Promotion back to the Premier League. Bookmark. Crowned as champions. Bookmark. Exceeding century goals. Bookmark.
Fulham has everything their heart desires. To paraphrase this popular song they love to play at Craven Cottage, they were just too good to be true at times this season.
In any case, too good for the championship and so we return to the big time where Marco Silva will hope that his Fulham can make a better fist than their last two visits.
There was also personal satisfaction for Alexander Mitrovic, their central striker bulldozer, who surpassed Guy Whittingham’s 1992 record of 42 goals in a second-tier season.
His two goals brought him to 43, a stunning number in the most demanding divisions.
By the end, they lined up for a goal for Fulham. Tom Kearney, Kenny Tete, Fabio Carvalho, Mitrovic, Bobby Decordova-Reed, Jean-Michael Seri … Hell, even goalkeeper Marek Rodak probably imagined his chances.
Fulham became the championship champion after beating Luton 7-0 on Monday night
The winners posed with the silver trophy after an exhausting campaign
Central midfielder Tom Kearney (left) kicks off Craven Cottage with a confident finale
Then Kenny Tete (right) doubled Cottagers’ lead in 11 minutes for a 2-0 half-time lead
MATCH FACTS AND LEAGUE TABLE
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Aunt, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed (Serie 72), Kearney (Munis 86); Wilson, Carvalho (Kebano 78), Decordova-Reed; Mitrovic.
Unused substitutes: Gazzaniga; Brian, Hector, Chaloba.
Goals: Kern 29, Tete 39, Carvalho 54, Mitrovic 62, 90 + 2, Decordova-Reid 65, Serie 79.
Yellow cards: Wilson 83, Mitrovic 90 + 3.
Manager: Marco Silva.
LUTON (3-1-4-2): Ingram; Burke, Locker, Potts; Naismith; Oniedinma (Chioso 31), Lansbury, Snodgrass (Clark 67), Bell; Jerome (Muscovy 64), Hilton.
Unused substitutes: Isted; Thorpe, Kornik, Mendes Gomez.
Yellow cards: Hilton 11, Lockieri 27, Snodgrass 35, Lansbury 37, Potts 51, Muscovy 85.
Manager: Nathan Jones.
Referee: Tim Robinson.
Visitors: 19 538.
- championship
- Premier League
- championship
- League One
- Second League
- Scottish Premiership
- Scottish Division 1
- Scottish Division 2
- Scottish Division 3
- League 1
- Series A
- La Liga
- Bundesliga
Silva’s team was the best to come out of the Championship in many seasons. They had this relentless quality, but at the same time they left us with royal fun. It was the third time this season that they hit seven.
Now with 106 goals in the league for the season, they can still equal or exceed Manchester City’s total of 108 in this division from 2001-02.
The PA announcer asked the audience three times not to invade the field at the end. It was a lost hope. They invaded from all angles, showered the players and the champagne was soon pouring.
Let us not forget, in the light of all this, that Luton is in the playoffs; hardly too-running with nothing left to play.
Once their goal difference is hit, they will be looking over their shoulder this afternoon with Middlesbrough and probably Millwall hoping to steal their place.
Portuguese star Carvalho, who scored third, received a standing ovation from fans in his last match for the club before the proposed summer move to Liverpool
It was a scarf day at Craven Cottage. There was a black-and-white scarf on top of it, with supporters encouraged to spin it as the two teams went out on the field.
The atmosphere was expectant, and they soon exploded when Carvalho fell under the challenge of Cal Naismith in Luton’s field. Referee Tim Robinson did not buy it and the repetitions suggested that the young man went to look for contact.
Luton simply failed to finish his place in the playoffs by pulling out his last two, but they were the first to modify and discover that Rodak had to repel Naismith’s shot.
But the hosts were clearly in a business mood and soon dominated. Mitrovic was insightful when he rushed to Harry Wilson’s clever pass, but the striker could not generate enough power.
Each Fulham detention was broken with their discoverer in 29 minutes. Tete did well to keep the move alive on the right and passed to Wilson.
The Welshman entered the penalty area and managed to notice that Cairney drifted into the pocket of the space right on the 18-yard line in the center position.
Bobby Dekordova-Reed (left) and Alexander Mitrovic (right) then also scored, Mitrovic twice
Deputy Jean-Michael Seri (top) placed the cherry on top of the 30-yard promotional cake
Cairney’s finish was clear, always rising as it crashed beyond Matt Ingram. It was a good way to highlight the century of goals for Fulham in the Championship, the first three-figure team in the division since Kevin Keegan’s City in 2001-02.
Suddenly, these scarves swayed again with chants of “champions” echoing on the ground.
Luton’s One Onedinma stopped with muscle tension just before Fulham’s move began. Powerless, he was lame in the middle of Fulham. But the ball did not go out and there was no obligation to take it out.
Fulham’s second came five minutes before half-time, at the end of a period when the hosts began to caress the ball and Luton said he was disappointed with a series of yellow cards.
Auntie did well with control of the ball on his chest, surrounded by defenders about 30 yards from the door. He stepped forward and the space opened for a fierce blow to his left boot right in the bottom corner. Not bad for the right back.
It was almost a third just before the break when Wilson jumped Mitrovic’s ball, went around Ingram and saw his goal kick cleared from the line by Tom Lockyer.
Mitrovic surpassed Guy Whittingham’s 1992 record of 42 goals in a second-tier season
The Cottage was in a party mood and Fulham’s game only encouraged him. Immediately after the reboot, Cairney was partially curled.
Fulham’s third was delicious. Carvalho started it on his own before the ball went effortlessly from Mitrovic to Wilson, whose small collected pass found Carvalho’s long move.
The 19-year-old suddenly fell into the penalty area and turned home with self-control, which attracted Liverpool. “Stand up for the champions,” he raged around the Villa.
The only thing we seemed to be missing was a goal for Mitrovic, but he came in shortly. He needed a few bites of the cherry after Wilson slipped it in, the ball bounced back in his way by Reece Burke for the simplest finish.
Everyone imagined their chances of scoring a goal so far, and when Carvalho scored at Decordova Reid, he managed to spin between two grim defensive challenges from Burke and Lockyer and hit home.
Despite the sad requests of the PA system, dozens of fans raced on the field to celebrate the victory
The chances are over. Decordova-Reid turned in a dismal performance, however. Mitrovic hit one straight at the goalkeeper.
As Seri somehow found the bottom corner of about 30 yards for the sixth, with a rather encouraging swing of a sliding leg, you began to feel sorry for Luton.
There was still time for Mitrovic’s moment, deep in added time, the striker vying for another assist from Wilson to leave. His T-shirt came out as he jumped into the Hammersmith End.
The Fulham mission is over.
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