Fulham’s under 18s kept their Premier League Cup qualification hopes alive as they came from behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 4-1 in challenging conditions at Motspur Park this afternoon.
Andrew Joslin’s side delivered the reaction they craved to a humiliating 5-2 home defeat at the hands of Southampton last weekend, but the young Whites had to show their mettle having fallen behind in this encounter as well. Defeat would have left Fulham all but out of the reckoning to reach the League Cup knockout phase and that looked a distinct possibility when Justin Seven-Seven put the Baggies in front early on, but goals from Alfie White, Harley Platel, Anand Batra and Brodie Dair gave the Cottagers’ a crucial three points.
Winger Seven-Seven turned in the opener after just three minutes and you could have been forgiven for thinking that this youthful Fulham side could be heading for a fifth defeat in succession. But the home side remained true to their passing principles even in adversity and went close to levelling with their first attack as Ruban Khan’s well-weighted pass put Tarrell Cavell in the clear down the right flank but the winger’s shot was well blocked.
Cavell had another chance in the tenth minute when he snuck away from his marker to meet Harvey Platel’s cross from the left, but an instinctive effort flew over the crossbar. Full back Nazim Benchaita was next to go close, stinging the palms of Albion goalkeeper Maxwell Moses with a fierce drive from distance. The windy conditions almost caused problems for Fulham goalkeeper Dino Kaiser, who was nearly caught out by a cross from the left by Alfie Round as the Baggies nearly doubled their lead in the strangest of circumstances.
Some superb defending from visiting centre back Abdulhakeen Abudu denied Dair a certain goal after the Scottish striker had raced in goal and got around goalkeeper Moses before Cavell sent another attempt over the bar from the edge of the box after more promising approach play along the left flank. Fulham finally got their reward for their almost incessant attacks after going behind with eight minutes left of the first half.
The equaliser arrived through a moment of individual brilliance from Alfie White. The former London Elite attacking midfielder did brilliantly to dance away from George Shaw’s tackle in the area and fire past Moses to draw the young Whites level in the blink of an eye. Fulham took that momentum into the second period and needed only six minutes to move in front. Benchaita burst infield from the right wing and slipped Platel in behind the Baggies’ backline, with the winger taking a couple of touches before beating Moses.
Seven minutes later and the hosts had breathing space. The dangerous Dair danced along the byline and flashed a low ball across the box, with Batra bagging his second goal in three games by sliding in to score from five yards out. There was a bit of fortune about Fulham’s fourth, which came courtesy of Dair’s high-octane pressing six minutes later. The Scottish striker charged down a clearance from Moses and the ball flew into an unguarded net off his back.
Dair might have added a fifth with ten minutes to score but he fired fractionally wide after racing onto a perfectly weighted through ball from substitute Dylan De-Gale.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; Benchaita, Schutter, Cooke, Gomins; Khan (Kondau-Wall 71), White; Platel (De-Gale 71), Cavell (Sutton-Bangura 58), Evans (Batra 54); Dair. Subs (not used): Hall.
BOOKED: Benchaita, Kondau-Wall.
GOALS: White (37), Platel (51), Batra (58), Dair (64).
WEST BROMWICH ALBION UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Moses; Asomugha (Perkins 69), Round (Bastafield 69), Abudu, Shaw; Blackshields (French 45), Colesby; McNeil, Seven-Seven (Jackson 66), Parmar; Okorodudu (Dexter 71).
BOOKED: Dexter.
GOAL: Seven-Seven (3).
