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Jack and Loz at the Cottage When Mitro Broke a Record - Blog 210
Date: 23rd February 2022

Opposition: Peterborough

Score: 2-1

Fulham goal scorer: 🔥🔥

Record broken: Mitro's first goal broke the record for the most goals scored in a Championship season

Weather: cold

Atmosphere: warm

MOTM (record breaking): it's harder to keep coming up with superlatives for Mitro than it is for him to score goals. It's ironic that number 32 was a penalty because that's the one area of a striker's game where Mitro isn't invulnerable but he dispatched this one with lethal ferocity. Number 33, the new record, left us gaping anew at his technique, ability and athleticism

MOTM (game dictating): Mika Seri ran the game on Wednesday night, dictating the pace and patterns of play. It's not just his passing range, nimble interceptions or exquisite first touch, it's his reading of the game, vision and creativity. He knows where his teammates are going to be, and he puts the ball on a Silva platter for them. Seri is back and he's a class apart.

MOTM (opposition): this is a new award but we cannot let this moment slip past without mentioning the excellent goalkeeping of Steven Benda without whom the new Championship goals record would be at least 34. Super-agile, hyper-alert and highly skilled, Benda is surely one to watch.

Pub: our glasses of Chateau Fulham matched Benda's kit

It's tough at the top. Fulham are understated. We like to fly under the radar. We don't like having a target on our backs. Mid table mediocrity is disparaged but it means you can play with freedom; striving for a play-off place gives you focus and energy; fighting for survival is a worthy cause. But when you're out in front, there's nowhere to hide.

Before Wednesday, Fulham had scored 79 goals and Peterborough had conceded 61. The gulf between the two team's goal differences (89) must be some kind of record in itself. This, therefore, should have been an easy, high scoring game. But for Fulham, in unfamiliar territory, nothing is easy anymore.

We played some decent football. This was an entertaining game and most players were good, some excellent but there was wastefulness up front, carelessness at the back and a lack of precision all round which could have punished us.

Peterborough's tactics were to defend with their backs to the wall from kickoff. For much of the first half, there were 21 players within 20 yards of the Posh goal. They were very difficult to break down and whilst Fulham were patient, we were also too slow. We didn't help ourselves by overplaying around the edge of the box and wasting shances (Seri and Reed seem to be engaged in a competition to see who can score first this season and it's not going well for either of them).

The challenge which gave away the penalty was clumsy rather than malicious. As Mitro placed the ball, drew in a big breath and paced out his run-up, we were nervous. Let's face it, he's missed penalties in less pressured situations than being on the cusp of a record. But this isn't that Mitro. Those days are gone, hopefully for good. If the penalty was clinical and calculated, the celebration in front of the Cottage and in the stands was anything but. As great as breaking the record is, achieving it must have felt like weight lifting from Mitro's shoulders.

There's something about the way that second halves start that makes you wonder what Fulham do at half time because whatever it is, they're doing it wrong and have been for years. At only one goal down, of course Posh were still confident. There had already been a Triangle of Doomish moment in the first half where Rodak and the post had nearly combined to let the ball trickle into the goal rather than keep it out.

For about 10 minutes, Peterborough played some neat passes and looked, if not exactly dangerous, at least threatening and in control. Then, with the impatience of youth, Nico Williams grew tired of watching Posh's manoeuvres, picked up the ball with his feet and raced forwards with it. Nothing came of that attack (except another shot from Harrison Reed and another great save from Benda) but it triggered the start of one of those half hour periods which have been a feature of this special season - when fans in the Hammy End are treated to all the delights of Fulham's attack - speed, skill, teamwork, audaciousness, ambition, bravery and a touch of frustration too, of course.

The second goal was worthy of the best striker the Championship has ever seen: we've seen Fab's driving runs and Neeskens' curling crosses before but Mitro's finish was a new one, and very much in the category of Don't Try This At Home. Basically, he combined a stag leap taken at speed with a side footed volley directed with laser precision into the back of the net. How many strikers in the world could have pulled that of? It helps that he's Confidence personified at the moment but that was a very special strike.

The team's attacking prowess improved with the introduction of Harry Wilson and the New Improved Ivan Cavaleiro. As on Saturday, Cav made an instant impact and the Posh back line buckled under the assault. Thanks to Benda it didn't break - he made a series of breathtaking saves - a tips of the fingers tipover from Cav, point blank from Mitro and point even blanker from Harry.

In and around this will saw the nifty feet of Fab and Nico and some exquisite airborne passes from Seri which really should have been rewarded with goals by his teammates. And we also saw Peterborough counter attack and score.

The less said about their goal, the better but Tosin was outmuscled, Ream outrun and Rodak outstretched. It made for a nervy period of additional time and sends out a salutary warning: we need to sharpen up at the back and return to free-scoring ways at the front. We will take 3 points and the record, but there are harder games to come and we haven't won anything yet.

Random musings: -

- Finally. A ref who knew what he was doing and let the game flow as much as possible

- this is such a Top of the League problem, but we're jealous of the Putney Massive for getting the record goal!

- .....but of course, goal number 33 was a record breaker too....

-......which hopefully will only stand until Saturday.

- we didn't see as much of Simon Davies as we would have liked....

-....but Mitro's second strike was from almost the same spot as Simon scored That Goal against Hamburg.

This match was entertaining but not the goal fest we were hoping for. But that takes nothing away from Mitro's outstanding achievement. He set fire to the old Championship record and will forge a new one with every goal he scores for the rest of the season. We admired his self-awareness and maturity after the match when he admitted he should have got a hat trick. Hopefully there are more of those to come. And this landmark isn't just about Mitro, it's about the team around him and fans who've pushed and supported him all the way.

Mitro's next target is Guy Whittingham's goals total of 42. There are 14 games left. No one would bet against him breaking that record too.



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