U23 (PL2) Team - Season 2018/19

Fulham 2 Middlesbrough 2 (PL2)

Good comeback from the lads after being two down. Stevie Humphrys, returning early from his loan and straight into the team, got our first and Jerome Opoku the second 5 minutes from the end.

Borough were on the back foot most of the time but that's life if you concede an early goal inside the first 10 minutes and give away a penalty on the hour. We had quite a formidable front three in the last half - Humphrys, Thompson and Santos-Clase - but it was defenders Opoku and Cody Drameh who made the running and the latter's case, telling crosses. However, despite further efforts late on, 2-2 it stayed. The team was:


Ashby-Hammond; Drameh, Davies, Opoku, Mundle-Smith; Francois, Käit (Carvalho 67'); Kelly (Santos-Clase 67'), Thompson, Harris; Humphrys

Unused subs: Stahl and Jenz

 

Man Utd 1 Fulham 3 (PL2)

Wow, what a result against top of table chasing United. And how thoroughly deserved, despite having to draft in some U18s with lads out in Germany for the Sparkasse Cup. The team was:

.Wickens; Jenz, Davies, Opoku, Mundle-Smith (Abraham 66'); O'Riley, Käit; Elliott, Humphrys (Cover 88'), Harris; Adebayo

Unused subs: Stahl and Kelly

Our back four were comfortable throughout, with the CB pairing of Aron Davies and Jerome Opoku immense. The goal United scored, to take the lead, was an unstoppable free kick. In the middle Matt O'Riley caused havoc with his set pieces and was unlucky not to be on the score sheet with an open play effort. But it was up front that we had real sparkle - particularly Stevie Humphrys, who used his strength to great effect. Our equaliser came from Mattias Kait only 5 minutes after United's goal. Elijah Adebayo made it two before half time and Stevie himself sealed the game on the hour.

The only downside was a serious injury to Jaydn Mundle-Smith.

 

Fulham 1 Birmingham 2 (PL Cup) (U23s)

Route one was enough for Birmingham and their older, stronger side bulldozed into a 2-0 lead by half time. Our lads pulled one back half way through the second - O'Riley pinged a diagonal out to Francois, he brought it down and slid a pass to Elijah Adebayo who hammered it home .. off the bar and post. The Brummies were solid though and to be fair our only real chance for an equaliser came from Matt O'Riley with a long range effort which curled just wide.

Now going to be jolly hard to qualify for the last 16.

The team was:

Wickens; Jenz, Davies, Opoku, Drameh; Francois, Käit; Elliott, O'Riley, Santos-Clase (Thompson 70'); Adebayo (Harris 90')

Unused subs: Stahl, Kelly and Andrason

 

Wolves 1 Fulham 0 (PL2)

A penalty 5 minutes into the second half was enough to give Wolves the points and take them back to top of the Table. By all accounts it was a fairly even game and the Wolves keeper saved them on a number of occasions. Just on keepers. Young George Wickens in our goal, pulled their man down for the penalty but like his counterpart had some great saves.

The team was:

Wickens; S, Sessegnon, Opoku, Jenz, Drameh; Harris, Francois, O'Riley; Käit, Thompson (Santos-Clase 76'); Adebayo

Unused subs: T. Ashby-Hammond, McAvoy, Cover and Abraham

 

Fulham 0 Aston Villa 1 (PL2)

In a steady game that only came to life in fits and starts, not sure either side deserved to win. Villa it was though when a bit of indecision at the back let one of theirs in to toe poke it home 15 minutes from the end of normal time.

Our lads had the best of the opening minutes and ought to have gone at least one up. After that though, not a lot of quality inside their final third. Indeed for the rest of the match our only real threat was from Matt O'Riley set pieces. Unfortunately the big lads in the side didn't having their 'heading boots' on on the night. Fair play to Villa, Suliman had a grand game and their right back was the dirtiest player on the park - by that I mean the muddiest; he had a real drubbing from Cody Drameh, who made an amazing number of strong runs down our left side.

The haar that wafted over Motspur Park in the second half only added to the unimaginative elements of our play.

The team was:

Wickens; S. Sessegnon, Jenz, Opoku, Drameh; Francois, Käit; Harris, O'Riley, Santos-Clase (Kelly 77'); Thompson (Abraham 75')

Unused subs: T. Ashby-Hammond and Cover

 

Colchester 0 Fulham 5 (PL Cup)

The lads do it at a canter but only in the last half an hour. Our scores were Nicolas Santos-Clase (16' and 77'), Cody Drameh (65'), Matt O'Riley (84') and Mattias Kait (87'). And still not guaranteed to go through from the Group stage though; lying second 5 points behind Reading but only 2 ahead of Birmingham.

Good to see Tayo Edun back and playing. Think it was Taye Ashby-Hammond of the goalkeeping brothers between the posts and interesting to see him back as well - not sure whether he's been injured. The team tonight was:

T. Ashby-Hammond; S. Sessegnon (Asare 85'), Jenz, Opoku, Drameh; Francois, Käit; Harris, O'Riley, Santos-Clase (Kelly 85'); Thompson (Edun 15')

Unused subs: Wickens

 

Southampton 2 Fulham 1 (PL2)

Top of the table Southampton were just too strong. Most of our threat came from Matt O'Riley's set pieces. Although after Jayden Harris got one back 15 minutes from the end with a neat header, we did show a bit of flair. And Tyrese Francois went close to getting the equaliser.

Keep forgetting how young most of the team are and 16 year old Fabio Carvalho was just back from playing two games for England U17s in Spain.

The team was:

T. Ashby-Hammond; S. Sessegnon, Jenz, Opoku, Drameh; Francois, O'Riley; Elliott, Carvalho (Kelly 75'), Harris; Santos-Clase

Unused subs: Wickens, Jasper and Asare

 

Fulham 2 Reading 0 (PL Cup)

A Miracle in the making as this result puts us through to the knockout stage. Well done the lads.

A tremendous victory indeed over high flying Reading and truth be told the side played so well there really was only one team in it. Okay, we should have been more than 1-0 up at half time and Reading did have a wee spell of pressure in the second as they tried for an equaliser, but we really were comfortably in control throughout. Our first half goal came from Harvey Elliott when a Matt O'Riley pass to him split the Reading defence wide open. And Harvey became the provider when he scorched down the wing before squaring for Timmy Abraham to tap the ball in ten minutes from the end.

The team was:

Wickens; S. Sessegnon, Jenz, Opoku, Drameh; Francois, Käit; Harris, O'Riley, Elliott; Santos-Clase (Abraham 73')

Unused subs: T. Ashby-Hammond, Kelly and Asare

 

Fulham 0 Newcastle 1 (PL2)

A goal from Jonjo Shelvey spoiled the night.

The first half was pretty even from two teams playing contrasting styles. We looked a balanced side with plenty of possession football. Newcastle, while well organised, favoured the long ball with Shelvey pinging the ball forward. To be honest though, neither side had any real cutting edge. Although we did hit the post and George Wickens pulled off a couple of fine saves from long range shots. The highlight of that half was undoubtedly a fantastic goal line clearance from Matt O'Riley ... with his right foot !

Second half Newcastle upped the tempo and on the hour Shelvey got that goal, ghosting in to score with a close range header. Bit of prescience there from the Newcastle bench since less than a minute earlier they were about to sub him. They did immediately after he scored. We actually got stronger after that but apart from a beautiful curling shot from Steven Sessegnon, which went inches wide, we didn't really create any significant chances. Young O'Riley kept probing and Harvey Elliott, who had moved to his better right hand side, made some challenging runs into their box but all not enough unfortunately.

Very surprised that manager Pembridge chose to swap sides with our full backs Cody Drameh and Steven Sessegnon. Afraid it didn't work since, although they both did okay, neither got off a telling cross all night. The team was:

Wickens; Drameh. Jenz, Opoku, S Sessegnon; Kait, Fancois; O'Riley; Harris, Santos-Clase (Abraham 65'), Elliott

Unused subs: Stahl, Asare and Kelly

 

Oh wow - we've got Leeds United in the PL Cup knockout last 16 - away. Missing some of the 'big boys'.

Leeds are not an Elite team, playing in Professional Development League North. However, they topped the mini-league Cup group stage, out smarting Newcastle, Southampton and Notts County. So it 'aint going to be easy.

 

West Brom 0 Fulham 0 (PL2)

Stalemate as Nicolas Santos-Clase misses a first half penalty. In a fairly rugged first half we had the edge but West Brom were more fluent in the second and we did well to hang in there for the point. The team was:

Wickens; Drameh, Jenz, Opoku, Sessegnon; Francois (Hilton 59'), Edun (De Havilland 59'); Harris, Käit, Santos-Clase; Abraham

Unused subs: Stahl, Garrido and Tiehi


A few musings on the players:

* No Matt O'Riley - not sure why not.
* Tayo Edun back - but subbed
* .Brave move by Pembridge to bring on youngsters Sonny Hilton (18) and Ryan de Havilland (17).
* Still not sure why Pembridge repeated the 'experiment' of playing Cody Drameh at RB and Steven Sessegnon at LB

Just on Cody, reports are that Lille and Frankfort are showing a very keen interest in him. Plenty of scouts at the game apparently. Wonder if our ex-Gaffer joined them?

 

Leeds (3) Fulham 2 [on penalties after extra time] (PL Cup)

A night of penalties. Leeds went ahead with a penalty a minute before half time then 10 minutes into the second Matt O'Riley scored a cool as a cucumber one for us. The Leeds keeper was sent off for pulling down Jayden Harris leading to the penalty. After extra time the teams were locked at 2-2 and in the batch of five penalties per side both missed one, taking it to sudden death. Leeds got their first one and we didn't - giving the game to the- m 5-4 on penalties.

The match itself was a real din dong of an affair. first half the Leeds first team pair of Brown and Douglas were a constant threat. Second half it was our youngsters on top and the extra man began to tell. On the hour Nicolas Santos-Clase put as ahead with a rasping shot into the corner of the goal. We could and should have gone further ahead but missed the chances, like a cross Steve Sessegnon and header from Matt O'Riley (worth mentioning if only for the rarity factor - just joking - the pair combined again shortly after and this time Matt's volley went narrowly over the bar). Unfortunately Leed nicked an equaliser from a tap in after a ball across was missed by everyone. Extra time turned into a bit of a stalemate, altough we were the most likely.

Tough for the lads to take but great experience. The team was:

Wickens; Drameh, Jenz, Opoku, S. Sessegnon; Francois (Hilton 107'), Edun (De Havilland 105'); Harris (Abraham 107'), O'Riley, Santos-Clase; Käit

Unused subs: Stahl and McAvoy

 

Fulham 0 Reading 3 (PL2)

The big guns were out at the Cottage tonight; Scott Parker, Stuart Gray followed by Tony Khan. And on the pitch as well, with Alfie Mawson and Neeskens Kebano getting game time.

As often happens though, when first teamers join the youngsters, the side was a tad unbalanced in the first half. Mawson's inclusion pushed Jerome Opoku out wide to left back and Kebano was here there and everywhere up front, with those around him never quite sure where or when to link up with him. Reading on the other hand played as a unit, were nifty and sharp in the tackle. A penalty in the 4th minute boosted their confidence and they went two up in the 17th with our left side of defence badly exposed.

That said the penalty was so soft and Luca Ashby-Hammond could consider himself unlucky when the ref adjudged he pulled their man down - looked a perfectly fair challenge to me. Quite the opposite 20 minutes later when he made a right mess of an easy clearance. Instead of just thumping the ball up field, he tried to dribble round Balldrick, lost possession and left an open goal. Fortunately their man contrived to hit the post. Meanwhile, we weren't much of a threat on the Reading goal despite Matt O'Riley's probing passes down the channels. Alfie Mawson was quietly covering spaces (except for their second when he could have done better), without really exerting himself. Some delightful long range passes were his highlight.


Second half, Alfie dropped out having done his 45 and Marlon Fossey came on - what an athletic player he is. He went to RB allowing Cody Drameh, who had been unusually shaky, to go to LB. Luca de la Torre also came on. We had a proper shape and took control. Unfortunately all the possession and at times really slick play couldn't be turned into goals. Almost inevitably, Reading broke away and got their third in the 90th minute. Overall a good game for the neutral and an impressive performance by Reading's number 6.

The team was :

L. Ashby-Hammond; Jenz, Mawson (Fossey 46'), Opoku, Drameh; Francois, Edun; Kebano, O'Riley, Harris (De La Torre 46'); Käit (Santos-Clase 82')

Unused subs: Stahl and McAvoy

 

Sunderland 1 Fulham 1 (PL2)

In their last away game of the season, a last minute equaliser thwarted the lads against bottom of the table Sunderland. Not helped at all by keeper Magnus Norman being sent off on the stroke of half time for handling the ball outside of his box. By that time we were 1-0 ahead thanks to a powerful header from the big man Jerome Opoku.

The team was:

Norman; Fossey, McAvoy, Opoku, S. Sessegnon; Edun; De La Torre, Harris, Francois, Santos-Clase; Käit (Wickens 45')

Unused subs: Asare, Abraham, Hilton and Garrido