We weren’t good enough

BY YANN TEAR
yann@slpmedia.co.uk­

Scott Parker conceded Fulham are giving away too many goals and “simply weren’t good enough,” as they slipped to a second defeat this week.

Denis Odoi was sent off in Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss at Preston, who also played the second half with 10 men.

The Whites were hoping to bounce back from Saturday’s home defeat to Bristol City, but after starting the game in a positive fashion, Sean Maguire gave the hosts a 23rd minute lead.

Odoi was dismissed five minutes later for an elbow on Patrick Bauer, and although North End lost Joe Rafferty just before the break for a bad two-footed tackle on Joe Bryan, the Whites could not get back into the match.

David Nugent extended Preston’s lead seven minutes after the restart, and Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 81st minute goal from a deflected long-range strike – his 16th domestic goal of the season – came too late to alter the outcome.

“It’s a disappointing performance from us,” said the Fulham boss.

“Both ends of the pitch we just simply weren’t good enough.

“Defensively we gave away sloppy, cheap goals, and in the top end of the pitch we lacked a real cutting edge.

“We got to the edge of the box pretty well and got into final third but we lacked quality when it came to crossing opportunities on goal.

“We lacked movement in and around the penalty area as well.

“You can’t give away goals like we did in any division. At this present moment in time we need to score two or three goals to win a football match and that leaves us with uphill battles.”

Parker was frustrated by how easily his side conceded against a side low on confidence following four defeats in a row.

“They really didn’t have to work too hard for their two goals,” Parker lamented.

“When it went to 10 v 10, weconceded a poor second goal and it took the breath out of us.

“We finished the game strongly but it just wasn’t our day.”

Fulham remained third in the table, as other teams around them also dropped points in midweek, but they lost ground on the top two,
with Leeds winning.

It puts added pressure on the Whites going into Saturday’s derby with Brentford at Griffin Park.

The fixture has not been an easy one for the Whites in recent seasons. In the past eight league encounters, Fulham’s only win came three seasons ago when Sone Aluko and Tom Cairney netted in a 2-0 away win.

Over the same period, the Bees have won four times. On Fulham’s last visit to their neighbours, Neeskens Kebano’s goal was overturned by strikes from Sergi Canos, Romaine Sawyers and Ollie Watkins.

But at least there will be no repeat of the red card Odoi received in that match, as he starts his three match ban at the weekend for his latest dismissal.

Fulham: Rodak, Christie, Mawson (Kebano 60), Ream, Odoi, Onomah, Johansen, Knockaert (De La Torre 90), Cavaleiro, Kamara, Mitrovic. Subs not used: Bettinelli, O’Riley, Taylor-Crossdale, Harris.