Craven Cottage Newsround

“We are in Transylvania, and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things.”

Indeed. Six more goals at Craven Cottage and more excitement than this correspondent could bear. It was like watching two drunk and exhausted fighters slugging away: take that! And that! And that! When will we quietly win a game 2-0?

Part of the beauty of watching sport every week is the ups and downs we see in the games’ main players. Last week Hameur Bouaza’s late and clumsy lunge cost us a couple of points; this week his skill was central to us earning a point from a very good City team.

First, tracking back well, he managed to win possession by our corner flag. Tackle won, he switched play to Clint Dempsey, who ranged in and out and slipped the ball to the excellent Steve Davis. Davis strode on and moved the ball back to the rapidly overlapping Bouazza, whose firm cross was met by Simon Davies at the near post for a simply wonderful counter-attacking strike. One end to the other: goal!

Not for long though. City broke and found Martin Petrov, who sensed Baird retreating, accelerated, turned him inside out and slopped a shot under Niemi for a bitterly disappointing equaliser. Leads are not being kept very well.

At half time 1-1 was fair. Soon after we took the lead. Diomansy Kamara, who had a scintillating second half, earned a free-kick by confusing Richard Dunne. Just outside the box, *someone* should’ve felt confident from there. Bouazza did, striding forward and then blasting the thing goalwards. “Stop this” he seemed to be saying to Kaspar Schmeichel. The young keeper didn’t see it. Thunderbolt.

To which City added another, Petrov again proving too hot to handle, wiggling inside and out of Aaron Hughes, forcing a save from Niemi, and celebrating as Mpenza stooped to head home the rebound. Petrov added another, slamming home after a delicious 1-2 with Elano. This goal followed 10 minutes of wonderful City football in which Fulham were frequently left chasing shadows.

But this Fulham team has guts, and clawed back into the game with the help of two new players. Seol Ki-Hyeon’s header from the left flank fell into the path of Danny Murphy, who coolly slotted home with only Schmeichel to beat. Murphy could’ve had another, firing high and wide from the edge of the box, while Seol thrilled all with a series of snaking runs, each more audacious than the last. If he keeps it up we have one hell of a player on our hands. If.

So another point. A good one too; City are better than I had expected. Now to take down Stamford Bridge…