Cardiff City Mad
25-02-17, 18:00
<p>Neeskens Kebano rescued a point for promotion-chasing Fulham in an entertaining 2-2 draw against Cardiff in Wales.<br /><br />A Kenneth Zohore brace looked to have cancelled out Stefan Johansen's early goal, but Kebano's 68th-minute strike closed the gap to sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday to five points.<br /><br />On a day when manager Neil Warnock's new contract was formally announced, Cardiff could have snatched a late winner but substitute Declan John hit the post in injury-time.<br /><br />The Bluebirds had a glorious chance to take the lead after two minutes when Joe Ralls' looping ball played Junior Hoilett in on goal<br /><br />But the winger took far too long to pull the trigger and fired over.<br /><br />And the hosts could have scored again just moments later but David Button saved well from Sol Bamba's close-range effort.<br /><br />The Bluebirds kept piling on the pressure and Hoilett should have broken the deadlock when he connected with Zohore's pull-back, however, he was denied by the Fulham stopper.<br /><br />And after Button's latest heroics, Fulham charged up the other end and created their first opening of the afternoon as Johansen's volley was superbly tipped away by Allan McGregor.<br /><br />But Johansen, who netted in Fulham's 2-1 FA Cup win against Cardiff last month, haunted the Welsh club again when he gave the Whites the lead in the 17th minute.<br /><br />Slavisa Jokanovic's men quickly broke from a Cardiff free-kick and the fast-flowing move culminated in the Norwegian midfielder running the length of the pitch to slot the ball past McGregor.<br /><br />But Johansen went from hero to zero in the space of seven minutes after gifting Cardiff an equaliser<br /><br />The 26-year-old failed to control the ball and Zohore surged forward and finished coolly.</p>
<p><img title="C:WindowsTempphp2616.tmp" src="http://pictures.footymad.net/upload/120/904296-2.jpg" alt="C:WindowsTempphp2616.tmp" width="615" height="418" /><br /><br />Fulham responded well to the setback as Jazz Richards cleared a Kevin McDonald header off the line and the ball fell to Floyd Ayite whose shot was saved by McGregor.<br /><br />Cardiff hit back with chances of their own in this fast-paced first-half when Button thwarted Hoilett yet again before Kadeem Harris fired just wide.<br /><br />And former Bluebirds defender Scott Malone ended a breathless 45 minutes with a sliced effort which flew inches wide of the post.<br /><br />Fulham and Cardiff were the in-form Championship teams coming into this contest and they started the second half how they finished the first.<br /><br />Ayite and Craig Noone both squandered opportunities, blasting over from inside the box.<br /><br />Zohore netted his sixth goal in as many games to put Cardiff in front in the 56th minute after latching onto a long ball and emphatically scoring with the outside of his left boot.<br /><br />But Fulham drew level after Tom Cairney's clever ball found Kebano whose scuffed shot trickled past McGregor.<br /><br />Cardiff defended valiantly for the remaining 20-plus minutes and were unlucky not to win the game with John's late miss.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Source : PA</p>
<p><img title="C:WindowsTempphp2616.tmp" src="http://pictures.footymad.net/upload/120/904296-2.jpg" alt="C:WindowsTempphp2616.tmp" width="615" height="418" /><br /><br />Fulham responded well to the setback as Jazz Richards cleared a Kevin McDonald header off the line and the ball fell to Floyd Ayite whose shot was saved by McGregor.<br /><br />Cardiff hit back with chances of their own in this fast-paced first-half when Button thwarted Hoilett yet again before Kadeem Harris fired just wide.<br /><br />And former Bluebirds defender Scott Malone ended a breathless 45 minutes with a sliced effort which flew inches wide of the post.<br /><br />Fulham and Cardiff were the in-form Championship teams coming into this contest and they started the second half how they finished the first.<br /><br />Ayite and Craig Noone both squandered opportunities, blasting over from inside the box.<br /><br />Zohore netted his sixth goal in as many games to put Cardiff in front in the 56th minute after latching onto a long ball and emphatically scoring with the outside of his left boot.<br /><br />But Fulham drew level after Tom Cairney's clever ball found Kebano whose scuffed shot trickled past McGregor.<br /><br />Cardiff defended valiantly for the remaining 20-plus minutes and were unlucky not to win the game with John's late miss.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Source : PA</p>