Fulham 1 Leeds United 1 - Late Tom Cairney strike forces Leeds to settle for share of points

LEEDS United were agonisingly denied victory at Fulham thanks to a Tom Cairney wonder-strike in the fifth minute of injury time.
Tim Ream puts the ball past Souleymane Doukara and into the back of his own goal. Picture: Bruce RollinsonTim Ream puts the ball past Souleymane Doukara and into the back of his own goal. Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Tim Ream puts the ball past Souleymane Doukara and into the back of his own goal. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

A Leeds side missing injured top scorer Chris Wood had been handed a total gift by Fulham in only the fifth minute when a free-kick by Kyle Bartley was sliced by Tim Ream into his own net.

Fulham were then wrongly denied a first-half equaliser when Sone Aluko’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced over the line but was not given.

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But they got their just rewards through Cairney’s late, late strike into the top left-hand corner.

Tom Cairney and Kalvin Phillips square up to each other before the Leeds player is sent off. Picture: Bruce RollinsonTom Cairney and Kalvin Phillips square up to each other before the Leeds player is sent off. Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Tom Cairney and Kalvin Phillips square up to each other before the Leeds player is sent off. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

After Ream’s comical own goal, the Cottagers then went close twice within two minutes mid-way through the first half.

First a Stefan Johansen free-kick was passed to Cairney who unleashed a fine curling effort from the edge of the area that fizzed inches wide of Rob Green’s left-hand post.

Then a long-range effort from Aluko beat Green all ends up but smashed the crossbar before dropping over the line and bouncing clear. Fulham were screaming at the officials that the ball had crossed but Leeds, wrongly, survived.

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Leeds then had a fine opportunity to double their lead in the 38th minute when Alfonso Pedraza was played in from the left-hand side and produced a fierce shot that was saved by Button.

Tom Cairney and Kalvin Phillips square up to each other before the Leeds player is sent off. Picture: Bruce RollinsonTom Cairney and Kalvin Phillips square up to each other before the Leeds player is sent off. Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Tom Cairney and Kalvin Phillips square up to each other before the Leeds player is sent off. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

The hosts’ dominance continued in the second half, but Leeds should have been out of sight in the 73rd minute when a loose ball fell to Pedraza 10 yards out, but his effort hit the left-hand post.

Fulham substitute Scott Parker squandered two decent chances, either side of a narrow escape when Green tipped a Johansen free-kick wide. Kalvin Phillips was then sent off in the 89th minute for a second yellow card.

Gohi Cyriac and Aluko then came within inches of equalising in injury time but Leeds looked to have survived, only for Cairney to have other ideas with his stunning equaliser.

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Leeds United: Green, Berardi, Bartley, Jansson, Taylor, Bridcutt, Phillips, Sacko (Barrow 60), Roofe (Vieira 87), Pedraza, Doukara. Unused substitutes: Silvestri, Cooper, Hernandez, Dallas, Antonsson.

Fulham: Button, Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Malone (Sessegnon 61), Johansen, McDonald (Parker 74), Aluko, Cairney, Kebano, Martin (Cyriac 74). Unused substitutes:Bettinelli, Odoi, Madl, Sigurdsson.

Referee: Lee Probert.