Adrion Pajaziti’s late penalty sent Fulham’s under 21s into the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup as the young Whites beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Motspur Park this evening.
The Albanian under-21 international kept his cool from twelve yards to send Shea Connor the wrong way after a handball in the Middlesbrough penalty area. Fulham showed serious mettle to forge another opportunity to make their way into the last eight after Boro had battled back from conceding Lemar Gordon’s opener four minutes after half time. The visitors had equalised from the penalty spot ten minutes earlier through substitute Sonny Finch after Devan Tanton had committed a foul in the Fulham box.
Middlesbrough commendably came to south west London with an attacking game plan and took the game to their hosts from the first whistle. They fashioned the first chance when winger Law McCabe drifted onto his right foot and shot fractionally wide of the near post before centre forward Daniel Nkrumah shot straight at Alex Borto in the Fulham goal.
Hayden Mullins’ side created their first opportunity of the evening through a flowing passing move as Colombian senior international worked an opening with Josh King that allowed the teenager midfielder a sight of goal. King was denied by a smart save from Connor at his near post, but Fulham continued to put Boro’s defence under pressure as Matt Dibley-Dias drilling wide from long range and Luc de Fougerolles headed a Pajaziti corner over the bar.
Terrell Works had a half-volley saved superbly by Connor before Osmand had a shot bravely blocked by a visiting defender, but Fulham had to wait until after the interval to open the scoring. Gordon did brilliantly to score a superb individual goal, showing remarkable footwork to create an extra half yard of space, before beating Connor at his near post.
Pajaziti came close to doubling the need when his long-range effort curled agonisingly wide – but the home side were far from dominant. Borto produced a brilliant save to tip a fierce strike from substitute Pharrell Willis over the crossbar and the American goalkeeper stood no chance from the spot when Finch fired in three minutes later after Tanton’s mistake.
But Pajaziti got his goal from twelve yards ten minutes later and, despite substitute Aaron Loupalo-Bi striking the top of the crossbar with a rising drive, Mullins’ men held on to book a quarter-final spot in the competition.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Borto; Tanton, Okkas, Araujo, de Fougerolles; King, Dibley-Dias, Pajaziti (McCoy-Splatt 82); Gordon (S?ekularac 68), Works, Osmand (Loupalo-Bi 83). Subs (not used): McNally, McAvoy.
BOOKED: Osmand, Gordon, Borto.
GOALS: Gordon (49), Pajaziti (pen 82).
MIDDLESBROUGH UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Connor; Gitau, Samuels, Hannah, McCormick; Traore, Bridge (Willis 60), Woolston; Gibson (Finch 60), McCabe, Nkrumah (John 70). Subs (not used): Lindo, Metcalfe.
BOOKED: Gibson, Traore, Samuels, Woolston.
GOALS: Finch (pen 72).
