Onomah wondergoal and Kebano free-kick gives Fulham first leg advantage over Cardiff City

If you can’t be a great player, be a good one. If you can’t be a good  one, be a lucky one. Whichever one of those you are, it helps to be one with perfect timing.

As Fulham coach Scott Parker reads the morning papers, he cannot help but suppress a weary grin at seeing the names Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano on the scoresheet after Fulham’s most important game of the season.

Before the lockdown, they had one league goal between them this season, scored when Onomah netted against Leeds United last December. They had none in 2020.

Had you asked any Fulham fan whom they could rely on for a goal in a key moment, then after the obligatory Aleksander Mitrovic answer, they might have said Bobby Decordova-Reid or Ivan Cavaleiro maybe at a pinch Anthony Knockaert.

Even if asked for an outside the box choice, many would have put Aboubakar Kamara forward.

However since lockdown, the double act headlining the show down the Fulham Palace has been the Onomah & Kebano show.

It all began on July 4 when Onomah doubled his season tally with that vital late stoppage time winner against Birmingham City which turned one point into three.

Fulham were already a goal up, albeit via a penalty, when he made sure of the points against Cardiff, but it came at a point in the game when the Bluebirds had genuine belief of an equaliser.

Against Sheffield Wednesday, it was Kebano’s turn to shine.

Not content with breaking a drought of 959 days without a goal, he scored twice and won a penalty. That had to be considered a match winning effort in a game that finished 5-3.

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At this point, as an aside, it should be noted that the second of Kebano’s goals came directly from a free kick which he intelligently slid under the Wednesday wall, anticipating its jump. It should also be noted that was on July 18.

Four days later, he scored again from a direct free kick but this time the ball was airborne and netbound from the moment it left his foot. That secured and a point at Wigan.

All that secured enough points for a play-off place, but would have been in vain had he and Onomah not put on the biggest show yet in Cardiff last night.

This time, the usual headliner Mitrovic was not even on the field. The wise men on the radio nodded sagely and said Fulham would struggle for goals. They clearly had not attended the dress rehearsals.

Neeskens scored directly from a free kick for the third game running and for the third time in nine days.

All that will be rightly overshadowed not just by Onomah’s goal from open play, his third in 23 days, but by its quality.

Video highlights from Sky Sports

Parker cannot but feel fully vindicated in his decision to rest Mitrovic last night. The Serb is fresh for Thursday, the club are at home and they have a two goal lead.

The chance to beat Cardiff 2-0 for the third time in the same month will set the statistics brigade thumbing through the records. But why not?

After all, good things are coming for Fulham in threes.

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