Fulham’s highly-impressive unbeaten run has now reached historic proportions, but there was little satisfaction to be had here.
Tossing away a two-goal lead and a position of absolute control to draw with local rivals Queens Park Rangers made this feel like a defeat.
It’s certainly a result that will lengthen the odds on Fulham overhauling Cardiff City to take second place and the straightforward route back to the Premier League.
Fulham went ahead on the 31st minute through Tom Cairney as they dominated the game
They are destined for the play-offs and, as we saw last season when they lost in the semi-finals to Reading, there are no guarantees there.
Goals from Tom Cairney and Lucas Piazon gave dominant Fulham an iron grip on this west London derby entering stoppage time at the end of the first-half.
But they zoned out to allow Massimo Luongo to halve the deficit in stoppage time and that was the confidence boost QPR required. The superior side after the break, they equalised through Pawel Wszolek following an horrendous defensive lapse by Denis Odoi.
The fact the dropping of two important points was self-inflicted made it even harder to take and such was Fulham’s slipshod second half they almost lost it late on.
Nonetheless, this was a club record 16th match unbeaten in the Championship and only the fourth draw within that sequence. It is this magnificent run of form that has propelled Fulham into the promotion mix and it lives on.
Queens Park Rangers came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with a Pawel Wszolek equaliser
By reaching 16 unbeaten, they exceed the 15 unbeaten achieved by Kevin Keegan’s side in their 1998-99 promotion campaign from the old Second Division to the First. Maybe that will prove an omen yet.
It wasn’t exactly surprising to see QPR set up with eight or nine men behind the ball. Although the visitors’ confidence had been raised by wins over Sunderland and Aston Villa this week, the prospect of facing Fulham – their slick passing game and long unbeaten run giving them a certain aura – is a daunting one.
But Ian Holloway’s masterplan to stifle Fulham’s threat through two banks of four and a quick press was almost ruined inside four minutes.
When Alex Smithies pushed out Cairney’s effort, Ryan Sessegnon was on hand to tap home the rebound, only to be flagged offside. Correctly, as the replays showed.
Fulham grew more and more into their familiar passing rhythm as the first-half wore on and the chances eventually started to arrive. Aleksandar Mitrovic, successfully handled by QPR’s centre-backs for most of the match, saw a shot deflected over the top, before Sessegnon headed directly at Smithies.
Aleksander Mitrovic gets involved in a confrontation with QPR’s Darnell Furlong on Saturday
Nedum Onuoha thought it was all over when his side went 2-0 down in the first half
On 32 minutes, the pressure finally told. Stefan Johansen advanced on the right and tucked a pass infield to Cairney. The captain had three options to his left but, as the Rangers defenders willingly backed off, he swept a marvellous left-footed shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
At times after that, Fulham lived up to their ‘Barcelona of the Championship’ nickname. Their incisive passing, especially involving Sessegnon and Matt Targett down the left, Cairney and Piazon willing outlets, was outstanding.
From one such passing move – and there must have been 20 passes at least – Mitrovic prodded wide under pressure from a Targett delivery.
Their second arrived on the stroke of half-time and from another nice passing move, this time on the right.
Kevin McDonald slipped a through pass into Ryan Fredericks, who surged into space behind Jake Bidwell and cut-back. Sessegnon, with superb presence of mind, teed up Piazon to sweep the ball home.
Ian Holloway celebrates after his QPR side grab an equaliser in the 80th minute
Fulham extended their run to 16 unbeaten but the result will feel like a defeat still
There hadn’t been much going forward from Rangers, for whom Matt Smith was a largely redundant target man in the first-half. Their one chance came when Targett’s cross-field pass landed straight at the feet of Wszolek, his eventual shot forcing Marcus Bettinelli into action for the first time.
Yet deep into stoppage time, with Fulham switching off after their second goal, Rangers grabbed a lifeline.
A Luke Freeman free-kick some 35 yards from goal was knocked down by Smith and there was Luongo to control with his head, slam home and reignite the contest.
Remarkably, that was the first goal Fulham had conceded at home in the Championship since January 2 – a run of nine hours and three minutes.
As the snow swirled, the second-half was a far more even and scrappy affair. There was a greater confidence about Rangers and their large contingent of fans in the Putney End responded.
Fulham even started to make errors defensively. A loose clearance allowed Luongo to play Smith into the clear inside the area, with Bettinelli racing out to make a crucial block.
There was a minutes silence for former Fulham player Stan Brown before kick off
More and more passes went astray for the hosts and QPR sensed their opportunity, every forward thrust adding to the tension inside the ground.
Freeman looked certain to score from just a few yards out but Odoi managed to stick out a foot and block.
Fulham might have sealed it when Mitrovic, completely anonymous in the second period, was played through over the top but Smithies beat him to the ball, Floyd Ayite firing the follow-up wide.
It proved costly. For reasons known only to himself, Odoi dawdled while trying to play the ball out of defence and had it nicked off him by Wszolek.
All the Pole had to do was break through on goal and his finish was unerring, a crisp shot beyond Bettinelli into the corner. Fulham’s bench and supporters watched on in utter disbelief.
It might have been worse – Bettinelli saved late on from Bidwell and honours were shared.
Fulham look destined for the play-offs for again with Cardiff seven points clear and yet to play