Match Report
Bristol City (0) 0-2 (1) Fulham
Championship Match Day 32 1617 at Ashton Gate
Wednesday 22nd February 2017 KO: 20:00
Referee:
Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
|
Bristol City fans called for the dismissal of head coach Lee Johnson as Fulham coasted to a comfortable 2-0 victory in the Sky Bet Championship.
The home side turned in a shambolic display in the absence of injured top scorer Tammy Abraham and made it an easy three points for the play-off-chasing visitors.
Fulham went in front on 17 minutes when a patient passing move ended with Tom Cairney's through ball for Lucas Piazon to shoot past Fabian Giefer from 10 yards.
A dreadful mistake by full-back Adam Matthews allowed Cairney to make it 2-0 on 54 minutes with a clinical finish from a Neeskens Kebano pass.
That sparked chants of ``we want Johnson out'' from home fans, with relegation-threatened City looking second best in all departments.
The home side were well off the pace in the first half and Fulham would have been out of sight with better finishing.
Milan Djuric headed over for City when he should have scored from David Cotterill's 22nd-minute cross, but it was one of few threatening moments for visiting goalkeeper David Button.
At the other end it was all too easy for Fulham to create openings as they passed their way through midfield at will.
Giefer had to go full stretch to tip wide a low drive from Piazon while Ryan Sessegnon was inches wide with an effort from the left corner of the box.
Home supporters became increasingly restive as their team failed to compete and the half-time whistle brought jeers.
| Match Stats |
Bristol City
|
Fulham
|
| Goals |
(0) 0 |
2 (1) |
| |
| Scorers |
- |
Piazon 17 |
|
- |
Cairney 54 |
| |
| Goal attempts |
7 |
11 |
| On target |
2 |
3 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
28% |
37% |
| Possession |
41% |
59% |
| Passes |
442 |
635 |
| Pass Success |
76% |
84% |
| Crosses |
24 |
21 |
| Crosses Success |
21% |
5% |
| Corners |
5 |
5 |
| Tackles |
19 |
24 |
| Tackles Success |
63% |
67% |
| Saves |
1 |
2 |
| Fouls |
11 |
10 |
| Offsides |
2 |
3 |
| Yellows |
1 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
Johnson responded by sending on Bobby Reid for Josh Brownhill and later sent on two more replacements in Lee Tomlin and Gary O'Neil.
It made little difference as Fulham continued to play their passing game with little pressure on the ball from their opponents and Cairney added a second.
Matt Taylor had a shot blocked on 65 minutes, but was given little chance to show the scoring ability that had made him Bristol Rovers' top marksman before his controversial move across town.
Djuric shot wide from distance, but City remained wide open to the counter-attack against opponents too talented to be allowed time on the ball.
Kevin McDonald almost made it 3-0 to Fulham with an 85th-minute header and Giefer remained the busier keeper throughout.
It was a slick display by the Londoners, who moved to within six points of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, but a disaster for Johnson, who has been under pressure for some time.
At the final whistle City supporters made clear their feelings and, with successive away games coming up against Newcastle and Aston Villa, it is unlikely to get any easier.
Bristol City : Giefer, Matthews (Tomlin 57), Flint, Wright, Scott Golbourne, Cotterill, Brownhill (Reid 4), Hegeler (O'Neil 62), Bryan, Taylor, Djuric
Unused substitutes: Fielding, Magnusson, Pack, Wilbraham
Booked: Hegeler (61,f)
Fulham: Button, Odoi, Kalas, Ream, Sessegnon, McDonald, Johansen, Kebano (Aluko 76), Cairney, Piazon (Fredericks 70), Ayité (Martin 62)
Unused substitutes: Bettinelli, Malone, Parker, Cyriac,
Goals:
Piazon 17 (right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Tom Cairney with a through ball.)
Cairney 54 (left footed shot from the left side of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Floyd Ayité.)
Booked: Johansen (45,f), Ream (71,f)
Referee:: Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
Attendance: 17,272