REPORT: Peterborough United 0, Fulham 1: Plucky and unlucky was the story of a Posh defeat against promotion favourites

Credit Peterborough United for that. Posh were the better side in the first-half against free-scoring and expensively-assembled Fulham and battled gamely to the end before accepting defeat, by a single goal from a player who cost £22 million and apparently earns £100k a week.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was pretty poor for most of the contest, but showed why goalscorers command the big bucks. He freed himself to meet Neeskens Kebano left wing cross to nod home 16 minutes from time - remarkably his 20th goal of a season in 17 Championship appearances.

It was a shame for Posh who needed to score when on top before the break as Fulham improved markedly in the second half. Posh ‘keeper Dai Cornell made three excellent saves, but Fulham’s number one Marek Rodak also earnt his money, most noticeably late on when he expertly tipped a shot from Jonson Clarke-Harris onto the post in the final stages.

Clarke-Harris also struck the woodwork in a first-half that saw six Posh shots to Fulham’s one.

The big Posh team news was the return from the start of Clarke-Harris. Almost as big was the non-selection of England teenager Ronnie Edwards as Frankie Kent and Dan Butler were selected in a revamped defence.

Fulham’s side cost in the region of £90 million and £100,000 per week striker Mitrovic was again leading the line against a team with plenty of similar earners, albeit over a year.

The game started as most pundits would have expected with Fulham hogging the ball, but they made no inroads in a four-man Posh defence. Captain Mark Beevers looked happy to be back alongside Kent.

But the game started to turn. Slowly at first, but Posh started to win possession and gradually Fulham were pushed back.

The visitors waited until the 46th minute to deliver their first shot, a wild slash wide of the target from Kebano after £12 million Harry Wilson had played him through.

Posh had come much closer to scoring. Kent’s fine pass sent Clarke-Harris into the penalty area and he took the shot with the outside of his left foot and it clattered against the angle of crossbar and post.

Clarke-Harris then played Szmodics into the area and the Posh forward rode a challenge, but the angle became too tight and Rodak made the save with the legs.

Crosses from Joe Ward and Harrison Burrows looked good, but found no takers and the former also forced Rodak into a comfortable save from a free kick.

Posh were applauded off at the break, but could they keep making Fulham look so ordinary for a full 90 minutes? No, was the short answer as the Londoners did indeed increase the tempo of their passing. as they attacked the end housing their own fans.

Fulham also reacted by substituting right-back Dennis Odoi who had been troubled by Siriki Dembele and cautioned for fouling him.

Mitrovic delivered Fulham’s first shot from 20 yards, but Cornell did well to push it to safety. A better save followed a couple of minutes later when Mitrovic struck a sweet first-time volley which was beaten behind for a corner.

Posh were under considerable pressure at this stage, but two cumbersome Fulham centre-backs always offered hope and Szmodics scampered away onto an Oliver Noburn pass, but couldn’t get enough power in his left foot shot to trouble Rodak.

Bobby Decordova-Reid fired wide for Fulham, but Kebano was now starting to trouble emergency right-back Joe Ward as a few Posh legs started to look tired.

Kebano’s crossing had been poor, but he finally landed one on the money to settle the game.

Cornell immediately made a stunning one-handed save to keep out a Kebano thunderbolt, but Posh rallied impressively in the final 10 minutes.

Rodak followed his fine save from Clarke-Harris by pushing a Clarke-Harris free kick wide. The final whistle blew moments later enabling Fulham to celebrate a sixth win in a row and Posh to accept plaudits for a plucky, at times impressive and unlucky, but ultimately fruitless performance.

Posh: Dai Cornell, Dan Butler, Mark Beevers (sub Ronnie Edwards, 80mins), Frankie Kent, Joe Ward (sub Idris Kanu 85 mins), Harrison Burrows (sub Kwame Poku, 85 mins), Oliver Norburn, Jack Taylor, Siriki Dembele, Sammie Szmodics, Jonson Clarke-Harris

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Josh Knight, Conor Coventry, Jorge Grant.

Fulham: Marek Rodak, Denis Odoi (sub Kenny Tete, 46 mins), Michael Hector, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Jean Michael Seri (sub Tom Cairney, 62 mins), Harrison Reed, Booby De Corodova-Reid, Harry Wilson, Neeskens Kebano, Aleksandar Mitrovic (sub Alfie Mawson, 90 mins)

Unused subs: Paulo Gazzaniga, Josh Onomah, Fabio Carvalho, Rodrgio Muniz

Goals:

Fulham - Mitrovic (74 mins)

For much of this game it didn’t look like £90 million buys you much.

Cautions:

Posh - Norburn (foul).

Fulham - Odoi (foul), Kebano (foul), Ream (foul), Cairney (delaying the restart)

Referee: Dean Whitestone 8.

Attendance: 11,214.