Fulham were denied a battling away victory at Hillsborough this afternoon as Sheffield Wednesday cult hero Atdhe Nuhiu headed in an equaliser in the third minute of added time.
The Kosovan striker made his mark from the bench – finally beating an inspired Marcus Bettinelli at the death by nodding home a deflected cross from Kadeem Harris – after the Fulham goalkeeper had made a series of fine saves. Cottagers’ head coach Scott Parker bemoaned the failure to complete what he described as ‘basic defending’ after the Whites also couldn’t hold onto a slender lead at Craven Cottage last week.
Fulham enjoyed 71 per cent of the possession after the course of the ninety minutes but it was the hosts who carved out the clearest chances. After a scrappy opening when strikers Steven Fletcher and Aleksandar Mitrovic failed to hit the target with headers, Wednesday tested Bettinelli, whose blunder had cost Fulham three points last weekend, twice in quick succession. The former England goalkeeper pulled off a decent double save, denying Adam Reach twice after the winger had been found by a clever Harris cross. Bettinelli then kept out an effort from Kieron Lee as Wednesday ramped up the pressure.
Against the run of play, the visitors hit the front three minutes before the break. The Whites won the ball back in central midfield as Harrison Reed broke up a home attack and Fulham punished Wednesday for committing a number of blue and white shirts forward. Bobby Decordova-Reid played in Joe Bryan down the left flank and, when the full-back’s searching cross, could only be pushed out by Kieren Westwood, Tom Cairney was on hand to drive home a left-footed finish.
The Londoners appeared content to sit on their lead in the second half. Scottish midfielder Barry Bannan seemed to be Wednesday’s most likely source of a leveller as he fired fractionally over the bar before producing a brilliant cross for substitute Jacob Murphy to score with his first touch, but the winger headed wide at the back post. Garry Monk sent on Sam Winnall and Nuhiu in search of an equaliser, with the former being denied by an improvised save from Bettinelli after he nodded towards the net from close range.
Fulham looked like they were about to hold on, after Parker introduced Harry Arter and Denis Odoi late on to stiffen up the rearguard effort, but Wednesday found a way through with just two minutes of added time remaining. The lively Harris found space in the area and had time to measure a cross, which looped up off Alfie Mawson and Nuhiu pounced at the box – sparking delirious scenes around Hillsborough.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-1-4-1): Westwood, Odubajo, Borner, Iorfa, Palmer, Harris, Hutchinson, Lee (Winnall 70), Bannan, Reach (Murphy 62), Fletcher (Nuhiu 77). Subs (not used): Murphy, Dawson, Bates, Fox.
BOOKED: Hutchinson. Borner.
GOAL: Nuhiu (90+3).
FULHAM (4-3-3): Bettinelli; S. Sessegnon (Odoi 67), Bryan, Mawson, Ream; Reed, Decordova-Reid, Cairney; Knockaert (Kamara 83), Cavaleiro (Arter 66), Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Rodak, McDonald, Johansen, Onomah.
BOOKED: Bettinelli.
GOAL: Cairney (42).
REFEREE: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)
ATTENDANCE: 23,342.
