AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrovic ended a run of nine Premier League games without a goal as he scored his 11th goal of the season from the penalty spot

Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser says the defeat to already relegated Fulham "summed-up" an inconsistent season of being "good one week and a shambles the next".

The Cherries thrashed Brighton last Saturday but slipped to a third loss in five games at the Vitality Stadium as Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half penalty gave the Cottagers a first away victory this term.

It spoiled Eddie Howe's 500th game as a manager but gave Fulham their first back-to-back Premier League victories since April 2014.

"We started well and had a couple of chances, which we probably should have scored, and as usual we gave away a stupid goal - everyone's to blame today," Fraser said.

"When we're good we always say 'let's back it up' - and then we lose the next week. We need to get to grips with it. I think it's mentality, I think we go into games thinking it's too easy.

"That's our season summed up: good one week and then a shambles the next. It's really disappointing because we thought we started well and then we just crumbled."

The Cherries, unbeaten until now in their 10 home matches against promoted opposition, began brightly but fell away after missing several early chances.

Howe's side were also hampered by injuries to right-back Adam Smith in the warm-up and his replacement Junior Stanislas midway through the first period, contributing to a disjointed showing.

Serbia international Mitrovic profited by drawing a foul from substitute Jack Simpson and sending home goalkeeper Artur Boruc the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

The result leaves Bournemouth in 12th while Fulham remain second bottom of the Premier League.

Mitrovic and Rico set the tone
Having gathered just two points on their travels all season, the odds were stacked against Fulham when they arrived on the South Coast.

With their relegation to the Championship confirmed a fortnight ago, it was hard to see how the division's second leakiest defence could contain a Bournemouth side that looked so irresistible when scoring five at Brighton last Saturday.

However, after taking time to grow into the game and capitalising on the Cherries' early wastefulness, caretaker manager Scott Parker saw his side earn a more than merited victory.

"I asked the team if they could back up the performance [against Everton] and the challenge was: can we get the first away win and win two on the bounce?" Parker said.

"It was a fine performance last week and today was the same."

Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico made several excellent saves, twice denying Callum Wilson in the second period to preserve Fulham's advantage.

While at the other end of the pitch, Mitrovic caused problems all afternoon.

The 24-year-old lashed a left-foot volley over in the first half when well placed, but made no mistake from 12 yards after drawing a foul from 22-year-old Simpson.

His nuisance value was underlined by his five shots on goal, which was only bettered by Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser.

Disjointed Bournemouth fail to spark
The numbers were all stacked in Bournemouth's favour prior to and during the first half of this fixture, but the game went dramatically off script once Mitrovic had stroked home from the penalty spot.

The Cherries had enjoyed close to 70% of the possession in the first 20 minutes but Wilson's ballooned effort inside the first minute ended up setting the tone for an unproductive afternoon.

That was the first of a number of gilt-edged chances that came and went for Howe's team.

Joshua King blazed over from 10 yards after excellent work by Fraser on the left, and the diminutive Scotland winger also twice tested Rico without success.

Bournemouth's reorganisation in defence, with both captain Steve Cook and Chris Mepham utilised at right-back and fellow central defender Nathan Ake deployed at left-back, also proved a hindrance as Fulham carved out nine chances in the second period.

It leaves Bournemouth one victory short of what could be a club record of 13 in a Premier League season and five points adrift of their best ever points tally (46 in 2016-17).

"We created enough chances to win the game but we obviously didn't take those. We were rocked with a couple of injuries and that's never easy to take," Howe said.

"The effort was there but the quality wasn't there. From last week it was the polar opposite, the decision making wasn't quite where it was."

Man of the match - Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)


Aleksandar Mitrovic had five shots on goal for Fulham, scoring his first Premier League penalty since April 2016 to net the winner

'The Vitality penalty hot-spot' - the stats
    Fulham picked up their first league win over Bournemouth since January 1994, when both sides were in the third tier of English football.
    Bournemouth suffered their 18th defeat of the Premier League season, equalling their most in a single campaign in the competition (18 in 2015-16).
    Fulham have won back-to-back games in the Premier League for the first time since April 2014, when they beat Aston Villa and Norwich under Felix Magath.
    Bournemouth have lost four of their seven Premier League home games against teams starting the day in the relegation zone, with this their first such defeat since losing against Crystal Palace in January 2017.
    Bournemouth haven't won any of their last five home games in the Premier League - their longest such run since February 2017 (D2 L3).
    No stadium has seen more penalties awarded this season than the Vitality Stadium (10 - seven for Bournemouth, three for the opposition).
    Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal for Fulham ended a run of nine Premier League games without scoring - he hadn't netted with any of his previous 36 shots in the competition prior to his penalty.
    Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty was the first he has scored in the Premier League since April 2016 (for Newcastle v Norwich) - he had failed to score each of his last two penalties before today.

What's next?
Bournemouth travel to Southampton for their next Premier League fixture on Saturday, 27 April (15:00 BST). Fulham host Cardiff on the same date (also 15:00 BST).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47917527

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Parker Reaction

Scott Parker was delighted with back-to-back wins for his Fulham side after a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth.

Aleksandar Mitrović was brought down and then fired in the penalty to give Fulham the lead on the South Coast in the second-half.

Sergio Rico was called upon to make some big saves but the Whites had chances of their own to extend their lead, ultimately settling for a first away Premier League win of the season.

Parker said: "Yeah, really satisfying, back to back wins, obviously another clean sheet as well, its been a good day really. I said after last week that the result was key and we won the game last week, the performance as well was first class, and I would probably echo those words this week.

"It was a fine performance after having to weather the storm a little bit against a very good Bournemouth side, certainly at home, we knew they would come out fighting, we knew it would be a quick start from them and we were under it a little bit, certainly first-half.

"But I felt once we got through that we put our mark on the game really and second-half we really controlled the game and played some lovely bits, then we got our noses in front and saw the game out which was pleasing.
                                       
"I said it a few weeks ago, you get relegated and ultimately there's disappointment but at football clubs as quickly as you have a disappointment you then look on for the next thing.

"You can't hang around thinking what could've been, how things could be and ultimately that was the message from us, two days of disappointment from after the Watford game when we got confirmed as relegated and then we move onto the next one and the next thing is next season.

"Performances we can build, winning is a habit and ultimately next year we are going to have to win as many games as we can. We've had a taste of this league and next year this is the league we want to be back in really, we need to build from there and the last two performances have given us a little bit of a stepping stone to that target."

Parker was very happy for the Fulham fans who made plenty of noise throughout the match to encourage their team to get a victory.

"I think that was the most pleasing thing, eight weeks ago I spoke about the fans and I spoke about how distant they'd become from the team really and one of my main aims was trying to bring the fans together a little bit or certainly a lot closer to the team.

"And like you say they've been first class really and its pleasing. I'm really pleased that the last two games we've got two wins and ok its just something small in terms of how the season has gone for them but hopefully they've have a good couple of weekends," said Parker.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/april/20/scott-parker-bournemouth-reaction

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Bournemouth 0-1 Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty condemns Cherries to loss against already-relegated visitors who claim first away win of season

    Bournemouth suffer defeat by Championship-bound Fulham and are still not mathematically safe from drop
    Artur Boruc and Sergio Rico kept the game goalless with several smart saves in the first half on Saturday
    Shortly after the break Aleksandar Mitrovic rolled in a penalty following a foul by Jack Simpson
    Fulham caretaker boss Scott Parker recorded second win in charge and club's first away win of the season

Finally, the wise elders of Fulham have something, a straw to clutch at when they go over the mess of this season. It has been awful, as they well know, but now they can at least avoid the sheer horror of comparisons to Derby County.

For a time, that looked like it might be the final indignity of this brief trip to the Premier League, that Fulham would somehow log fewer than the three points Derby managed in away fixtures 11 years ago.

A horrible record to have, that one. Really grubby. But for Fulham the scare has passed, with this win jumping them from two points through 17 games to five from 18. 


Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring their first goal of the game against Bournemouth early in the second half


Shortly after the break forward Mitrovic rolled in a penalty following a foul by Bournemouth's Jack Simpson in the area


Mitrovic is surrounded by his Fulham team-mates after breaking the deadlock away from home on Saturday afternoon

A small win in the scheme of a relegation season, but plenty of face saved, courtesy of Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty eight minutes into the second half.

With it, Scott Parker can maybe feel rather more comfortable about his application to be the next permanent manager.

He had a tough start with hard fixtures and five straight losses, but with back-to-back wins against Everton and Bournemouth he can rightly point to progress being made, particularly in coaxing successive clean sheets from a defence that previously was not fit for purpose.

In doing so, he seems to have united and energised a fan base that reached breaking point in the massive anti-climax of this season.


Bournemouth's top scorer Callum Wilson (right) goes hunting for the ball early on in the Premier League encounter


Winger Ryan Babel goes airborne to head the ball towards goal as Fulham take a positive approach on the south coast


Boss Eddie Howe led the Cherries to promotion from League One six years ago to the day but his side suffered a 1-0 loss

Parker said: 'Seven or eight weeks ago I spoke about how distanced the fans were (from the team) and I wanted to bring them closer and they have been first class. That is really pleasing for me. Hopefully they have had a couple of good weekends.'

He added: 'Winning is a habit and next year we have to win as many as we can in the Championship. This is a league we want to be back in and these wins give us a stepping stone to that target.'

For Eddie Howe, there was more head scratching on the occasion of his 500th game in management. His side have followed an odd pattern this season and just as a corner appeared to be turned in the thrashing of Brighton last weekend, they went and tripped on their laces again.


Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico is alert to deny Wilson a chance on goal during an assured performance on Saturday

This one looked bad for Bournemouth even before kick-off. Adam Smith was injured while warming up, starting a chain of reshuffles at right back.

That initially saw Junior Stanislas drafted up from the bench to fill the spot before he himself left the pitch on 23 minutes after hurting his right knee taking a free-kick.

On came Jack Simpson and Steve Cook shuffled over to full-back, leaving four centre-halves in Howe's backline.


Bournemouth had numerous first-half opportunities, with Norwegian striker Joshua King blasting over from close range


Promising young winger Ryan Sessegnon charges down the flank as Fulham push for another

It never looked balanced, but still it was Bournemouth who had the best of the early chances.

Callum Wilson, Josh King and Ryan Fraser all had excellent opportunities but were either wasteful in their finishing or denied by Fulham's goalkeeper Sergio Rico, the most impressive player on the pitch.

Fulham's winner came after Mitrovic was clumsily brought down by Simpson and sent Artur Boruc the wrong way with his kick.

Howe said: 'We created a lot and we have to look at the amount of presentable opportunities we had and didn't score.

'After being so clinical last week (against Brighton) it is hard to figure out.'


At 39, Artur Boruc showed excellent reflexes to keep out this effort during the clash against Fulham at the Vitality Stadium


The second-half penalty ended a run of nine Premier League games without a goal for the Serbian Mitrovic


Fulham put up a stern fight despite having already been relegated from the Premier League


Sergio Rico proves equal to another Cherries effort as the visitors closed in on a rare clean sheet on Saturday afternoon



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6942575/Bournemouth-0-1-Fulham-Cherries-slip-disappointing-defeat-against-relegated-visitors.html

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Bournemouth 0 Fulham 1: Aleksandar Mitrovic on target as Cottagers finally win away


Winner: Mitrovic celebrates after converting from the spot

Relegated Fulham ruined Eddie Howe's 500th match as a manager by ending a year-long wait for an away win with a 1-0 success at Bournemouth.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half penalty gave the 19th-placed Cottagers a first league victory on the road since beating Millwall in the Sky Bet Championship on April 20 last year.

The Serbia international converted from the spot after being brought down by Cherries substitute Jack Simpson to halt a goal drought dating back to January.

Victory at the Vitality Stadium, which spoilt the landmark occasion for Cherries boss Howe, strengthened the hopes of Fulham caretaker boss Scott Parker landing the job on a permanent basis.

After beginning his Craven Cottage tenure with five consecutive defeats, Parker has now guided the west London club to successive league victories for the first time since promotion last May, restoring some pride at the end of a torrid season.

Mid-table Bournemouth initially stuck with the team which thrashed Brighton 5-0 last weekend but manager Howe was forced into a change when right-back Adam Smith withdrew in the warm-up due to injury.

Smith's makeshift stand-in Junior Stanislas lasted just 23 minutes before limping off to be replaced by academy graduate Simpson, leaving the Cherries with a four-man backline comprising four centre-backs.

The hosts had begun brightly in the south-coast sunshine and Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico had to be alert to smother Callum Wilson's early close-range header.

Wilson's unmarked strike partner Joshua King then somehow side-footed over from only six yards out after being picked out by Ryan Fraser.

Championship-bound Fulham, buoyed by registering their first win under Parker at home to Everton last weekend, grew into the game.

Calum Chambers' goal-bound header was nodded off the line by Nathan Ake, before captain Mitrovic wastefully volleyed over moments later having found space inside the box.

The loss of Stanislas seemed to disrupt the hosts and they again survived a scare eight minutes before the break when goalkeeper Artur Boruc got down well to repel Denis Odoi's header from a Ryan Babel corner.

Fulham continued to threaten early in the second period and went ahead in the 53rd minute as Mitrovic made up for his earlier miss by claiming his 11th league goal of the campaign and first in 10 top-flight outings.

After being brought down in the box by a clumsy swipe from Simpson, the former Newcastle man picked himself up to calmly send Boruc the wrong way from 12 yards.

The opening goal prompted chants of "1-0 to the Championship" from a sold-out away end bathed in sunshine and they almost had more to celebrate soon after as Ryan Sessegnon was twice denied by Boruc.

Bournemouth winger David Brooks, shortlisted for the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year award earlier on Saturday, then broke away and slipped in Fraser at the other end but Rico superbly smothered the winger's effort.

Spaniard Rico, on loan from Sevilla, was enjoying a fine afternoon and reacted well to again deny Wilson, with Cherries substitute Dominic Solanke unable to capitalise on the rebound.

The home supporters were growing increasingly frustrated and angrily called for a red card when Mitrovic barged into Ake, a challenge referee David Coote deemed worthy of only a booking.

Fulham were forced back for much of the closing stages but, despite a Brooks cross landing on top of the crossbar and six minutes of injury-time, the hosts ran out of ideas and were unable to salvage a draw.

Bournemouth vs Fulham line-ups

Bournemouth: Boruc, Stanislas, Mepham, Steve Cook, Ake, Brooks, Gosling, Lerma, Fraser, King, Wilson

Subs: Mousset, Hyndman, Simpson, Begovic, Solanke, Surridge, Ofoborh

Fulham: Sergio Rico, Odoi, Ream, Le Marchand, Bryan, Chambers, Zambo, Ryan Sessegnon, Seri, Babel, Mitrovic

Subs: Kebano, Ayite, Schurrle, Nordtveit, Christie, Ramirez, Elliott



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham/bournemouth-0-fulham-1-aleksandar-mitrovic-on-target-as-cottagers-finally-win-away-a4122501.html

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Fulham Opinion: Cottagers should appoint Neil Lennon as the manager

According to The Scottish Sun, Fulham have shortlisted Celtic manager Neil Lennon as a potential candidate to take up the job at Craven Cottage on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

The Cottagers are set for a season in the Championship next term after getting relegated from the Premier League and Fulham are considering the possibility of appointing the former Northern Irish international as the new full-time manager in the summer.

Scott Parker is currently in charge on a temporary basis at Craven Cottage following the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri but the club hierarchy believe that he hasn't done anything significant to convince them to retain him at the helm of affairs beyond the end of the current season.

Lennon, on the other hand, took over as the interim manager at Parkhead last month following the departure of Brendan Rodgers to Leicester City. Rodgers left Celtic in a strong position to win the Scottish Premiership title and the 47-year-old former club legend has ensured that the Hoops cruise to the domestic title.

The Scottish Sun also reports that Lennon is in pole position to land the permanent job at Celtic after guiding the team to a series of impressive results in recent weeks and he would only consider a position at another club should the Hoops refuse to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.

Lennon enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Parkhead as a player and emulated that feat as a manager earlier in his career when he guided the Hoops to 3 consecutive Scottish Premiership titles and 2 Scottish Cup triumphs between 2010 and 2014.

His only previous managerial experience in England came in the Championship at Bolton Wanderers between 2014 to 2016, though his time at the Reebok Stadium was blighted by off-the-field controversies. He left Bolton on mutual consent following a series of unimpressive results and returned to Scotland with Hibernian where he won the 2016-17 Scottish Championship.

To put things into perspective, Fulham should not have any second thoughts about replacing Parker with Neil Lennon. The 47-year-old can bring that winning mentality back to Craven Cottage after a disastrous season in the Premier League and he certainly has all that it takes to guide the west London outfit back to the top flight in the very first chance.

During his first spell at Parkhead as a manager, Lennon made a name for himself with his brave decision-making and tactical flexibility, completing a complete overhaul of Celtic's squad in the summer of 2010.

The Northern Irishman sold plenty of experienced players like Artur Boruc and Aiden McGeady and brought in several talented, cheap and little-known players like Beram Kayal, Emilio Izaguirre, Gary Hooper, Daniel Majstorovic and many others to the club, most of whom went on to enjoy a successful spell at Parkhead.

Lennon likes to target free-agents and bargain deals in the transfer market, which is exactly the kind of approach Fulham need to adopt in the summer. It is not very often that a club gets relegated after spending close to a 100 million but Fulham have managed to do so.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, Jean Michael Seri, Calum Chambers, Tom Cairney, Andre Schurrle, Ryan Sessegnon and Luciano Vietto are all expected to leave the club after getting relegated and Lennon's presence at the helm of affairs would help Fulham deal with such a major clear-out of players.

Moreover, he knows how to extract the best out of the existing players at the club, while also having a good reputation of being able to bring up talented players from the academy.

The 47-year-old certainly has the acumen and the charisma to stabilize things at Craven Cottage and get the club back to the top flight in the first time of asking.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2019/04/20/fulham-must-appoint-this-47-year-old-celtic-legend-as-their-new-manager-and-resurrect-their-lost-fame-agreed/

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Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty gives Fulham narrow victory at Bournemouth


Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring the winner for Fulham against Bournemouth from the penalty spot. Photograph: James Marsh/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

The Fulham caretaker manager, Scott Parker, hopes successive Premier League victories provides some consolation for the club's disillusioned fans following a torrid season of struggle, which will end in relegation.

Fulham followed up last Saturday's victory over Everton to earn a first away success of the campaign.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half penalty secured victory after he was brought down in the penalty area by the substitute Jack Simpson.

Parker, who replaced the sacked Claudio Ranieri in February, believes it is crucial to reconnect with disgruntled supporters before their return to the Championship.

"Really satisfying, back-to-back wins, another clean sheet as well. It's been a good day really," he said. "Eight weeks ago, I spoke about the fans, I spoke about how distant they'd become from the team and one of my main aims was trying to bring the fans together, or certainly a lot closer to the team.

"They've been first-class and I am really pleased that the last two games we've got two wins. OK it's just something small in terms of how the season has gone for them but hopefully they've had a good couple of weekends."

Mitrovic converted from the spot eight minutes into the second period to end a nine-match goal drought dating back to January.


A shot from David Brooks clips the top of the bar. Photograph: Graham Hunt/ProSports/Rex/Shutterstock

The slender but deserved win was Fulham's first on the road in the league since beating Millwall in the second tier on this day last year and the first time they have won successive league games all season.

"It was a fine performance after having to weather the storm a little bit against a very good Bournemouth side, certainly at home," said Parker. I thought as we got through that we put our mark on the game and then second half really controlled the game and played some lovely bits."It was Bournemouth's fifth successive home game without victory and followed a thumping 5-0 win at Brighton last Saturday.

Eddie Howe, who was taking charge of his 500th game, was at a loss to explain how his side lost their goal-scoring touch. "Hugely frustrating, especially after last week where we were so good," he said.We started the first half really, really well. I thought it was going to be a really good day for us.

"We were sharp with the ball, created opportunities and I think that's the thing we need to look at today, the amount of presentable opportunities we had. The fact we didn't score after being so clinical last weekend is a difficult one to work out."

Bournemouth's preparation was disrupted after right-back Adam Smith was injured in the warm-up and his replacement, Junior Stanislas, limped off after 23 minutes. With a number of other defensive injuries, that left the hosts with a four-man backline comprising four centre-backs and Howe admitted his side suffered as a consequence.

"When you lose a player of Adam's quality that was difficult for the team but then doubly difficult to lose Junior as well," Howe said.

"Upon that injury we're then left with four centre-halves across our backline, so that was a difficult one for us to overcome. "We never fully got our rhythm back in the match and we just hope the injuries aren't serious."



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/apr/20/bournemouth-fulham-premier-league-match-report

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Bournemouth 0-1 Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic gives Cottagers first away win

Fulham recorded their first away win of the season as an Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty secured a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth.

The already-relegated visitors had lost 15 and drawn the other two of their 17 road trips but changed the script at the Vitality Stadium after weathering an early onslaught from the hosts.

The game's key moment came in the 53rd minute when Jack Simpson caught Mitrovic just inside the box, and the Serb striker stepped up to slot home the resulting penalty.

It gave caretaker Fulham boss Scott Parker a second straight win following last week's 2-0 victory over Everton, although the London side remain second-bottom, with Bournemouth in 12th.


Player Ratings

Bournemouth: Boruc (7), Cook (6), Gosling (6), Ake (6), Lerma (6), Wilson (5), Smith (5), King (4), Brooks (6), Fraser (8), Mepham (6).

Subs: Mousset (6), Stanislas (4), Solanke (5).

Fulham: Rico (8), Sessegnon (7), Odoi (7), Chambers (8), Mitrovic (8), Babel (7), Ream (7), Le Marchand (7), Bryan (8), Seri (7), Anguissa (7).

Subs: Christie (6), Ayite (N/A), Nordtveit (N/A)

Man of the match: Sergio Rico

How Fulham and Mitrovic broke their away drought...
Bournemouth went into the match on the back of a 5-0 success at Brighton last weekend and looked set to continue on the goal trail in the early stages after creating a string of chances.

Callum Wilson hooked over a decent effort in the opening minute, while Josh King and the lively Ryan Fraser had shots deflected wide with just six minutes on the clock.

Fraser continued to look Bournemouth's biggest attacking threat and presented King with a golden opportunity on the quarter-hour mark, but the striker blazed over.

Sergio Rico tipped behind a left-footed Fraser effort soon after, but a series of stoppages for injuries appeared to halt Bournemouth's momentum and Fulham got a foothold in the game.

The Cottagers started to probe and went close to the opening goal when Ryan Babel's corner was met at the near post by Belgian defender Denis Odoi, only for Artur Boruc to make a smart stop down to his left.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, taking charge of his 500th match as a manager, went to a back three after the break, but Fulham continued to gain in confidence with Babel sending a header over the bar.

And just eight minutes into the second half, they were in front. The Cottagers zipped a series of passes around the edge of the box before Simpson's clumsy challenge caught Mitrovic and referee David Coote pointed to the spot.

Mitrovic had failed to score in his last nine Premier League games and was without an away goal since the start of September, but the striker kept his nerve to tuck his penalty into the corner.

Bournemouth had further chances via Fraser and Wilson, but Rico held firm in the Fulham goal as the already-relegated visitors finally ended their away-day drought at the 18th time of asking.

Opta stats
    Fulham picked up their first league win over Bournemouth since January 1994, when both sides were in the third tier of English football.
    Bournemouth suffered their 18th defeat of the Premier League season, equalling their most in a single campaign in the competition (18 in 2015-16).
    Fulham have won back-to-back games in the Premier League for the first time since April 2014, when they beat Aston Villa and Norwich under Felix Magath.
    Bournemouth have lost four of their seven Premier League home games against teams starting the day in the relegation zone, with this their first such defeat since losing against Crystal Palace in January 2017.
    Bournemouth haven't won any of their last five home games in the Premier League - their longest such run since February 2017 (D2 L3).
    No stadium has seen more penalties awarded this season than the Vitality Stadium (10 - seven for Bournemouth, three for the opposition).
    Aleksandar Mitrovic's goal for Fulham ended a run of nine Premier League games without scoring - he hadn't netted with any of his previous 36 shots in the competition prior to his penalty.
    Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty was the first he has scored in all competitions since April 2016 (for Newcastle v Norwich) - he had failed to score each of his last two penalties before today.

Man of the match: Sergio Rico

The Fulham goalkeeper made a vital early stop from Fraser and threw himself at the feet of Bournemouth's front men several times to deny the hosts an equaliser. Made five saves and simply refused to be beaten, preserving Fulham's clean sheet and playing a huge part in their first away win of the campaign.

Manager reaction
Eddie Howe: "Tough one to take. We were so good last week, so clinical in front of goal, some of our passing and movement was of the highest quality. Today that was missing.

"We created the opportunities today, we got into the positions but we didn't quite execute the finish right or the final pass and it'll be a frustration because we felt we could have won that game today."

Scott Parker: "We spoke about it at half-time. I felt that, first half, we knew they'd come out quick at us and we knew that we'd have to weather the storm a little and bit and certainly we did that.

"And then at half-time, we changed things a little bit, tried to get a little bit more control of the ball, trying to get players inside the pitch a bit more and try to build into the game that way and, in the second half, on the run of play, we was very good value really, and we had a clear way about us and that was pleasing."

What's next?

Bournemouth make the short trip to south coast rivals Southampton next Saturday while Fulham bid to make it three wins on the spin when they host Cardiff on the same day.



https://www.skysports.com/football/bmouth-vs-fulham/391098

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Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty ensures Fulham avoid unwanted Premier Legue record with win at Bournemouth


With victory at Bournemouth, Fulham ensured they will not end the season with the fewest away points in Premier League history Credit: AFP

Fulham won their first away game of the season to ensure they do not claim the unwanted record of fewest away points in Premier League history, held by Derby County in 2007-08 with just three.

This victory, courtesy of Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half penalty – his 11th goal of the season – gave Fulham their first consecutive top-flight victories since 2014 and enhanced Scott Parker's claims for the job on a permanent basis.

"Really satisfying," enthused Parker. "Back to back wins, another clean sheet as well so it's been a good day. It was a fine performance after having to weather the storm a bit against a very good Bournemouth side. Second half, we really controlled the game and played some lovely bits."

It also ruined Eddie Howe's 500th match as a manager as his team seems to be stuttering rather than surging to the finish line at the end of what has ultimately been another successful season for the Dorset club.

"Hugely disappointing, especially after last week when we were so good," said Howe. "We started really well and I thought it was going to be a good day for us. The amount of presentable opportunities we had and the fact that we didn't score is a difficult one to work out."


Fulham's win at Bournemouth was their first away win of the 2018/19 season Credit: Getty Images

The pre-match form seemed to point to an open, high-scoring game given Fulham's porous defence and Bournemouth's  emphatic win at Brighton last weekend.

But Mitrovic's goal proved enough, despite Howe's side dominating for long periods in the first half.

Joshua King had the game's first big chance as he blazed over from Ryan Fraser's low cross from just a few yards out after 14 minutes.

Then it was Fulham's turn to go close in an entertaining opening 20 minutes. First, Calum Chambers saw Nathan Ake clear his header off the line after he rose highest at the far post to meet Joe Bryan's corner.

Then, later in the same passage of play, Mitrovic fired wastefully over after Steve Cook had made a mess of his clearance for Bournemouth.

Bournemouth had suffered some disruption prior to kick off with Adam Smith injured in the warm-up and replaced by Junior Stanislas at right-back. After 23 minutes, Stanislas suffered an injury of his own and was replaced by Jack Simpson.


Scott Parker, Fulham manager, celebrates his side's first away win of the campaign Credit: PA

The pace of the game slowed in the Easter sunshine but Fulham almost took a surprise lead before the break as Artur Boruc saved superbly from Denis Odoi's header after Ryan Babel's corner.

Seven minutes after half-time Fulham took then lead with a penalty from Mitrovic awarded after Simpson had fouled the Serbian as he attempted to turn on the edge of the area.

Ironic chants of "we are staying up" rang out from the away end with the long-suffering Fulham fans to determined to enjoy their day in the sunshine.

"I've been in this job seven or eight weeks and I spoke about how distanced the fans had become from the team. They've been first class and that's the most pleasing thing for me," said Parker.

Things ought to have got better for the visiting fans when Joe Bryan raced down the left to set up a chance for Ryan Sessegnon but the 18-year-old failed to make clean contact with his shot and Boruc made a simple save.

Having won 5-0 last week at Brighton, Bournemouth often looked laboured but might have equalised when a clever pass from David Brooks set Fraser free before Sergio Rico raced from his line to save.

The home team certainly didn't launch an onslaught of pressure in the closing minutes, but did go close when Brooks' cross bobbled off the top of the crossbar before dropping to safety.



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/04/20/aleksandar-mitrovic-penalty-enough-ensure-fulham-avoid-unwanted/

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'When you lose a player of Adam's quality before the game, that was difficult for the team'

BOSS Eddie Howe admitted the injury loss of Adam Smith ahead of kick-off against Fulham had made it "difficult for the team" in Cherries' 1-0 defeat to Fulham.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half spot-kick at Vitality Stadium earned relegated the Cottagers their first away Premier League victory of the season.

Full-back Smith had been set start the contest but was ruled out of the squad on the 11th hour with a knee problem.

Howe's defensive options were made even more limited when makeshift right-back Junior Stanislas – who had replaced Smith – was also forced off after 23 minutes with a knee complaint.

Howe said: "I think naturally, when you lose a player of Adam's quality before the game, that was difficult for the team.

"It was then doubly difficult to then lose Junior as well.

"Junior is not necessarily a natural right-back but he's played the position and done it very well. He uses the ball superbly and has the athletic ability to go box-to-box.

"Upon that injury we were then left with four centre-halves across our backline and we would never normally line up that way.

"That was a difficult one to overcome, we never fully got our rhythm back in the match and we just hope the injuries aren't serious."

On the game as a whole, Howe added: "It was hugely frustrating, especially after the back of last week where we were so good.

"We started the first half really well and I thought it was going to be a really good day for us. We were sharp with the ball, created opportunities and I think that's the thing we have to look at.

"The amount of presentable opportunities we had and the fact we didn't score after being so clinical last week was a difficult one to work out."

The Cherries boss also confirmed Nathaniel Clyne had been ruled out with a hamstring problem.



https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/17587766.when-you-lose-a-player-of-adams-quality-before-the-game-that-was-difficult-for-the-team/

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Scott Parker sees positive future for Fulham after back-to-back wins

Caretaker Fulham boss Scott Parker saw plenty of positive signs for the future as his relegated side secured their first away win of the season thanks to a 1-0 success at Bournemouth.

The Cottagers came under pressure early but stayed in the game and pinched all three points via a second-half Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty.

The victory followed last week's 2-0 win over Everton.

Parker said: "Delighted for the team, for the club, for the fans and ultimately for the players as well.

"It's been a rough ride this year at times and obviously the last couple of weeks, all be it in the difficult circumstances with being relegated, have been very pleasing to get two wins like we have.

"We spoke about it at half-time. I felt that, first half, we knew they'd come out quick at us and we knew that we'd have to weather the storm a little bit and certainly we did that.

"And then at half-time we changed things a little bit, tried to get a little bit more control of the ball, trying to get players inside the pitch a bit more and try to build into the game that way and, in the second half, on the run of play, we were very good value really and we had a clear way about us and that was pleasing."

Parker plays down job talk
Parker again refused to discuss his own long-term prospects of getting the job on a full-time basis but reiterated past comments that he is doing all he can to improve the club going forward.

"I'm a person who believes in what I can control and ultimately I can control the team, I can set a team up that has a real understanding of what they need to do, some clear direction and a clear identity and that's what's I can control and that's the most important thing for me," said Parker.

"When the team ran out there, they were a credit to themselves and that's pleasing.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11699396/scott-parker-sees-positive-future-for-fulham-after-back-to-back-wins

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Club closing in on Fulham man, player ready to accept personal terms

According to Super Haber TV's Levent Umit Erol, Galatasaray are very close to signing Fulham attacker Ryan Babel.

Following Fulham's relegation from the Premier League, Babel has been linked with a move back to Turkey, and according to Erol, Galatasaray are leading the race to sign the 32 year old.

Babel, who joined Fulham after a successful spell at Besiktas, is also considering a return to the Super Lig but this time it looks like it will be with Galatasaray.

Erol says Babel doesn't fancy a move back to Besiktas as he looks set to accept Galatasaray's €3m per season offer.

It's also reported Babel shares the same agent as Galatasaray's Ryan Donk, so this could give Galatasaray an advantage over local rivals Besiktas and Fenerbahce to land the Fulham man.

Since returning to Premier League, the former Liverpool winger has scored 4 goals and made three assists for Fulham in 12 appearances.

The Dutch international will become a free agent at the end of the season when his six mont contract expires with the London club.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-closing-fulham-man-player-ready-accept-personal-terms/

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Parker and Fulham 'discussing plans' for next season

Back-to-back wins have enhanced the caretaker manager's chances of taking the job permanently and he is looking to the future

Scott Parker said he is already discussing plans for next season, including recruitment, with Fulham's board despite his position as manager on a permanent basis not yet being confirmed.

The Cottagers picked up their first Premier League away win of 2018-19 after Aleksandar Mitrovic's second-half penalty earned them a 1-0 success over Bournemouth one week after they beat Everton 2-0 at home.

Back-to-back victories have strengthened caretaker boss Parker's chances of being handed the reins next season, despite the former midfielder having failed to prevent the club from being relegated to the Championship since taking charge of the team in February.

"We need to build, we need to talk, and obviously we're doing that," Parker told Sky Sports.

"[We're] discussing recruitment, discussing plans for next year. We've had a taste of what the Premier League is like and we want to get back into it.

"We're working every day as hard as we can as staff and as players. We're trying to improve and I think you've seen evidence of that in the last couple of weeks.

"These things take time and the players have been very receptive of the ideas and you've seen evidence of that in the performances.

"I can control the team, set the team up with a real understanding of what they have to do, with a clear direction and identity. That's the most important thing for me. They were a credit to themselves today."

Parker lost his first five games after taking over from Claudio Ranieri as Fulham's third manager of the season.

Slavisa Jokanovic started the season in charge after leading Fulham up from the Championship via the playoffs last season, but was let go in November, with Ranieri taking over the next day.

Ranieri was in charge for only 17 matches, notching only three wins before he too was dismissed and replaced by Parker.

Fulham had not won back-to-back games this year before their recent good run of form.

The Cottagers end the season with games against Cardiff, Wolves and Newcastle and if they pick up more wins in those games Parker stands an even better chance of being their manager next season as they seek to rebound into England's top-flight.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/parker-and-fulham-discussing-plans-for-next-season/mfdr7821jvfwzwh3p91t57q1

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Bournemouth 0, Fulham 1
What is Going On Here?

Somehow, all things at Fulham have gone from dark and miserable to as sunny as the South Coast sky. Sure, this team has been relegated for a while now, but Scott Parker has this team fighting, believing in themselves, and working together. That is something you could not say at all under Slavisa Jokanovic, and especially not under Claudio Ranieri. And as a result, Fulham got their first away win of the season.

But this all didn't happen without dealing with a ton of adversity. In fact, it was Bournemouth that was on such an offensive to start the contest that they had the first nine shots all in the space of 20 minutes. Those nine markers resulted in 1.56 expected goals and if it wasn't for Sergio Rico's heroics (you read it correctly, SERGIO RICO'S HEROICS!!!), Fulham would have been in a world of trouble. Really too, Joshua King should have done much better with his attempt in the 14th minute to put Bournemouth in front.

But once Fulham found their footing, they were able to defend Bournemouth soundly and get their attacking game going themselves. Fulham's corner kick plays were working quite well and were generating good chances towards Artur Boruc. Along with that, Jean Michael Seri was doing a solid job pinging the ball around in place of a soon-to-be father Tom Cairney. Ryan Sessegnon also continued to be immense running rings past Nathan Aké and continuing to prove that he's already Premier League ready without the goals and assists. Lastly, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa is finally developing into the holding midfielder we knew he could be when he was brought in from Marseille. By far, his progression is Scott Parker's greatest accomplishment as a manager.

By the 52nd minute, Fulham got their just reward for all their efforts. Admittedly, Bournemouth were bitten with some bad luck with injuries to their back four. Right back Adam Smith went down during the warmups and his substitute Junior Stanislas went down after injuring himself while attempting a free kick. This left little used 22-year old Jack Simpson to come in his place and it was as bad as it could get for the Cherries.

Surely enough, Simpson just couldn't help but stick a leg out in the penalty area for Aleksander Mitrovic to trip on and was rightfully awarded a spot kick. Without a disgruntled teammate to deal with, Mitrovic only needed to worry about getting the job done himself and he was able to calmly put it the opposite direction of where Boruc went to make it 1-0. The goal sent a sun-drenched away support to delirium as they all looked as if they were all on summer holiday party.

Now Bournemouth weren't going away quietly whatsoever. In particular, Ryan Fraser was everywhere and was the one-man wrecking crew In Bournemouth's attack. Fortunately, nothing went past Rico tonight and his bravery and aggression in front of goal was rewarded with his second clean sheet. He was able to deny Fraser and Calum Wilson any clear cut chances towards goal and Bournemouth were just not able to get anything off as a result. Rico has had his critics all season, as have the other two goalkeepers Fulham have used, but this was his one match where he was finally able to show his full worth.

Now once again, the opposition was not liking how it seemed like all the refereeing decisions went Fulham's way, but bluntly, it's been too long for having that luck turn the other way around. It was once again another full performance by the team from the goalkeeper out. Every player looks to be contributing and it is genuinely difficult to see how Fulham can lose now. If only this fight started earlier. Regardless, it is nice to finally see things come to fruition after all looked completely lost.



https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/4/21/18509091/bournemouth-0-fulham-1

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Sources: Newcastle want to sign left footer and sell in-form star in part-exchange

Newcastle United want to sign Fulham playmaker Tom Cairney this summer and are willing to sell Dwight Gayle in part-exchange, Football Insider understands.

Rafael Benitez is a long-term admirer of the Scotland international and his interest has not waned even though Cairney has had a mixed season in the Premier League.

A club source has told Football Insider that Benitez is convinced left-footed Cairney has the creativity and passing range to be a major asset in his Newcastle side and is keen on a summer deal.

The manager is ready to permanently sell Gayle, who has been on fire while on loan at West Brom this season, scoring 21 Championship goals from 30 starts to put them on course for a place in the end of season play-offs.

Benitez does not think Gayle has the touch and power to score consistently at Premier League level and wants to use Fulham's interest in the centre-forward as leverage in their Cairney pursuit.

The number 10 has scored just one goal and supplied one assist for Fulham from 30 appearances this season after being instrumental in their promotion campaign in 2017-18.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-newcastle-want-to-sign-pl-no-10-and-ready-to-sell-in-form-star-in-part-exchange/