Fulham climbed provisionally out of the relegation places after Alex Iwobi’s first-half finish secured a hard-earned 1-0 win over Hull City at Craven Cottage.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s side controlled virtually every part of the contest, keeping Hull pinned back for long spells and enjoying possession that reached 87 per cent before the interval. Yet a second goal would not arrive, leaving the home side to manage a nervous closing stretch and a late red card for Ryan Sessegnon.
Iwobi turns pressure into a lead
Fulham took command from the opening minutes. Iwobi nearly struck in the second minute when his placed effort was deflected behind, while Oscar Bobb provided an early threat with his work on the ball and his runs into space.
Hull defended in numbers, closing the gaps around their penalty area and making clear openings difficult to find despite Fulham’s territorial dominance. The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute, however, when Norton-Cuffy’s attempted clearance dropped loose in the box. Iwobi reacted first and drove a right-footed finish home.
The hosts continued to move the ball with greater purpose and quality through the remainder of the first half, while Hull offered little attacking danger.
Crossbar denies Fulham a second
The pattern barely changed after the restart. Fulham remained on the front foot, combining neatly but too often falling short of the decisive final touch.
Iwobi continued to deliver dangerous balls from wide areas and, in the 73rd minute, Gonzalo met one of his crosses with a header that struck the crossbar. It was the closest Fulham came to putting the match beyond Hull’s reach.
Hull began to push for an equaliser as the game moved towards its final stages, but their substitutions brought little change to a side that had spent most of the afternoon under pressure. Fulham saw out the lead with relative control until stoppage time.
Late flashpoint
Sessegnon was shown a straight red card in added time after a heavy challenge from behind on Vaz. The incident caused a brief flare-up before the final whistle, but it did not alter the result.
Iwobi’s goal was enough to give Fulham three valuable points from a match they dominated, even if their failure to add to the score ensured there was no room for complacency. The win lifts Arbeloa’s team out of the bottom three for the moment, with the rest of the round still to be completed.
