A glorious Lemar Gordon strike rescued a point for Fulham’s under 21s last night as the young Whites were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw by Everton at Motspur Park.
Hayden Mullins’ side could have overhauled Manchester City at the top of the table PL2 table with a victory and they appeared on course to record a third consecutive win when Terrell Works clinically converted a fine cross from the returning Devan Tanton, but the Toffees fought back impressively as strikes from Corey Ebere and Omari Benjamin gave the visitors a half-time lead. Gordon produced a peach of a leveller ten minutes after the interval and, although both teams tried to find a leveller in an enthralling end-to-end encounter, they eventually had to settle for a point a piece.
Tanton and midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias featured in a PL2 starting eleven for the first time this season after their EFL loans had been cut short last month. The Colombian international right back had struggled for fitness at Chesterfield but showed all of the adventure that has impressed Marco Silva in creating the first goal. Tanton latched onto an inviting pass from Imani Lanquedoc and picked out Works with a clever cross. The in-form winger fired beyond Fraser Barnsley in the Everton goal to give the hosts a sixth-minute lead.
Everton struggled to prevent Tanton from running riot along the right flank. He soon set up Callum Osmand with another cutback but the Welsh forward’s effort was beaten away by Barnsley. The visiting goalkeeper was not required to make a save when Chris Donnell picked out Gordon in the box after finding room out wide as the Ealing-born winger blazed disappointingly over the bar. It was all hands to the pump at the back for Everton with a terrifically-timed intervention from Odin Samuels-Smith prevented Works for scoring a second as he looked favourite to latch onto a lovely Lanquedoc ball.
But Fulham paid for their failure to make the most of their lightning start when Ebere levelled with Everton’s first effort on goal after 26 minutes. The German left-winger curled in a superb strike from distance having cut in from the touchline, leaving Fulham goalkeeper Marco Underwood grasping at thin air.
That goal sparked a mad minute of action that saw Barnsley recover from a defensive mix-up to beat away Donnell’s fierce drive before Paul Tait’s team broke up the other end and almost went in front only for Underwood to superbly thwart Braiden Graham. The visitors almost punished a mistake from Eddy Nsasi but Callum Bates drove wide from the edge of the box.
Everton did deservedly go in front seven minutes before the interval when Benjamin lashed a venomous finish beyond Underwood after excellent play from left back Aled Thomas. The hosts could have equalised in added time at the end of the first half but Donnell glanced a corner just wide of the far post and Barnsley made a brilliant save to tip over an Osmand effort that appeared destined for the top corner.
The Welsh youth international was denied by Everton’s classy custodian again seven minutes after the interval when Barnsley did wonderfully well to deny Osmand from close range. It was going to take something special to beat the visiting number one on such splendid form and Gordon provided the magic on 55 minutes. The winger created the space for his unstoppable curling finish with a couple of twists and turns in the penalty area – underling his potential as possibly the next young forward off the academy production line.
There was a welcome return to under-21s action for Jamaican international Delano McCoy-Splatt, who replaced Dibley-Dias midway through the second period to make his first appearance since suffering a serious injury in August. Another substitute, Chibby Nwoko, drove over the bar as Fulham pushed for a winner, but it was an enterprising Everton outfit who had the chance to take all three points at the death only for Graham’s late free-kick to be easily fielded by a relieved Underwood.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Underwood; Tanton (Nwoko 65), de Jesus (Gofford 63), Nsasi, Amissah; Donnell, Dibley-Dias (McCoy-Splatt 64); Gordon (Olyott 76), Works, Lanquedoc; Osmand. Subs (not used): Kaiser.
BOOKED: Nsasi.
GOALS: Works (6), Gordon (55).
EVERTON UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Barnsley; Samuels-Smith (Foster 87), Thomas, Welch, Tamen; Patterson, Bates (van Schoor 76), Graham; Barker (Gomez 63), Ebere (Morgan 87), Benjamin. Subs (not used): Gospel-Eze.
BOOKED: Tamen, Bates, Patterson.
GOALS: Ebere (27), Benjamin (38).
REFEREE: Harry Wager.
