Cardiff City up and running with spirited win against Fulham
Cardiff City 4-2 Fulham: The result sees the Bluebirds climb off the foot of the table and leapfrog their relegation rivals
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Your support makes all the difference.Callum Paterson and Kadeem Harris scored second-half goals to earn Cardiff City their first victory of the season - lifting them off the bottom of the Premier League and above Fulham.
Their manager, Neil Warnock, had claimed beforehand he would not bet money on their top-flight survival but the peculiar motivating tactic paid off handsomely as the Bluebirds were worthy winners.
They recovered from falling behind to an Andre Schurrle wonder goal, to lead 2-1 thanks to goals from Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid.
Ryan Sessegnon equalised for Fulham before half-time, but Cardiff’s energy in front of their boisterous supporters was rewarded when Paterson, a converted right-back, put them 3-2 ahead.
Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge made a crucial save late on, before substitute Harris’s goal clinched Warnock’s side their first Premier League victory since April 2014.
These teams had won only one game between them in 16 Premier League matches, but anyone predicting caution or a lack of adventure was quickly disproved.
Cardiff, especially, offered a vibrant opening period, particularly down their left flank where winger Josh Murphy suggested he was capable of giving Fulham’s Calum Chambers a difficult afternoon.
Murphy’s third minute shot was palmed away for a corner by Marcus Bettinelli, before the Fulham goalkeeper put himself under pressure with a horribly sliced clearance that went behind him for another corner kick.
But it was Fulham who took the lead with their first attack of the game when a counter-attack, after a poor Cardiff free-kick at the other end, put Andre Shurrle in possession.
There did not appear to be much on for the German, so he chanced his luck and hit a curling shot from 30 yards that evaded the outstretched fingertips of Neil Etheridge and dipped into the top corner.
It was Shurrle’s fourth goal in 10 games, but Cardiff responded positively and after Murphy’s cross-shot was tipped away by Bettinelli, the Bluebirds winger scored a superb equaliser in the 15th minute.
Chambers gave the ball away and then found himself out of position as Murphy cut inside, drew Bettinelli and slid a precise shot across the goalmouth and into the far corner.
Three minutes later, Chambers was booked for pulling back Murphy and as Cardiff sensed Fulham’s unsteadiness at the back, the home side soon went ahead.
A free-kick 30 yards out was badly messed up, but Fulham failed to clear their lines. Aron Gunnarsson played a deflected pass that reached Bobby Reid and the former Bristol City striker slotted his first goal for Cardiff to put them 2-1 ahead in the 20th minute.
But if Fulham looked vulnerable at the back, then Cardiff were no more secure and their lead was wiped out by Ryan Sessegnon 14 minutes later.
Joe Bennett’s mistake was pounced on, Aleksander Mitrovic played a neat pass into Sessegnon’s path, and the 18-year-old Englishman showed pace and composure to make it 2-2.
It was Sessegnon’s first Premier League goal, but his fifth against Cardiff in as many games.
Fulham’s Jean Michael Seri and Stefan Johansen joined Gunnarsson in the book before half-time as the challenges grew increasingly rash.
Harry Arter served notice of Cardiff’s continued attacking intent after the break with a shot that cleared the bar, but Sessegnon also tested Etheridge with a drive the keeper elected to punch away.
But it was Cardiff who snatched the lead in the 65th minute through their makeshift striker Callum Paterson.
Gunnarsson’s pass invited the overlapping Bruno Manga to cross and when Reid touched the ball on, Paterson reacted quickly to swivel and hit a low shot beyond Bettinelli.
It was the Scot’s first goal since April and his first in the Premier League.
Murphy continued to torment Fulham, just as he had done in the first half, and the winger almost extended Cardiff’s lead when he flashed a shot across the goal from an acute angle.
Etheridge made a magnificent late save to deny Fulham substitute Alfie Mawson’s header, before Cardiff clinched their victory three minutes from time.
A rapid break ended with Murphy and Victor Camarasa combining before substitute Kadeem Harris bundled the ball home from five yards for their fourth goal.
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