Tom Wingate’s brace inspired Fulham’s under 18s to battle back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Leicester City at Motspur Park this afternoon.
Ali Melloul’s side dug deep into their reserves of resilience after the Foxes scored twice in the first half through Lorenz Hutchinson and Maxwell Adedeji. Leicester attacked from the off – befitting a side who have been free scoring at this level all season – with Will Daniels whipping a shot just over the crossbar from the edge of the box. Dino Kaiser was quickly called into action to turn aside a drive from Biz Owusu.
Fulham’s first real attack saw Macauley Zepa manfully chase a long Kaiser kick and turn it into an opportunity for Wingate, whose deflected effort drifted just wide of the target. The home side utilised their flanks with Luca Picotto and Zepa flashing dangerous balls across the face of goal, but where the Whites were ponderous in the final third, Leicester were clinical.
They went in front on 22 minutes when Hutchinson hammered home his eleventh goal of the PL2 campaign with relish after being set up by Luqman Aideed’s precise pass. Fulham tried to respond immediately as Picotto found space down the left and crossed for Dair only for the Scottish striker to spoon his shot over the bar.
The Foxes grabbed their second five minutes before half-time but Fulham were horribly culpable as slack marking allowed Adedeji to climb highest and head Daniels’ dead-ball beyond the helpless Kaiser. The home side had much more control of possession and dictated the play as Leicester sat off with the comfort of their two goal cushion, but it still took until just before the hour mark for Lewis McNab to be tested – when the visiting keeper raced off his line and made himself big to deny Dair a first Fulham goal.
McNab denied the Scottish teenager again at his near post two minutes later and that seemed to give the young Whites a bit more belief. Dair held the ball up brilliantly for Ruban Khan, but the midfielder’s shot was well blocked by the covering Reiss Khela. Suddenly, the Foxes’ back four felt flustered and half-time substitute Tarell Cavell prised open their defence on 70 minutes when his threaded pass released Wingate, who drove defiantly into the bottom corner.
Leicester held out until three minutes from the end when Wingate was tripped in the penalty area. The Fulham forward stepped up to take the spot-kick himself and his penalty had just enough power to beat McNab, who guessed correctly. City substitute Michael Toko was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time – but his dismissal came too late to help Wingate and company conjure up a winner.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; Benchaita, Picotto, Slade, Cooke; Chingwaro, Khan; Zepa, Grant (Cavell 45), Wingate; Dair (Evans 84). Subs (not used): Mayer, Taylor, Schutter.
BOOKED: Chingwaro.
GOALS: Wingate (70, pen 87).
LEICESTER CITY UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): McNab; Diallo, Adjeji (Toko 79), Gray, Khela; Akolbire, Aideed; Owusu, Daniels, Omobolaji (Anugo 85); Hutchinson. Subs (not used): Marson, Motsi, Fletcher.
BOOKED: Toko.
SENT OFF: Toko.
GOALS: Hutchinson (22), Adjeji (40).
