Fulham’s under 23s made it fifteen wins from their last eighteen matches with a comfortable 3-1 win at Birmingham City this afternoon.
Full back Ziyad Larkeche made a goalscoring return to Steve Wigley’s side and, although Birmingham produced a quick response to Ollie O’Neill’s well-worked second, a second half own goal secured all three points for the visitors.
Wigley was able to reintroduce Tyrese Francois to the heart of the Fulham midfield and the league leaders made a swift start. Scottish forward Kieron Bowie caught the eye early on, drawing an early save out of Blues keeper Zach Jeacock and then firing wide from Jay Stansfield’s cross.
The lively Luciano D’Auria worked an opening down the right after a lovely bit of interplay with Stansfield but his low cross was cleared by a covering defender before Larkeche could turn it goalwards. But the marauding French full back was not to be denied. He lashed in a powerful finish after Birmingham had failed to clear their lines as Fulham went ahead on 17 minutes.
O’Neill came close to doubling Fulham’s lead almost immediately afterwards but his angled drive was bravely blocked by a Blues defender. The Irish under-21 international, whose mature displays at this level have been one of the notable elements of the under 23s’ success this term, did make it two when he crashed home a fine ball from Sonny Hilton off the underside of the crossbar.
Birmingham reduced their arrears within a minute, however, when Leonardo Dos Reis raced onto a perfectly weighted through ball and calmly caressed a finish past the helpless Luca Ashby-Hammond. Larkeche nearly restored Fulham’s two-goal cushion with another effort from distance that whistled wide after being teed up inventively by Bowie. The hosts almost levelled on the stroke of half time but Oriol Soldevila was denied by the legs of Ashby-Hammond.
Ibane Bowie came to the rescue at the start of the second half – getting in the way of a fierce drive from Soldevila and Fulham quickly went up the other end and punished the home side. Hilton delivered a devilish corner that went in off the unfortunate Birmingham full back Tommy Fogarty. Stansfield, bright throughout, was denied by two good saves from Jeacock, who also claimed a strike from O’Neill as Fulham pushed for a fourth.
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNDER 23s (4-2-3-1): Jeacock; Williams, Fogarty, Browne, Campbell; Khela, Walker; Soldevila (Simmonds 80), Patterson (Hurst 71), Bellingham; Dos Reis (Wakefield 81). Sub (not used): Matthews.
BOOKED: Williams, Campbell.
GOAL: Dos Reis (26).
FULHAM UNDER 23s (4-2-3-1): L. Ashby-Hammond; D’Auria-Henry, Larkeche, C. Robinson, Bowat; Francois, Pajaziti (Page 71); Hilton, O’Neill, Stansfield; Bowie. Subs (not used): Schwarzer, Araujo, Harris, Tiehi.
BOOKED: C. Robinson, Francois, Hilton.
GOALS: Larkeche (18), O’Neill (24), Fogarty (o.g. 52).
