Fulham 2 Brentford 1: Wilson climbs off bench to send home fans delirious with two injury-time goals in thrilling climax
HARRY WILSON put Craven Cottage in a spin with a stunning late double blast.
The Fulham sub equalised two minutes into added time with an acrobatic mid-air twist before winning it with a diving header in the 97th minute to turn this West London derby on its head in every sense.
Brentford had led from the 24th minute thanks to an equally spectacular 30-yard strike from Vitaly Janelt and looked to be heading for a top-half spot in the Premier League and a first away win of the season.
Keeper Mark Flekken had also defied a pulled hamstring just minutes after kick-off to defy an onslaught from Fulham in the second-half before finally succumbing at the death.
Fulham boss Marco Silva was running out of ideas and turned to Wilson with just nine minutes of the game remaining and was rewarded with a memorable victory over their neighbours.
He first combined with fellow sub Adama Traore who crossed from the right to leap athletically into space and flick the ball past defender Ben Mee and over the head of the keeper.
It set up a frenetic finale as Wilson then popped up in the area to head home a cross from Antonee Robinson to snatch it with virtually the last move of the match.
Fulham appeared to be resigned to a second successive home defeat before Silva’s masterstroke from the bench.
Despite their domination and wave after wave of attacks, Flekken and Brentford’s hard-working centre-back pairing of Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins were repelling everything thrown at them.
It seemed as if one moment of magic would be enough to settle it – until two came along at once.
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Fulham’s dangerous dithering on the ball ten yards in front of their goal area cost them in the first-half as they lost possession and Christian Norgaard slipped a low pass left to Janelt, who was waiting in plenty of space.
He also had time to tee up a laser like left-foot shot across the area that evaded the full length dive of Bernd Leno and rifled into the opposite corner of the net.
It is his first goal of the season – equalling his tally for the whole of the last. Janelt may not score many but they are worth waiting for.
He then went close to grabbing a second just before half-time when another long range shot whistled past the Fulham post.
At the other end there was drama too as Bees’ keeper Flekken hobbled his way around after getting injured just a few minutes into the match.
Pinnock was forced to take the goal kicks and at times Flekken looked like he wouldn’t make it to half-time.
But the evident injury didn’t dull his reactions and after making a double save from Reiss Nelson, Brentford’s flying Dutchman hurled himself into mid-air to clutch a goalbound, downward header from Emile Smith-Rowe – feeling the full force of Nelson who came in at full speed to pounce on the follow up.
Limpalong Flekken recovered enough by the second-half to save efforts from sub Adama Traore, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.
He was also perfectly positioned to save a powerful point blank header from Fulham centre-back Joachim Andersen as the Cottagers chased a late equaliser.
They got it through the energy and enthusiasm of Wilson, who had yet to score this season but now has two goals in five minutes to celebrate.