A second half equaliser from in-form forward Aaron Loupalo Bi maintained Fulham’s unbeaten start in the PL2 as the young Whites drew 1-1 with Liverpool at Motspur Park last night.
The home side came close to drawing first blood in tricky conditions as Loupalo-Bi rattled the woodwork with a drive from inside the six-yard box after Macaulay Zepa had returned a low cross from Farhaan Ali Wahid with interest. But Liverpool, whose precise passing patterns soon had Hayden Mullins’ men on the back foot, went in front with a well-constructed move in the eleventh minute.
Northern Irish winger Kieran Morrison got the beating of his man and supplied a low cross that was clinically converted by England under-20 international Kaide Gordon at the far post. The home side roused themselves and finished the first half strongly but couldn’t find the equaliser their pressure probably deserved. Ali Wahid saw a long-range effort well held by Bailey Hall in the Liverpool goal before Ben Trueman’s terrifically-timed tackle halted Zepa’s promising run. Seth Ridgeon was disappointed to send an effort from just outside the area well over the bar after Loupalo-Bi’s persistence had set up a shooting chance.
The lively Gordon offered another demonstration of his threat just before the half-time interval with a drive from distance that went wide and came close again with another confident strike from long-range. Liverpool looked to be dealing well with Fulham’s probing passing, but a moment of pure poacher’s instinct from Loupalo-Bi drew the home side level nineteen minutes from time.
The tireless striker made his own luck by pressing Rhys Williams and charging down the central defender’s attempted clearance. Loupalo-Bi hared onto the loose ball and drove his shot clinically past a stranded Hall. The pendulum looked to have swung towards Fulham after the equaliser and two of Mullins’ substitutes almost combined to put the home side ahead. Ollie Gofford set up Tom Olyott, but Hall-MacDonald made an important low save.
Ridgeon then nearly conjured up a winner with a wonderful bit of skill that saw him collect a searching ball from Chibby Nwoko and flick it up so he could send a left-footed shot goalwards only for the improvised finish to fly fractionally wide of the far post. The hosts continued to press for a late winner but Gofford drilled a finish straight at the excellent Hall after connecting with a fine cross from Jon Esenga.
Next up for the under-21s is a trip to Adams Park to face Wycombe Wanderers in the Football League Trophy on Tuesday night.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Underwood; de Jesus, Esenga, Amissah, Nsasi; Nwoko, Quashie (Gofford 73); Zepa, Ali Wahid (Olyott 66), Ridgeon; Loupalo-Bi. Subs (not used): Kaisers, Walters, Dair.
BOOKED: Nsasi.
GOAL: Loupalo-Bi (71).
LIVERPOOL UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Hall; Ramsay, Davidson, Williams, Miles; Trueman (Pinnington 56), Laffey (Onanuga 78); Gordon, Morrison, Pilling; Figueroa (Bradshaw 65). Subs (not used): Mrozek, Pitt.
BOOKED: Gordon.
GOAL: Gordon (11).
REFEREE: Harry Wager.
