Now we have got that little gaggle of games out of the way things are still looking positive from the Superwhites' perspective.

The majority of us realise that it doesn't matter what team one's team is up against, the result is never predictable. We've seen that so often that a game against a team near the bottom of the table can be as tricky as those against the promotion hopefuls.

The Huddersfield contest started our three games in an eleven-day sequence and that could really have been uncomfortable. The 17 point gap in the table meant nothing on the day. The Terriers have been settling down were not in the danger zone. They had beaten fellow sufferers Hull in their last game but lost three on the spin against Stoke, Southampton and Barnsley and drawn against Brentford.

Well, that supposition was borne out in a mad haywire game where, being Fulhamish, we chucked away two goals of our easy first half three goal cushion to hang on by our finger nails throughout the remaining hour or so.

This made the prospect of two away games in quick succession an even more uncomfortable proposition, neither Blackburn or Millwall are easy opponents at their home grounds anyway.

Well, we all know now, the team stuck at it at Ewood Park and won a dour one nil game, that clean sheet was another encouraging signal. Michael Hector is nicely bedded in now and his presence has certainly given us solidity at the back.

Millwall was another test and as we scored so early it might have seemed that we could have gone on to rack up a decent win..

Typically that was not on the cards and frankly we didn't look comfortable after Millwall scored and the half-time whistle seemed years away as we knuckled down.

The second half performance was far better but one must credit Millwall with their play, they pressed us and stopped us hurting them despite our possessions and incursions in their half..

A draw was probably a fair outcome but I'd have loved Neesken's header to have been a couple of inches lower in the closing minutes. Still 4 points from two away-days Is not so bad and seven points from a possible nine over the last three games since our F A Cup exit is blooming marvellous.

Innit?

COYW! Well what can one say? After a welcome away win at Blackburn Rovers Fulham fought out a tough single point at Millwall’s Den, to see out an unbeaten run of six matches in the Championship and seven unbeaten including the FA Cup win over Premier League strugglers Villa. It wasn’t pretty and at times we played a dangerous game inviting a hard pressing Millwall to push us into errors. Despite the usual Fulhamish wobbles, the team played some great football, albeit in bursts and might have flukes a goal near the death when a Neeskens Kebano cross-header had the keeper worried and skimmed over the bar.

When The teams were announced, the Gary Rowett had left old Fulham war-horse Matt Smith on the bench for the home side. Scotty named a familiar line-up but Kevin McDonald was on the bench with Arter in midfield with the now ever-present Josh Onamah and skipper Tom Cairney. Rodák took his usual place in goal, Denis Odoi, Michael Hector, Time Ream and Joe Bryan in the defensive line before him. Bobby Decordova-Reid and Aboubakar Kamara joined Aleksander Mitrovic upfront.

It has to be mentioned that the pitch surface was a throwback to years gone by and uncharacteristically bad by current standards, methinks the ground staff are going to have nightmares when they relay little mess, which is scheduled to be carried out, soon.

The opening minutes were understandably hit and miss, neither team having a chance to settle in the opening exchanges. Jed Wallace looked very lively and one had the distinct impression that he was going to be a handful.

Josh Onomah was fouled just before the two-minute mark as we were building up a dangerous attack, the free kick being awarded midway into the home half. Harry Arter played a training ground free kick which involved inter-passing between Cairney, Joe Bryan, Arter then back to Bryan who looped a brilliant cross behind the defence for an incoming Nitro to convert, he’d left the whole Millwall back line yards behind. The goal was scored on 2 minutes and 23 seconds

This was looking promising, however nobody told Millwall to roll over and sure enough, we allowed them possession and on five minutes they won a corner when the ref over-ruled the assistant. Fulham cleared the danger from the corner but the hosts kept the ball and won another corner.

A bit of ping-pong ensued from this corner kick and when a deflected ball from a clashing Denis Odoi and Bradshaw spun high towards the goal, the Millwall foot of Bödvarsson who with another home plyer was a couple of yards goal side of the ball stretched a foot to the looping ball to score. Most present thought it was good but later television access, with the benefit of close-up slow-motion, proved that the ball had actually been played forward by a Millwall player and had VAR been in use would not have stood.

Scott Parker and the Fulham players were furious but once a goal is given, that’s it, no point in arguing, unfortunately the Fulham team seemed to let it dwell and for the remainder of the half just didn’t carry on with their earlier progress, Millwall were seeing a lot of the ball, although we were looking the better team without threatening too much. Michael Hector was receiving the ball a lot as we broke down Millwall incursions from around 10 minutes on. He resorted to paying hopeful long balls to our front three most of which were gratefully accepted by Millwall’s players, this tactic was destined to be seen throughout the second half. In the 16th minute, Rodák had to come out of the right hand side of his area to head a ball into touch, this was one of the only notable events since Millwall had equalised. Fulham had a decent build-up involving midfield Cairney, Bryan, Mitrovic and Bobby D-R, the dangerous looking cross from Bobby just sailed out of Kamara’s reach to go out of play for a goal kick. Had Abou been a little more switched on, the ball was reachable and a very decent opportunity might have been created.

Our uneasiness was exemplified on 19 minutes when easy possession at the back and a flurry of passes between the Fulham was stroked to Joe Bryan who misread it entirely, gifting our hosts a throw, Now we were carelessly giving the ball away too often as if this might speed up the half-time whistle which, to be honest, our lot seemed to need more than anything.

Another misplaced pass brought pressure on us on the left and the ball was neatly passed around Millwall’s midfield to arrow low ward our goal, Wallace, as usual, at the heart of things. Bryan shepherded the ball and player to tour left touch line yards from the corner flag for a Millwall throw. The ball was worked around nicely by our antagonists ending with a threatening march towards goal happily terminated by Rodák.

Now it was all the Lions and another incisive ball whipped towards menacing across and through their midfield, again involving the excellent Wallace, the ball switched and was swiftly passed towards the 18-yard area, and chased by Bradshaw, Odoi managed to snuff out the danger but it was becoming more uncomfortable for the visitors.

Twenty minutes had elapsed and to me it had felt like far longer than that, Hector, once again played a long ball down the right which was beyond the control of Kamara and resulted in yet another unnecessary throw to the opposition. This immediately lit the fuse for another foray at our goal, the throw-in being headed down the line and across for Wallace to collect and run infield towards our goal. He passed to the incoming Romeo who stepped forward into the area to be clattered by Bryan, an obvious penalty and a complete disaster for the Superwhites.

Wallace took the ball to the spot, ran up and promptly belted high and over, off the bar, what a relief!

Let’s hope that would wake up our off-kilter mob, 22 and something minutes, drawing the game but likely to not be behind and it was mostly Millwall, they wanted it our lot thought they should have it on a plate, come on you lot, show some fight! Then Mitro did his usual and drew a foul from Bradshaw earning a free kick and a yellow for his assailant, a respite at last, naturally we soon wasted that opportunity, we were second best now, sure enough.

Things were much better in the second half but try as they did, the team just couldn't scratch a goal and sub Neesken's back-headed effort which brushed the bar courtesy of the keeper was about the only highlight of this set-back!

Now we have got that little gaggle of games out of the way things are still looking positive from the Superwhites' perspective.

The majority of us realise that it doesn't matter what team one's team is up against, the result is never predictable. We've seen that so often that a game against a team near the bottom of the table can be as tricky as those against the promotion hopefuls.

The Huddersfield contest started our three games in an eleven-day sequence and that could really have been uncomfortable. The 17 point gap in the table meant nothing on the day. The Terriers have been settling down were not in the danger zone. They had beaten fellow sufferers Hull in their last game but lost three on the spin against Stoke, Southampton and Barnsley and drawn against Brentford.

Well, that supposition was borne out in a mad haywire game where, being Fulhamish, we chucked away two goals of our easy first half three goal cushion to hang on by our finger nails throughout the remaining hour or so.

This made the prospect of two away games in quick succession an even more uncomfortable proposition, neither Blackburn or Millwall are easy opponents at their home grounds anyway.

Well, we all know now, the team stuck at it at Ewood Park and won a dour one nil game, that clean sheet was another encouraging signal. Michael Hector is nicely bedded in now and his presence has certainly given us solidity at the back.

Millwall was another test and as we scored so early it might have seemed that we could have gone on to rack up a decent win..

Typically that was not on the cards and frankly we didn't look comfortable after Millwall scored and the half-time whistle seemed years away as we knuckled down.

The second half performance was far better but one must credit Millwall with their play, they pressed us and stopped us hurting them despite our possessions and incursions in their half..

A draw was probably a fair outcome but I'd have loved Neesken's header to have been a couple of inches lower in the closing minutes. Still 4 points from two away-days Is not so bad and seven points from a possible nine over the last three games since our F A Cup exit is blooming marvellous.

Innit?

COYW!