Fulham vs Blackpool. Sky Bet Championship.
Craven CottageAttendance19,092.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Fulham and Blackpool at Craven Cottage as Josh Bowler earns a point for the Tangerines after a lengthy delay following a medical emergency in the stands
Saturday 29 January 2022 20:03, UK
Josh Bowler's second-half strike denied Fulham a fifth-successive league win as Marco Silva's Championship leaders were held to a 1-1 draw by Blackpool at Craven Cottage.
Aleksandar Mitrovic struck his 28th league goal of the season in the sixth minute, shortly before the game was halted for 41 minutes while a supporter received medical treatment.
But Fulham were unable to hold on to the lead with Blackpool working their way back on to level terms when Bowler fired home in the 57th minute.
Silva's side had scored 22 goals in their previous four games and it was clear they were brimming with confidence from the way they took control of the game.
And it did not take the Cottagers long to find a way through the visitors' defences and establish the lead.
Neeskens Kebano and Fabio Carvalho created the opening with a well-worked passing move before Mitrovic was given the simple job of finishing from close range from Carvalho's cross.
Blackpool's priority then was to prevent the game slipping away from them and they held firm until referee Peter Bankes halted play in the 13th minute.
Both teams left the field of play while the supporter received treatment in the stand before being transferred to hospital.
And when play did resume, Blackpool - who were aiming to stage a repeat of the victory over Silva's side in September - were able to establish more of a foothold in the game.
Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak was forced to dive full length to keep out Callum Connolly's free-kick.
And Seasiders midfielder Bowler was unlucky to see a left-footed shot strike the crossbar after cutting in from the right-hand flank.
But Fulham continued to test Blackpool goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw, who did well to deny Mitrovic's follow up after Jordan Thorniley's attempted clearance had hit the post.
And the keeper did even better when he produced a fine double save to prevent Harry Wilson from adding a second goal immediately before half-time after the winger had been sent clear by Harrison Reed's pass.
Fulham carried on where they had left off at the start of the second half with Carvalho capping a run from halfway with a shot that rebounded to safety off Grimshaw's near post.
But the visitors showed more purpose after the break and began to apply pressure on Rodak's goal.
The Fulham stopper was forced to save well from Jordan Gabriel's shot but had little chance of preventing Bowler's 56th-minute equaliser.
The opening came after a misplaced pass from home centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo was picked up by CJ Hamilton, who surged forward before finding Bowler who finished with a first-time shot from 16 yards out.
Fulham pressed forward in an attempt to re-establish their lead but they rarely looked like finding a way through as the spoils were shared.
Fulham's Marco Silva: "The result was not good. It was a disappointing result. We didn't start well, we started brilliantly - in the first 11 minutes against a team who changed everything to face us. We scored a really good goal and had great chances to score the second. Then unfortunately we had the break and it was a really serious situation, so all our thoughts are with our friend.
"After we came back, we expected some changes because we'd controlled things so well. We were too slow in the second half and when you play slowly, you give some belief to the opposition."
"Our second half was bad but the second half from the ref was really bad. The way he managed the game, you can have a bad afternoon like my team but it was a bad second half from my team and the referee. The way he managed the game, you can have a bad afternoon like my team but it was a bad second half from my team and the referee. It was not a big decision, it was many, many, many small designs. When there are 10, 20 of them, it's difficult to understand."
Blackpool's Neil Critchley: "I thought he [Bowler] was outstanding. You could see the respect they had for him. He nearly scored in the first half, good finish for the goal. He's been brilliant for us. Let's see what happens. He's our player, we're delighted to have him and we know how good he is and we know his worth. We want to be a club that gives young players an opportunity and develops them and if they then have the opportunity to move on and it's the right time to move on and it's right for the club then we want to be that club.
"But that's not me pushing him out the door as we were delighted to have him. If he stays after 11pm Monday night we'll all be delighted to have him. Fulham are a Premier League team in waiting and I fully expect them to get promoted. It was a good point today. We'll get confidence from that but we won't get carried away."
