Raul rescues a point for flagging Fulham

01/05/2025 12:55 PM

Fulham were indebted to Raul Jimenez for rescuing a point against a revitalised Ipswich Town at a wet and windswept Craven Cottage this afternoon. The Tractor boys led twice but the veteran Mexican centre forward calmly converted two penalties to earn Marco Silva’s side a share of the spoils. A draw was probably the right result, but both sides could point to periods in a mad match where they might easily have plundered all three points.

Ipswich were more than a match for the Cottagers at Portman Road in August, where they collected their first Premier League point in more than two decades, and Kieran McKenna’s men have improved massively since then. They certainly don’t have the air of a side destined for the drop – and McKenna, one of the most impressive managers in the country, will probably feel like they should have followed up an outstanding win over Chelsea with a victory at the capital’s oldest professional club. Liam Delap was a handful all afternoon and, playing like this, Town should easily avoid relegation.

Silva made just one change from the side that had squandered a winning position in the dying embers of last Sunday’s battle with Bournemouth as Tom Cairney replaced Andreas Pereira in central midfield. That meant Fulham matched Ipswich’s recent switch to three centre halves, although the visitors had to do without the creativity of Omari Hutchinson, who injured his groin in the warm up. It was the home side who made the early running, even if Delap left a mark on Sasa Lukic – smashing straight into the Serbian’s face from the kick off, but Fulham struggled to create a clear-cut chance early on against a determined collection of pink-shirted defenders.

Sammie Smozdics came within inches of sliding onto a dangerous cross from the lively Leif Davis on a rare Ipswich foray forward, but the visitors looked dangerous whenever the former Blackburn attacker, Delap or Nathan Broadhead got on the ball. Fulham probed patiently, but their first opening took more than twenty minutes to arrive as Jimenez headed too close to Christian Walton from a lofted Cairney cross. Alex Iwobi saw his snapshot bravely blocked by Jens Cajuste before Davis was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after hacking down Harry Wilson as the Welsh winger raced through on goal following a lovely give-and-go with Jimenez. Referee Darren Bond might have reasoned that Jacob Greaves could have reached Wilson – but it was one of a number of perplexing decisions from an official who looked out of his depth.

Silva seethed on the sidelines and his mood would only grow darker ten minutes later when a comedy of errors at the back gifted Ipswich the lead. Broadhead chipped a ball to the back post where Ben Johnson rose above Antonee Robinson and headed against the bar. Calvin Bassey had plenty of time to clear his lines but panicked and picked out Smozdics, whose shot rolled off the Nigerian defender and past a ballistic Bernd Leno.

Silva introduced Emile Smith Rowe for Issa Diop at half time but the tide didn’t turn as quickly as Fulham hoped. They pushed for a leveller, for sure, with Iwobi skewing a shot wide after creating a yard of space in the box and Smith Rowe somehow heading wide at the back post when it appeared easier to score, but Broadhead brought a brilliant save out of Leno when he drove Timothy Castagne’s clearing header towards the top corner.

The hosts, now with Pereira on for Cairney and Rodrigo Muniz partnering Jimenez up front, hurtled down the other end. Bond inexplicably waved play on after Sam Morsy brought down Wilson in the area, but reversed his decision after being sent to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee. Jimenez caressed the penalty under Walton’s body to become the leading Mexican scorer in Premier League history, but Fulham immediately shot themselves in the foot. Castagne caught Delap in the area – with the contact too clear for this to be second error in seconds by the official – and the Ipswich striker slammed home the spot-kick before sprinting away to celebrate with the delirious travelling fans.

Fulham had it all to do once again. Jimenez headed Robinson’s free-kick fractionally wide of the far post before Silva sent on Adama Traore, but it was the former Sunderland winger Jack Clark, who almost won it for Ipswich at the other end, with his daisycutter coming back off the near post. McKenna withdrew Delap to a rapturous reception from the away contingent in the Putney End, but Jimenez had the final say after tumbling over an outstretched leg from Davis. He picked his spot with precision as Delap held his head in the dugout, but neither side could find a winner in seven minutes of stoppage time.

FULHAM (3-4-3): Leno; Diop (Smith Rowe 45), Andersen, Bassey; Castagne, A. Robinson, Lukic (Traore 79), Cairney (Pereira 63); Wilson, Iwobi (Muniz 63), Jimenez. Subs (not used): Benda, Cuenca, R. Sessegnon, King, Godo.

BOOKED: Pereira.

GOALS: Jimenez (pen 69, pen 90+1).

IPSWICH TOWN (3-4-2-1): Walton; O’Shea, Wolfenden, Greaves; Johnson (Burns 80), Davis, Morsy, Cajuste (Phillips 73); Smzodics (Taylor 73), Broadhead (J. Clarke 80); Delap (Al-Hamadi 88). Subs (not used): Muric, H. Clarke, Burgess, Townsend.

BOOKED: Davis, Broadhead, O’Shea, Morsy, Johnson.

GOALS: Smozdics (38), Delap (pen 71).

REFEREE: Darren Bond (Lancashire).