City-Fulham Match Report

By: Thad | October 25th, 2009

It’s halftime at the Eastlands with City and Fulham locked in an an entertaining 0-0 draw. We will have minute-by-minute commentary of the second half shortly…

City had a seemingly good goal off a corner by Micah Richards disallowed, possibly for a push by Gareth Barry. City were the dominant team most of the first half but Fulham were also dangerous in spells, and City were extremely lucky not to be punished when Kamara slipped behind the offside trap with a clear run in goal. Fortunately Kamara seemed as surprised as anyone else and his heavy touch allowed Given time to come save at feet.

City’s lineup has been a little different today, with neither Ireland or Wright-Phillips in the eleven. Instead it’s the usual three up top–Bellamy, Adebayor, Tevez–with De Jong, Barry, and Petrov in the midfield. Richards retakes the right-back spot after Zabaleta’s red card last week, while Toure is back in the line up partnering Lescott. Bridge and Given round out the eleven…

Right now it’s quite an open game–second half should be a cracker…

46th minute. Fulham kick things off…No changes for either side.

47th minute. Attendance announced as just short of 45,000. Duff gets in a good cross from the right, Given briefly fumbles it before gathering it in. OH DEAR–Zamora misses from point blank!!!

48th minute. Fulham had cut City apart, after a good save from Given it fell to an unmarked Zamora who knocked it well over the bar from six yards. That was textbook “misses when it was easier to score” stuff. Richards is off the hook, his giveaway at the back started that sequence.

49th minute. City need to get it going here, a bright start from Fulham this half. Tevez manages to get a cross in but no problem for Schwarzer.

50th minute. Foul on Toure gives Fulham a free kick about 25 yards from goal. Duff stands over the ball…

51th minute. Baird took the kick right-footed and put it well over. More replays being shown of Zamora’s miss, which do little to exonerate the ex-Brighton man…

53rd minute. City get a corner after some work in the corner by Barry. Petrov takes…and Schwarzer punches…Bridge fires it in and nearly scores! Schwarzer with a great save to his right. Another corner–and a goal for City!!

54th minute. Lescott punched it from about 3 inches! really! Adebayor nudged it towards goal and Lescott finished the job. Goal will be credited to Lescott. Bellamy’s corner kick floated in the air for ages but Fulham didn’t get to it. Replay shows how well Barry did to keep that alive, he got the first two City touches to it, Adebayor nudged it on, then Lescott smashed it home. Not Schwarzer’s greatest moment it has to be said, he came for it and didn’t get it.

56th minute. Another corner from the left for City, who are keeping the pressure up even after the goal.

57th minute. Nothing comes of that sequence, which ends with Adebayor being whistled for a foul.

59th minute. Bridge works again down the left and gets another corner. He’s had a good game so far. Bellamy to take…

60th minute. Tevez got a head to it but it’s cleared away…and Petrov scores!!! Again! 2-0 City.

61th minute. Petrov came in from the right, and after an exchange of passes found himself open just inside the penalty area, he made no mistake tucking it into the right corner with his left foot. Petrov has now scored every game he has started….

62nd minute. But now Fulham have scored! 2-1. Duff with the finish on his left foot, a not well-cleared ball in the box fell to hm to the right. Game is far from over!

64th minute. A memorable explosion of goals at the start of this half and it has to be said Fulham deserve to have scored. City will want a 3rd to make this safer.

65th minute. Petrov comes down the left but Fulham deal with it this time. Petrov has been given freedom to roam left, right and center instead of being in his more customary left-wing role.

67th minute. Petrov on the ground with a knock. His day is over, and Wright-Phillips takes his place. Good game for Petrov, hopefully this is not serious…

68th minute. But meanwhile Fulham have scored again! Good grief. 2-2. Clint Dempsey the scorer, he got his head on that set piece and it crept in off the post.

69th minute. Test of City’s character here, this game seemed to be in hand but City switched off a bit. Can they switch it back on?

70th minute. Dempsey lies on the turf but the ref decides not to stop play. City move forward and SWP wins a corner.

71th minute. Fulham are angry City played on and the teams scuffle a bit. Nothing comes of the corner…

72nd minute. Ireland about to come on. Richards is fouled–game getting a little chippy now. City are desperate to prevent a repeat of the April 2008 match in which Fulham came all the way back from 2-0 to win. Ireland is on for De Jong.

73rd minute. Free kick skidded through the box dangerously but Tevez can’t quite control it.

74th minute. Fulham have had over 60% possession the last 5 minutes, stats show. This is better from City now as they patiently set up shop.

75th minute. Lescott tried to beat Duff on the dribble which was a bad idea…meanwhile Zamora is no more than 2 yards away from scoring after he got room for himself inside the box. He knocked it just wide of the post. City are not coping at the moment with the forward play.

77th minute. Tevez jostles for the ball near the area and loses his headband, but doesn’t get a call.

78th minute. Kelly wins a Fulham corner, cutting City open down the left flank. Hangeland with a strong header off that corner but Given saves well and City clear.

79th minute. SWP gets a chance to get into the game after being set up by Tevez, he shoots ambitiously from distance but it’s not any where close.

80th minute. This is an important 10 minutes for City’s season–a draw would be very disappointing after having led 2-0 but it would be worse yet to lose it, which seems entirely possible.

81th minute. That’s better from City–Barry comes very close there, nodding it a yard wide with his head from about 8 yards out. SWP supplied the chipped cross to the back post.

83rd minute. City pass it around the back nicely then launch a long ball that comes to nothing. Dempsey comes back with it for Fulham who now have it for a spell. Duff closes down Bridge there deep in the corner and gets a corner on the ricochet.

84th minute. Dempsey gets away from Lescott there but his header goes over the bar.

85th minute. SWP earns a corner down the right. Adebayor got his head to it but it goes tamely wide.

86th minute. Barry’s ball into the box is nodded behind for a corner. Bellamy takes, he puts it back post again, Richards seemed to get there but it bounces safely into the keeper’s hands.

87th minute. City crowd sound nervous, anxious for something good to happen but not entirely confident.

89th minute. Tevez does well there to manufacture a half-chance, it’s deflected behind for a corner. Bellamy takes but it’s dealt with.

90th minute. Kamara drags it just wide of the goal there, he took Toure on there.

91st minute. 5 minutes of injury time to be played. Vincent Kompany is going to come on for Kolo Toure, he takes the armband too. Possibly a good idea with Fulham’s recent threats. Seol comes in for Kamara.

93rd minute. Bridge plays a cross that’s deflected behind for yet another City corner. Bellamy puts it in a good place but Baird gets there first.

94th minute. Adebayor falls chasing that long ball from Kompany. Footing seems to be treacherous with the rain.

95th minute. Barry plays a near post cross but Schwarzer anticipated that to make the catch. Offside on Zamora..and that’s the final whistle. The ref did not add another minute for the last subs but called it over right on 95:00.

Final score, City 2, Fulham 2. A somewhat disappointing result, magnified by the fact that City let a two goal lead slip. Yet it would be hard to say it was in any way an unfair result.

Next up for Manchester City: a home date against Scunthorpe in the League Cup on Wednesday.