Young centre forward Callum McFarlane continued his sensational start to his Fulham career by grabbing a second half brace as Marco Silva’s side finished their Portuguese winter warm weather training camp with a 3-2 win over Portimonense this afternoon.
The summer signing from Bradfield College has already scored three goals for Steve Wigley’s under 21 side and his impressive adaption to life at Motspur Park earned the teenager a place in Silva’s squad for their Algarve tune up ahead of the restart of the domestic campaign on Boxing Day. He made the most of his 45 minutes after a goalless first half that the Whites dominated against Paulo Sergio’s side, who have surprised plenty of observers by rising to seventh in the Primeira Liga.
The hosts used 21 players throughout the behind-closed-doors friendly but started with their strongest eleven. Silva’s side dominated position but despite early efforts from Harrison Reed and Nathaniel Chalobah, the closest anybody came to an opening goal in the first twenty minutes was when Bernd Leno brilliantly kept out a Portimonense free-kick. Young winger Sylvester Jasper crashed a superb strike against the crossbar after a fine piece of play before Luke Harris denied an opener by a smart save, before Leno did well to tip over another long-range set piece.
Silva made eleven changes at the interval and Andreas Pereira, who has had a brilliant first four months at Craven Cottage, was denied by the Portimonense goalkeeper twice in the first five minutes after the restart. A piece of predatory finishing from McFarlane broke the deadlock, with the nineteen year old reacting quickest to nod home from close range after Josh Onomah’s effort from Tom Cairney’s cross was cleared off the line.
McFarlane went close with an ambitious drive from 25 yards out, but the Whites were pegged back after Cairney, Onomah and William spurned good opportunities to increase their lead. The Cottagers were caught trying to play out from the back and Yago Cariello fired clinically past a helpless George Wickens. But Silva’s upped the tempo immediately and scored twice in two minutes. First, French full back Layvin Kurzawa headed his first Fulham goal from a clever short corner routine and then McFarlane drove in his second after a flowing move after captain Cairney had won possession with a tenacious tackle.
Willian might have had made it four but he hit the frame of the goal from an acute angle and Portimonense reduced their deficit with six minutes to play through midfielder Henrique Jocú. Fulham’s preparations for their return to league action at Crystal Palace after Christmas will continue with a Craven Cottage friendly against London rivals West Ham on December 17.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno (Wickens 45); Mbabu (Tete 45), Bowat (Kurzawa 45), Adarabioyo (Diop 45), Duffy (McAvoy 45); Chalobah (Dibley-Dias 45), Reed (Cairney 45); Decordova-Reid (Willian 45), Jasper (Pereira 45), Harris (Onomah 45); Vincius (McFarlane 45).
GOALS: McFarlane (51, 78), Kurzawa (77).
