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  • Writer's pictureBy Yann Tear at Craven Cottage

Fulham undone at the very last as Danny Ings saves second-best West Ham



Fulham (1) 1 Jimenez 24

West Ham (0) 1 Ings 90+5


At times it threatened to be as spectacular as last year's 5-0 win in the corresponding fixture, but Fulham's failure to build on a deserved first-half lead was punished by a late-late equaliser for the Hammers.


Fulham scored midway through the first half - Raul Jimenez turning in a pass from Emile Smith Rowe - and ought to have won emphatically after creating some decent half chances throughout and making an out-of-sorts Hammers chase around to no great effect for much of the afternoon.


But well into the final of five minutes of injury time, Vladimir Coufal's quick throw in set up Jarrod Bowen for a run to the byline and his ball back into space was collected by sub Danny Ings, who rifled home a low shot Bernd Leno could not quite keep out.


It was rough justice and a very lucky escape for the Irons. But Fulham will know they are partly to blame for their ill fortune. A 1-0 lead is never going to feel safe, even in a match where you are on top.


Adama Traore was lively throughout and lit the blue touch paper for the Whites with a run on goal from half way that energised the home fans.


His dash was brought to an end by a shove from Max Kilman - which threw the winger off balance before shooting - and ref Tim Robinson might have awarded a penalty, but instead booked Marco Silva for getting too het up in the Fulham dugout.


Fulham at least drew some encouragement from that and soon after Troare had headed an Alex Iwobi cross narrowly off target, the Whites had the lead. Smith Rowe scampered to the byline to reach Andreas Pereira's long ball and his cut back was rolled in at the near post by Jimenez - getting in front of Kilman.


The goal was the least Fulham deserved for their first-half dominance and Julen Lopetegui knew change was needed at the interval. Summerville and Lucas Paqueta came on for Tomas Soucek and an ineffectual Michail Antonio and things briefly looked up for the Hammers.


When Mo Kudus put on a cross from the right, Bowen pounced to fire in a low shot that Leno did well to keep out with his legs and Paqueta cleared the bar by little when he let fly from distance. But there was no prolonged major swing to the Irons.


Silva responded to the threat by sending on loan signing from Arsenal Reiss Nelson for his debut and he was soon involved in a move which led to Smith Rowe firing a goalbound shot into team-mate Jimenez. Tom Cairney also came on to try and reassert home dominance. One of his floated crosses was headed just over by Traore.


But it was a measure of the Hammers' overall struggle to get get to grips with the afternoon in midfield that borth Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez were booked for fouls.


All logic pointed to a home win, but the Irons found another gear at the end to thwart the Whites, who might still have won it after shipping the equalier when Calvin Bassey headed a Harrison Reed free-kick inches wide.


As a footnote worthy of mention, Joachim Andersen made his Craven Cottage return and was outstanding - anticipating well and winning all his aerial duels. With Tom Ream no longer in the building, the 28-year-old Dane's presence is a welcome sight for Fulham fans.


Whites (4-2-3-1) Leno - Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson - Pereira (Reed 86), Lukic (Berge 66) - Traore. Smith Rowe (Cairney 73), Iwobi (Nelson 66) - Jimenez (Muniz 73)


Hammers: (4-2-3-1) Areola - Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson (Coufal 57) - Rodriguez (Soler 70), Alvarez (Ings 83) - Bowen, Soucek (Paqueta h/t), Kudus - Antonio (Summerville h/t)


Attendance: 26,528

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