Substitute Udo Onwere scored a late leveller as Fulham fought back from 3-0 down to earn a share of the spoils at the end of an extraordinary six-goal thriller against Hull City at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Tigers knew that victory by the banks of the Thames would take them above Don Mackay’s men in the Division Two table and they came roaring out of the blocks. Graeme Atkinson crossed from the left and Gareth Williams looped a header over Jim Stannard to the delight of the travelling fans on the Putney End terrace with just 90 seconds gone. Atkinson then threaded a ball through the middle of the park and Leigh Jenkinson beat a horribly square home defence, before rounding Stannard and tucking a simple finish into the unguarded net as Fulham appealed in vain for an offside flag.
After Gavin Nebbeling had scrambled a Dean Windass attempt off the line, Fulham’s offside trap malfunctioned maddeningly to gift City a third. Three amber shirted players were able to run into the penalty area as the Whites rearguard stood static and it was centre back Nicky Mohan who chested the ball down and stroked home his first goal since signing on loan from Middlesbrough.
The Whites looked all at sea and need a swift riposte. Step forward Simon Morgan, who rifled a rocket of a shot into the top corner after Mark Kelly had slid in to send a loose ball into the path of the midfielder on the edge of the box. Gary Brazil and Morgan came close to grabbing a second but the hosts had a real let off when Windass shrugged off Glen Thomas to get a sight of goal only to ruffle the side netting.
Fulham started the second half with real vigour and gained their reward five minutes in when Gary Brazil scored at the second attempt after Jeff Eckhardt had headed on Nebbeling’s free-kick. The former Newcastle forward scored from inside the six-yard box after Alan Fettis had palmed out his initial effort.
Mackay was forced into a substitution when Kelly limped off midway through the second half, but youth team graduate Onwere added some energy to the Fulham engine room. With the Whites now penning their opponents back as they pushed to complete the craziest of comebacks, Onwere found half a yard of space 20 yards from goal and his effort deflected wickedly off Windass to leave Fettis wrongfooted and the visitors crestfallen after letting such a commanding cushion evaporate.
There was an air of expectancy around Craven Cottage now for Fulham to go on and equalise, but the team’s quest was seemingly hindered when Kelly picked up an injury midway through the second period.
But it proved to be a blessing in disguise as his replacement, former youth-team midfielder Udo Onwere, hauled his side level with just a few minutes remaining of the match. His shot was hopeful but had enough about it to bounce beyond Tigers goalkeeper Alan Fettis, with the youngster’s expression one of both surprise and delight when it found the back of the net to earn his side a point.
Despite the draw, Fulham dropped down three places to 11th in the table, one above their final standing in the division come May. Hull, by contrast, had a much more troublesome campaign and ended up avoiding relegation on the final day.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling (Newson 80), G. Thomas, Pike, Morgan, Marshall, M. Kelly (Onwere 68), Hails, Brazil, Farrell.
GOALS: Morgan (30), Brazil (50), Onwere (88).
HULL CITY: Fettis; Mohan, Jacobs, Hobson, Atkinson, Williams, Stoker, Norton, de Mange, Jenkinson, Windass, Brown.
GOALS: Williams (3), Jenkinson (5), Mohan (15).
ATTENDANCE: 5,247.
