Leicester City inflicted Fulham under 21s first defeat of the season as they triumphed 3-1 at Motspur Park this evening in a clinical away performance.
Hayden Mullins’ Whites were always chasing the game after a dreadful start that saw their youthful defence concede twice in the first nine minutes. The rapid Amani Richards streaked away from young left back Jonathan Esenga and his low cross-shot was turned home by Wanya Marcal. The hosts nearly found an equaliser immediately as Ollie O’Neill shot wide having been presented with the ball by visiting goalkeeper Brad Young.
The visitors made Fulham pay for that miss as they doubled their lead in the ninth minute. Arjan Raikhy threaded a fine ball through the square home defence and Silko Thomas kept his composure as Alex Borto rushed out to meet him, slipping a low finish past the American to give the Foxes a commanding advantage.
Luke Harris, operating just behind Kristan Šekularac who once again started as a lone striker, shot straight at the goalkeeper before left back Esenga curled a magnificent free-kick over the wall and past Young from nineteen yards out to give the young Whites a foothold. Fulham dominated the remainder of the first half but a well-drilled Leicester defence denied them any further clear-cut chances.
Mullins introduced one Australian for another at the start of the second half, with summer signing Chris Donnell replacing Tyrese Francois in central midfield. Samuel Amissah, making his under-21 debut, popped up in the Leicester box to latch onto a good ball from Šekularac but couldn’t find a finish. The hosts went even closer when Donnell crashed a header against the woodwork from Devan Tanton’s fine cross.
Fulham kept pushing for a leveller but this left them vulnerable to a sucker punch on the counter-attack. Richards almost provided it with five minutes to play, hitting the bar after darting infield and unleashing a lovely strike, but Fulham were the architects of their own downfall as Leicester secured all three points deep in the last minute. Substitute Kian Pennant seized on a weak back pass from Donnell, beating a stranded Borto the ball, rounding the American goalkeeper and ending Leicester’s four-match losing run.
Fulham’s defeat might have been heftier had Borto not brilliantly saved a Richards’ penalty six minutes in stoppage time after de Fougerolles had been penalised for a foul. The young Whites will look to bounce back from their first defeat of what has been a fine campaign when they face the Foxes again – this time in the Premier League Cup – at Motspur Park next Friday night.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Borto; Tanton, Esenga, de Fougerolles, Amissah; Francois (Donnell 45), Pajaziti; Works (McFarlane 56), O’Neill, Harris; Šekularac (Okkas 73). Subs (not used): Allen, Lanquedoc.
BOOKED: Esenga, de Fougerolles.
GOAL: Esenga (24).
LEICESTER CITY UNDER 21s (3-4-2-1): Young; Nelson, Wilson-Brown (Godsmark-Ford 75), Appiah; Cover, Hill (Amartey 60), Cartwright (Ali 75), Raikhy; Richards, Marcal (Pennant 89); Thomas. Subs (not used): Doherty.
BOOKED: Nelson, Cover, Thomas.
GOALS: Marcal (5), Thomas (8), Pennant (89).
REFEREE: Kirsty Dowle.
