Fulham 2-2 Charlton
by Gene Sylvester
at Craven Cottage

THE early morning kick-off in the championship saw Charlton Athletic travel across London to take on an in-form Fulham side, high on confidence after their thumping midweek win at Reading. 

The two London sides contested an entertaining game which saw the south-east Londoners leave Craven Cottage with a deserved 2-2 draw.

Charlton, coming off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Swansea in midweek, started the game in lively fashion with Jonny Williams looking dangerous and regularly finding space in between Fulham’s midfield and back line.

In contrast to Charlton’s direct approach, Fulham began to impose themselves on the game with their own brand of patient and controlled build-up play, getting plenty of ball to the danger men of Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert, despite the high press of the Addicks midfield. 

Both wide men provided a constant threat to the Charlton defence with their pace, trickery and dangerous deliveries into the 18 yard box, but Charlton’s centreback duo of Jason Pearce and Tom Lockyer stood up well to most things that came their way. 

Both sides showed good attacking intent throughout the first half, but the deadlock was finally broken on 40 minutes when Forster-Caskey delivered a deep cross from the left into the Fulham penalty area which was met with a cushioned header at the back post by Chris Solly, falling into the path of Conor Gallagher who finished clinically from 10 yards out.

The second half saw Cavaleiro and Knockaert switch flanks and it was the on-loan Portuguese winger who levelled for Fulham on 54 minutes following a neat one-two with second half substitute Bobby Decordova-Reid released him behind Charlton defender Naby Sarr. 

The pacey winger cut inside onto his left foot and unleashed an unstoppable strike from the edge of the box into the top right-hand corner of Dillon Phillips’s net, despite the goalkeeper getting finger tips to it.

There was only parity for two minutes however as the west Londoners failed to clear a Charlton short corner, despite a couple of attempts. 

The ball eventually ended up at the feet of Darren Pratley at the edge of the penalty area, who clipped in a cross towards the six yard box where Macauley Bonne rose higher than his marker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, to flick the ball over Bettinelli and into the Fulham net.

Fulham, now searching for their second equaliser of the game, hit the crossbar twice in quick succession – firstly from a perceived mis-hit cross from Joe Bryan and shortly afterwards, on 61 minutes, a Mitrovic shot cannoned off the bar following good work down the left from Knockaert.

However, Mitrovic did not have to wait too much longer for his goal, after the impressive substitute Decordova-Reid delivered a delicious in-swinging cross into the box which was met with a thumping header by Tom Cairney. 

The Charlton keeper did well to prevent the Fulham captain from scoring, but the smart save with his feet fell straight to Mitrovic who used his sheer strength to outmuscle Sarr and Solly before scooping the ball high into the Charlton net from three yards out.

The final 25 minutes saw Fulham pile on the pressure with Decordova-Reid having a 90th minute shot from inside the six yard box saved brilliantly by Phillips, following another impressive run and cross from Cavaleiro.

That would have almost certainly won the game for Fulham, but as things stood, a draw was fair reward for a Charlton side who showed grit and determination against a well oiled and dangerous Fulham team.