Fulham coach Slavisa Jokanovic believed his side “showed quality” to beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 away at Hillsborough.
A 78th-minute Aleksandar Mitrovicgoal was enough to secure all three points for the Whites in a pivotal clash as the end of the season rounds into view.
“We must be satisfied with our performance,” the Fulham Head Coach said. “We showed quality and we showed that we can compete as well. It was a complete game. I believe we deserved these three points.”
Reflecting on the two halves, Jokanovic noted that the Whites “Played well and showed quality and patience.
“We had to,” he continued, “because in the first half we didn’t move with enough pace. The pitch played a little slow, and we weren’t fast enough [to compensate.]
“But in the second half we raised our game. We were more clinical. Today, in the end, we knew how to manage the end of the game and we got a positive result.”
Still, Jokanovic did not want his side to rest on their laurels. “We must be ready first thing tomorrow morning to start preparing for the Reading game,” he said.
“Even though we are satisfied, we don’t have the time to enjoy it too much because we have to get ready for the next game.”
When asked about whether this result means Fulham can start looking towards the automatic promotion places, the Head Coach was sanguine: “We’ve never been second yet this season, so maybe now Cardiff will feel some pressure on them
“We are trying to do something, but it’s actually so faraway. Right now there’s a two-point difference between us and Cardiff has a game in hand.
“We are completely relaxed. We can try to surprise them, but if they don’t give us a push, then it won’t be possible.
“We can’t be under pressure because we’re not in second place. We can win something, they can lose something. This is actually the situation. I can’t add anything more.”
In the end, Jokanovic reiterated that he is solely focusing on the next match. “The only thing I can control is the Reading game,” he said. “I expect my team will be refreshed and motivated enough to put in a good performance.
“We’re going to get ready for Reading and try to win those three points.”