Fulham 3-0 Derby County: Aleksandar Mitrovic nets 13th Championship goal of season

Bobby Decordova-Reid's opener against Derby was his first goal for Fulham since joining on loan from Cardiff in August

Aleksandar Mitrovic's 13th league goal of the season helped send Fulham third in the Championship as they condemned outclassed Derby to a fourth straight away defeat.

Mitrovic, the division's leading scorer, headed home Ivan Cavaleiro's corner just before half-time to add to Bobby Decordova-Reid's early opener and reward Fulham's first-half dominance.

Decordova-Reid got in front of the Derby defence to poke home Aboubakar Kamara's inviting cross after just seven minutes to put the Cottagers on the way to a third successive win.

Serbia striker Mitrovic should have added to his tally in the second half but headed a good chance over before turning provider late on, setting up Tom Cairney to slot home Fulham's third.

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Rams keeper Kelle Roos was hesitant to come off his line for both of Fulham's close-range goals but made fine stops from Kamara, Cavaleiro and Mitrovic to prevent Derby's margin of defeat being greater.

While Mitrovic, back from a one-game ban, again found the net, Kamara - keeping his place after scoring twice as a stand-in against QPR - equally caught the eye for the dominant hosts.

The French striker, continuing his return from exile after being arrested following a training-ground clash in January, was at the heart of Fulham's best moves before limping off in the second half.

Derby boss Phillip Cocu, meanwhile, will hope the impending introduction of Wayne Rooney into the coaching set-up can help provide a cure to their travel sickness.

The Rams have won their past five games at Pride Park, including the past four without conceding, but have suffered four straight away defeats, drawing a blank each time, and have not won on the road in the league since the opening day.

They could have remedied that before Decordova-Reid's opener but Tom Lawrence scuffed wide when well placed and the Rams failed to register a single shot on target, with Lawrence and Martyn Waghorn both wayward with late efforts.

Fulham manager Scott Parker told BBC Radio London:

"Today was tough, we played in a short space of time this week and it was always going to be tough physically for us.

"I thought we executed everything we spoke about in the last few days, I don't think they had any shots on target and we really executed in the final third.

"I'm really pleased with the team and really pleased with the lads, it's a good result."

Derby boss Phillip Cocu told BBC Radio Derby:

"It's not good enough, because if we can avoid conceding from set-pieces, we'd have many more points than we have at the moment.

"After six minutes, the set-piece, I have to see it back, but I think it's a mistake. Then they had what they wanted. They were leading so they didn't really need to [attack].

"They tried to get us out and then they play in that strength with Mitrovic, so they can play the short game, get some midfielders out of position, then play direct. They're difficult to stop."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Fulham

• 12Rodák
• 4Odoi
• 5Mawson
• 13Ream
• 23Bryan
• 8Johansen
• 10Cairney
• 47KamaraSubstituted forKnockaertat 54'minutes
• 14De Cordova-ReidSubstituted forOnomahat 60'minutes
• 19CavaleiroBooked at 34minsSubstituted forChristieat 80'minutes
• 9Mitrovic

Substitutes

• 1Bettinelli
• 6McDonald
• 7Kebano
• 22Christie
• 24Knockaert
• 25Onomah
• 33O'Riley

Derby

• 21Roos
• 37Bogle
• 33Davies
• 3ForsythBooked at 45mins
• 25Lowe
• 17EvansSubstituted forDowellat 62'minutesBooked at 90mins
• 5Bielik
• 9Waghorn
• 23HolmesSubstituted forMarriottat 77'minutes
• 10Lawrence
• 19MartinSubstituted forWhittakerat 59'minutes

Substitutes

• 7Paterson
• 8Dowell
• 12Hamer
• 14Marriott
• 41Bird
• 46Malone
• 49Whittaker

Referee:

Andy Woolmer

Attendance:

16,856

Match Stats

Home TeamFulhamAway TeamDerby

Possession

Home62%

Away38%

Shots

Home16

Away8

Shots on Target

Home7

Away0

Corners

Home6

Away3

Fouls

Home9

Away11

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Fulham 3, Derby County 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+6'

Second Half ends, Fulham 3, Derby County 0.

Posted at 90'+5'

Denis Odoi (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+5'

Foul by Martyn Waghorn (Derby County).

Posted at 90'+5'

Attempt blocked. Jack Marriott (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Max Lowe with a cross.

Posted at 90'+5'

Attempt blocked. Morgan Whittaker (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Booking

Posted at 90'+3'

Kieran Dowell (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'+2'

Stefan Johansen (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Kieran Dowell (Derby County).

Posted at 90'+2'

Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Tom Lawrence (Derby County).

Goal!

Posted at 89'

Goal! Fulham 3, Derby County 0. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Posted at 88'

Attempt blocked. Kieran Dowell (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Lawrence.

Posted at 84'

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Joe Bryan.

Posted at 82'

Attempt missed. Tom Lawrence (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kieran Dowell.

Substitution

Posted at 80'

Substitution, Fulham. Cyrus Christie replaces Ivan Cavaleiro.

Posted at 79'

Stefan Johansen (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 79'

Foul by Kieran Dowell (Derby County).

Posted at 78'

Attempt blocked. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ivan Cavaleiro.

Posted at 77'

Offside, Fulham. Marek Rodák tries a through ball, but Ivan Cavaleiro is caught offside.

Substitution

Posted at 77'

Substitution, Derby County. Jack Marriott replaces Duane Holmes.

Posted at 76'

Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Duane Holmes (Derby County).

Posted at 76'

Attempt blocked. Max Lowe (Derby County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Krystian Bielik.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Joe Bryan (Fulham).

Posted at 75'

Krystian Bielik (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Tom Cairney (Fulham).

Posted at 74'

Kieran Dowell (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 71'

Josh Onomah (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Morgan Whittaker (Derby County).

Posted at 70'

Foul by Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham).

Posted at 70'

Craig Forsyth (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 69'

Attempt missed. Martyn Waghorn (Derby County) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Max Lowe.

Posted at 68'

Attempt missed. Anthony Knockaert (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Ivan Cavaleiro.

Posted at 67'

Offside, Derby County. Craig Forsyth tries a through ball, but Duane Holmes is caught offside.

Posted at 67'

Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Denis Odoi.

Posted at 63'

Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Craig Forsyth.

Posted at 62'

Attempt saved. Anthony Knockaert (Fulham) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Josh Onomah.

Posted at 62'

Josh Onomah (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 62'

Foul by Max Lowe (Derby County).

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