Imani Lanquedoc ended twelve months of injury frustration with a brilliant brace in his first academy start since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament as Fulham’s under 21s earned immediate revenge for last week’s defeat at the hands of Leicester City by thrashing the Foxes 4-0 in the Premier League Cup last night.
This dominant victory, coupled with the 6-1 walloping of local rivals Brentford at Woking last month, means Hayden Mullins’ men sit top of Group G after two games – having hit ten goals – and head into the international break in high spirits having put the disappointment of their first defeat of the season well and truly behind them. Lanquedoc was in an attacking starting line-up alongside sixteen year-old midfielder Josh King, who marked his debut at under-21 level with a goal of his own, and the Whites took the attack to their opposition from the outset.
An open encounter saw the in-form Ollie O’Neill test the reactions of Leicester keeper Arlo Doherty from a Devan Tanton cross before the recalled Alfie McNally produced a superb save to prevent Silko Thomas from heading the visitors into the lead. Instead, the Whites went in front through Lanquedoc who headed majestically into the net after a prodigious leap saw him connect with another dangerous Tanton delivery from the right flank.
The goal sparked an intense period of concerted Fulham pressure with Luke Harris going close on two ocassions and O’Neill being thwarted by a fine goal-saving challenge. The visitors did well to hold firm, but could do nothing to prevent the talented King, whose energy has enlivened the under-18s midfield for Fulham and England already this season, getting on the scoresheet with a venomous volley after Lanquedoc turned provider on the quarter hour mark. The schoolboy could easily have scored another when he surged onto a lovely Lanquedoc pass just before the half hour but King’s shot was bravely blocked by a Foxes defender.
Kristian Šekularac, operating as a lone striker again, should have made it three just before the break following a flowing move that featured the vision of O’Neill and Harris but the former Juventus youngster fired fractionally over the crossbar. Half time provided some respite for a beleaguered Leicester defence, but Mullins’ men increased their lead three minutes after the interval. Doherty saved well from Lanquedoc but could only parry the ball into the path of Harris, who slotted into the unguarded net from the follow-up.
The Welsh midfielder somehow shot against the bar when it seemed simpler to score a couple of minutes later after being teed up by the unselfish Šekularac – but Harris kept his emotions in check far better than a frustrated Thomas. The Leicester striker was shown a straight red card for lashing out at a Fulham defender and the hosts quickly made their numerical advantage pay as Lanquedoc capped the perfect return by a converting a Šekularac pass to make it 4-0.
The Foxes still tried to play their way back into the contest with McNally called upon to hold a deflected shot from Amani Richards, who had impressively accelerated away from Brad de Jesus, and then repelled a fine effort from the lively winger before making way for another debutant Oscar Varney in the closing stages of what was a fine return to winning ways for the young Whites.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): McNally (Varney 88); Tanton, de Jesus, de Fougerolles (Okkas 64), Esenga; Dibley-Dias (Donnell 64), King; Lanquedoc (Williams 64), O’Neill, Harris; Šekularac. Subs (not used): Osmand.
GOALS: Lanquedoc (10, 57), King (15), Harris (48).
LEICESTER CITY UNDER 21s (3-4-2-1): Doherty; Nelson, Wilson-Brown, Appiah; Cartwright (Hughes 78), Raikhy (Godsmark-Ford 45), Cover, Hill (Pennant 59); Richards, Wayna Marçal (Ewing 79); Thomas. Subs (not used): Young.
BOOKED: Appiah.
SENT OFF: Thomas.
REFEREEE: Matthew Russell.
