This was a result to have the nerves jangling in a corner of south Wales. Fulham have returned to the Championship’s top two, ousting Cardiff from the automatic places for 24 hours at least, with the rousing nature of this win an indication that their pursuit of promotion remains relentless. Millwall, outstanding themselves of late, had not lost in 17 league games. In the end even they appeared diminished.
The south Londoners would leave the pitch with their fans applauding their efforts, and their own ambitions to reach the play-offs apparently unfazed by defeat with two games to play but their manager, Neil Harris admitted this had been a reality check.
Fulham, now without a defeat in 22 league matches in a notoriously treacherous division, weathered the hosts’ early storm and imposed themselves impressively after the break. They were untouchable at times. Few teams at this level can muster such a blend of zest and panache and much of their approach play was Premier League ready.
The pace of their passing and fluid movement up-field would grace the top flight with Ryan Sessegnon, at 17 the Championship’s player of the season, truly a a gem of which the elite have long heard talk. It was his instinctive dart and finish, pouncing for a 15th goal this term after an indecisive Jordan Archer had only parried Aleksandar Mitrovic’s long-range shot, which set the tone 41 seconds into the second half. “After that, we started to move better, finding more space,” said the Fulham manager, Slavisa Jokanovic. “It was a brilliant second half.”
The Serb’s own assessment of Sessegnon’s display included a nudge towards Gareth Southgate. “I believe Ryan can be there (at the World Cup),” he added. “But, if not this time, then in two years in another big tournament.”
The teenager, the product of a fine academy, caught the eye but plenty excelled. Matthew Targett clipped the bar from distance. Mitrovic would thump in his team’s third, and his 11th in his last 12 games on loan from Newcastle, after Tomas Kalas’s run from deep, and Kevin McDonald, the unsung worker at the base of a dazzling midfield, would enjoy his own moment. With Millwall disoriented and the atmosphere momentarily deflated, he left George Saville on the floor and meandered inside to belt a shot which swerved viciously to pass inside Archer’s post via the goalkeeper’s fingertips.
If the hosts could curse Archer’s uncharacteristic errors, their own evening degenerated into frustration as the cautions mounted up and Tim Cahill appeared to floor Ryan Fredericks with an elbow. Harris had not seen that incident, on the far side of the pitch, but was clearly unimpressed by Andre Marriner’s display on a rare outing in the second tier.
“He did very well for the away team in the first half,” said the Millwall manager, Saville having been denied an opening goal after Jed Wallace was penalised for a foul on Targett. “If I was the defender, I’d probably want the foul. But it was 50:50. There was a lot of protection for Fulham, though. But, as the referee told me at half-time, he thought he’d been ‘excellent’.”
Harris’s team, too, had been excellent through that frenetic opening when their intensity knocked Fulham off their stride. Jake Cooper saw a powerful header turned on to the crossbar by Marcus Bettinelli from the game’s first corner, with Tim Ream scrambling Wallace’s close-range shot from the goalline. But the chances were not taken and, once Fulham found their rhythm, they proved more ruthless from the moment their hosts’ tempo dipped even marginally.
The lead from Cardiff is a slender two points and the Welsh club can reassert control against Nottingham Forest and Derby in the next four days, but the pressure is on them. Jokanovic suggested he would watch his rivals’ game with Forest on Saturday evening “if I don’t find something more interesting to do”. At present, as this game proved, there is little better than watching his own team in action.
Promotion, relegation and Europe: how they stand
Premier League
Manchester City have won their fifth English league title after Manchester United lost at home to West Brom. Liverpool (70) and Tottenham (68) look set to join United in the top four with Chelsea five points behind Spurs in fifth. Arsenal are just two points above Burnley in sixth, but could still reach the Champions League if they win the Europa League. Burnley look bound for Europe, unless Southampton win the FA Cup.
West Brom (25pts) are still eight points from safety, after their draw with Liverpool, and could be relegated on Sunday. Stoke (28pts) and Southampton (29) are losing touch with Swansea (33), Crystal Palace (34), West Ham (35), Huddersfield (35) and Brighton (36) in the fight to avoid relegation.
Championship
Wolves (pictured) have been promoted to the Premier League and need one more point to confirm the title. Fulham (85pts) are second but Cardiff (83) have two games in hand in the race for automatic promotion. Aston Villa (79) are heading for the play-offs and there is a fierce battle to join them, with Middlesbrough, Millwall, Derby, Preston, Sheffield United, Bristol City and Brentford separated by four points.
Sunderland (34pts) and Burton (35) face a relegation shootout on Saturday – a draw could relegate both teams – while Barnsley (38pts) are still battling and have a game in hand on Bolton (40), Birmingham (40) and Reading (43).
League One
Wigan and Blackburn (both 90pts) are closing on an immediate return to the second tier. Shrewsbury (82pts) may have to settle for the play-offs alongside Rotherham and two from Charlton, Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Peterborough and Bradford.
Bury have been relegated to League Two after defeat to Northampton, who boosted their own survival hopes. MK Dons and Rochdale join the Cobblers in the bottom four, but Oldham, Walsall, Wimbledon, Oxford and Gillingham are all still in danger.
League Two
Accrington Stanley have sealed promotion with Luton Town (83pts) needing one more win to join them. Wycombe (78pts) and Exeter City (76) are battling for third place, with Notts County (73) on course for the play-offs. Lincoln and Coventry are favourites to complete the top seven, with Mansfield and Swindon hoping for slip-ups.
The league’s bottom two are running out of time to escape – Chesterfield are seven points adrift with four to play, Barnet five from safety with three games left. Grimsby, Forest Green and Morecambe can still be pulled into the relegation scrap.
Macclesfield Town have secured the only automatic promotion spot from the National League, with one other team set to come up via the play-offs.
