Derby 1 Fulham 0: Cameron Jerome header hands Rams first-leg play-off advantage in Premier League race
Rams grabbed an early lead and managed to hang on after Tom Cairney hit the crossbar from range
FULHAM’S play-off curse struck again as red-hot Cameron Jerome made it advantage Derby in this semi-final.
Powerhouse Jerome, who went up via the end-of-season lottery with Norwich three years ago, netted his fifth goal in four games thanks to a towering, first-half header.
The Cottagers had never won a play-off game in six attempts before this encounter.
And they extended that unwanted record to seven with Kevin McDonald’s crossbar-clanging shot the closest they came to scoring.
It left things marginally in favour of Gary Rowett’s team ahead of the second leg in two days at Craven Cottage.
The last of Fulham’s play-off disappointments, prior to this one, came against Reading last season.
Slavisa Jokanovic claimed he never reviewed his team’s defeat at the Madejski again, preferring to look forward instead of back.
If he gives this match a TV replay which he surely will do before Monday’s meeting, it will be uncomfortable viewing as the Serb’s side frustratingly failed to capitalise on their possession.
Derby revealed the bad news hours before kick-off that Marcus Olsson is now sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Swede would have started at left wing-back in Rowett’s recently rejigged 3-4-3 formation, but instead winger Andi Weimann was drafted into that position.
Fulham were boosted by the return to fitness of loan left-back Matt Targett - allowing whizkid Ryan Sessegnon to push further forward.
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While Stefan Johansen started, despite Rowett branding the Dane lucky not to be retrospectively banned for an alleged elbow thrown during last week’s defeat at Birmingham.
Johansen was calling for a penalty with less than two minutes on the clock when the ball appeared to bounce off Curtis Davies’ arm but nothing was given.
Jokanovic had predicted Derby would allow his team to dominate the ball, even at home, and try to hit them on the break - and so it proved.
Fulham have literally been the Championship’s pass-masters this term, having more passes, more possession and a better passing accuracy than any other side.
But for all their possession, the visitors struggled to break down the Rams’ rigid defence.
Sessegnon blasted a shot high and wide with four minutes played and the tense crowd had to wait another 22 minutes for the next opportunity, when Floyd Ayite headed wide.
Sessegnon was born on May 18, 2000 - the same day Gary Rowett scored for Birmingham against Barnsley in the Championship play-offs.
The boy wonder will finally be allowed legally to drink on Friday and the big question is whether he will still be at Craven Cottage next season, promotion or not.
Little Sess, as he is known by his team-mates, has been linked to all European big boys, with Paris Saint-Germain the latest link cropping up this week.
His rising star may already be shining too bright for the West Londoners to keep him this summer whatever happens.
But Jokanovic knows it will be a hell of a lot easier convincing him to stay put if Fulham are a Premier League club next term.
Yet that looked severely under threat on 34 minutes when Derby took the lead thanks to Jerome’s bullet header.
It was a throwback to the kind of goals we used to see regularly in this country as the veteran forward rose above Targett to power Craig Forsyth’s pinpoint cross past Marcus Bettinelli at the back post.
And it meant the January signing, 31, had now scored in his last three play-off appearances, having netted in the semi-final second leg and final in Norwich’s 2015 triumph.
Jokanovic’s men had to step it up after an ineffectual first half and went mightily close to a leveller soon after the interval.
First, holding midfielder McDonald rattled the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Then Ayite ghosted past Forsyth to latch onto Johansen’s lofted pass, but the Togolese winger volleyed poorly over with the goal gaping.
Tom Cairney was next to try his luck but still the breakthrough would not come as the Scot’s rasping drive was beaten away by Scott Carson.
Jokanovic hauled off Sessegnon and Ayite for the last 14 minutes for Lucas Piazon and Neeskens Kebano, but it made no difference.
Rowett claimed before the game that for once Derby, seen by many as chokers in the season finale in recent years, were entering these play-offs with “no expectation”.
That in turn could allow his players to play “without any real fear” this time around.
And based on this fearless performance, he could well be right.
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