Stoppage time strikes from Terrell Works and Delano McCoy-Splatt ensured Fulham’s under 21s came away from three points from an end-to-end encounter at Leeds United despite letting a 3-0 lead slip in a crazy final twenty minutes at the LNER Community Stadium in York.
Hayden Mullins’ men dominated the first half but couldn’t find a goal to reflect their superiority before the half-time break. Kristian Sekularac, called up to the Swiss under-21 squad, looked to have picked out in-form centre forward Callum Osmand only for excellent defending from Dan Toulson to snuff out the chance. Josh King then dragged a shot wide of the goal after a flowing passing move before McCoy-Splatt looked destined to break the deadlock when picked out by a fine cross from makeshift left back George Okkas but Leeds goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel saved superbly.
Captain Kris Moore then blocked a Sekularac shot before brilliantly clearing off the line after Jamaican international McCoy-Splatt had tucked a shot under van den Heuvel having initially failed to take another excellent delivery from Okkas under his spell. Fulham finished the first half piling the pressure on the Leeds goal. Osmand headed a corner straight at van den Heuvel, Luc de Fougerolles nodded another Adrion Pajaziti flag-kick fractionally wide before the Albanian under-21 international clipped the post with a whipped free-kick that missed everybody on its way through.
Pajaziti’s set-plays had caused all sorts of havoc in the Leeds’ defence and it was no surprise that the midfielder’s dead-ball prowess gave the young Whites the lead within three minutes of the restart. His corner looped past a stranded van den Heuvel off the unfortunate Joe Snowdon and into the net despite the best efforts of full-back Harvey Sutcliffe on the line. The visitors wasted no time in doubling their lead with Pajaziti finding King with a lovely ball from the right three minutes later and Fulham’s number ten found a fantastic finish to match his spellbinding control.
Moore made a brave block to prevent Osmand from notching a third, but that escape proved academic when Joe Richards sent King tumbling in the penalty area. Referee Steven Copeland pointed to the spot and Pajaziti calmly converted the penalty to give the visitors a 3-0 lead. Mullins withdrew King and Pajaziti and Leeds hinted at what was to come when Harvey Araujo was forced to intervene after Snowdon sought to release substitute Rhys Chadwick, but the home side were indebted to a stunning fingertip save from van den Heuvel when the goalkeeper somehow kept out a powerful Okkas drive from just outside the box.
Leeds got themselves a lifeline from their very next attack as Snowdon’s low cross eluded Luca Thomas in the middle but was diverted past Alex Borto by the stretching de Fougerolles. The home side drew heart from that goal and reduced the deficit to just a single goal when Toulson won the ball back and found the dangerous Thomas on the left flank. Snowdon was afforded too much space when he latched onto the cross and crashed a fine finish high into the net.
Incredibly, Leeds looked to have completed an outstanding comeback when Joe Richards worked a clever one-two with substitute Morten Spencer and strode into the area before drilling a low finish between Borto and the American goalkeeper’s near post. But the drama was far from complete. Fulham kept their wits about them and restored their lead with just two minutes of normal time to play when Tanton swung over a free-kick from the right and Works finished after his first effort had been blocked.
Three minutes into stoppage time McCoy-Splatt made sure of the points when he fired past a crestfallen van den Heuvel after being set up by Works. The young Whites might have made heavy weather of this victory, but they were eventually rewarded for an enterprising display – and no little heart.
LEEDS UNITED UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): van den Heuvel; Sutcliffe, Diboe (Chadwick 63), Moore, Monteiro; Coleman (Spencer 78), Toulson; Snowdon, Richards, Chambers; Thomas. Subs (not used): Christy, Cresswell, Lopata-White.
BOOKED: Sutcliffe, Snowdon, Toulson, Richards, Chambers.
GOAL: de Fougerolles (o.g. 72), Snowdon (80), Richards (84).
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Borto; Tanton, Okkas, Araujo, de Fougerolles; Dibley-Dias, McCoy-Splatt; Sekularac, Pajaziti (Works 71), King (Gordon 71); Osmand (Gofford 89). Subs (not used): Kaiser, Amissah.
GOALS: Snowdon (o.g. 48), King (51), Pajaziti (pen 59), Works (88), McCoy-Splatt (90+3).
REFEREE: Steven Copeland.
