Derby 2 Fulham 1: Cottagers MISS chance for Premier League promotion as Rooney’s Rams fight back for survival boost
FULHAM’S champagne was put firmly on ice after they were denied promotion to the Premier League last night by yet another stunning win by Wayne Rooney’s young guns.
The West Londoners would have wrapped up their place on English football’s top table with victory after Nottingham Forest lost earlier in the day to Luton.
And it was all going according to plan when 19-year-old winger Fabio Carvalho fired them into a 20th-minute lead.
Yet Wayne Rooney, knowing that Derby had to win to stand any chance of pulling off a miraculous escape from relegation, got his team playing some bold attacking football in a cracking game.
And it was another 19-year-old — former Arsenal academy kid Luke Plange — who got them back on terms six minutes after the break by finishing off a classic breakaway move.
Then just when it looked as though the young legs of the Rams were beginning to tire, they turned the game on its head with 17 minutes left when Tosin Adarabioyo put past his own keeper after another stunning Ram raid.
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Fulham will get promoted. It is just a question now of when.
They could clinch it without kicking a ball tomorrow if Nottingham Forest lose to West Brom at the City Ground and barring a mathematical goal difference miracle they are all but up if Steve Cooper’s side only get a point.
However, Marco Silva’s men can finally wrap it up themselves by beating Preston at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night.
Derby have shown plenty of spirit this season - led superbly by Rooney and his assistant Liam Rosenior - and attempted to give Fulham an early bloody nose and Tom Lawrence attempted a 25-yard effort which just dipped in front of keeper Marek Rodak but he was able to make the save.
Carvalho showed just why he is set to move to Liverpool this summer with a wonderful opening goal to put the visitors in front on 20 minutes.
After playing a lovely one-two with Bobby Reid, he showed composure and maturity beyond his 19 years to coolly strike the ball into the bottom right corner.
Derby, though, were not laying down. They showed plenty of spirit.
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But Silva’s men were denied a second when a shooting chance presented itself to Reid but his firmly-hit effort was saved by Ryan Allsop.
Derby had done well to keep Aleksandar Mitrovic largely quiet but after the break Curtis Davies had to get a last-ditch clearing head in when the Serbian was set to pounce on a dangerous Tom Cairney cross.
And the Rams incredibly levelled when they broke away following a Fulham attack.
Liam Thompson got the break going down the left flank and Lee Buchannan provided a superb low cross for Luke Plange to pounce from six yards.
It was a thoroughly deserved equaliser for a Derby team that came out flying after Rooney's half-time team-talk.
But Fulham started to dominate as fitness levels started to drain from the young Rams side.
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Allsop superbly palmed away a Mitrovic header when he was unmarked to meet a Harrison Reed free-kick.
The Serbian then thought he had put Fulham in front with his 39th goal of the season when he slotted home after Carvalho’s deflected effort smacked back off a post — but the linesman raised his flag for offside.
Carvalho then saw another effort deflected over the bar.
However, Derby turned the game on its head by moving in front with a goal that was created by outstanding movement and quality.
Krystian Bielik played a floated ball to Nathan Byrne, who audaciously flicked back for Lawrence.
And his low cross to Plange was turned into his own net by Adarabioyo.
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Malcolm Ebiowei almost sealed the points as the game headed towards injury time but saw his effort kept out by Rodak.
Six added minutes were put up on the board and Allsop made two superb saves from Mitrovic and Reed.
