Four goals, three penalties and a point apiece. What a ridiculous, crazy and chaotic start to 2025 for Fulham and Ipswich after this remarkable contest at Craven Cottage.
Liam Delap thought he’d won it for the Tractor Boys, thought he’d secured back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time since 2002, thought he’d dragged his side out of the relegation zone with the travelling fans dreaming of survival only for Raul Jimenez to snatch it away.
The clock had crept into stoppage time when Leif Davis tripped the Fulham striker inside the box and referee Darren Bond pointed to the penalty spot for the third time this afternoon and Jimenez tucked one away for the second time.
You know a referee has had a controversial day at the office when he awards a stoppage-time penalty that earns a team a point and their supporters still sing that he doesn’t know what you’re doing and they boo you off the pitch.
Ipswich came into this following a famous win over Chelsea and another one here would have given them yet more hope that survival might not be too ridiculous ambition on which their supporters can cling.
And why not have dreams when you can drape them over the broad shoulders of Liam Delap and let him carry them along this tricky and unfamiliar road.
Raul Jimenez converted from the spot twice to earn Fulham a deserved point at Craven Cottage
Liam Delap scored his ninth goal of the season, but his efforts were ultimately cancelled out
Ipswich remain in the relegation zone but would have moved up to 16th place with a win
It was Delap who so nearly secured this victory, burying the penalty he had won himself, giving Ipswich the lead for the second time after Sammie Szmodics’s opener.
What a joy he is to watch, this 6ft 1in throwback to a golden age of English centre-forwards. Who needs false nines and a fox in the box when you have a raging bull like Delap, causing mayhem and chaos with socks halfway down his shins.
Why hire a locksmith when you have a bulldozer.
Straight from the kick-off, Delap ran at Sasa Lukic and knocked him to the floor. Talk about making a first impression.
It was nearly so fitting, then, that at the end of this chaotic encounter on the banks of the Thames it was the 21-year-old Englishman, already tipped the natural successor to Harry Kane, who was soaking in the adulation of the winner.
And yet while all the focus was on the battering ram in bright pink, it was a centre-forward at the other end quietly going about his business.
Jimenez, who scored the opener in Fulham’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth last time out, leaped highest to meet Tom Cairney’s cross, directed his header on target and was denied only by a smart save from Christian Walton in the Ipswich goal.
Once Fulham had weathered the early Ipswich rough and tumble, they settled in, got their foot on the ball and often moved it too quickly for the visitors.
The Tractor Boys have not won consecutive games in all competitions since May 2024
Alex Iwobi darted into the box and caused chaos only for a scramble of pink shirts to hook it clear as those in white lurked.
It felt as though Fulham were the only team who would take the lead and perhaps that would have been the case had Ipswich defender Leif Davis suffered a heftier punishment when he hacked down Harry Wilson as the forward looked to break through on goal.
Bond, the referee, only showed a yellow card as all those of a home persuasion inside Craven Cottage demanded red. Perhaps team-mate Jacob Greaves would have got there to cover but that’s not how a furious Marco Silva saw things as he watched the replay on a screen in the dugout.
A little over 10 minutes later, Ipswich took the lead. Ben Johnson’s header rattled the bar and Calvin Bassey could only fluff his clearance straight to Szmodics to put Ipswich ahead as new signing Ben Godfrey watched on from the stands.
A smash and grab, perhaps? That would a little be harsh on Ipswich, who showed enough quality as well heart and fight and desire and could even have had another when Broadhead forced a save from Brand Leno just after the hour.
But that’s what can happen when you have a battering ram up front. It was strong work from Delap to shrug off Joachim Andersen, hold the ball up, and play it out wide before the ball came in.
If referee Bond had felt Fulham’s wrath in the first half, that was nothing to the fury that greeted the three-minute spell in the second that turned the game on its head and back again.
Bond first waved away calls for a penalty when Morsy brought down Wilson in the box, only for VAR to send him to the screen, award the spot kick which Jimenez duly tucked away.
Fulham slip further from the top four after dropping points at home to the relegation strugglers
The celebrations had barely finished when Bond pointed to the spot at the other end. Castagne on Delap this time, harsh but not iffy enough this time for VAR to get involved.
Delap buried it in front of the travelling supporters and ran towards them in celebration has they sang his name.
You cannot imagine it will be long until it is England fans singing it too.
But that was not to be the end. Jimenez still had one final say. So, too, would Bond.
Deep into stoppage time, another penalty. Jimenez brought down by Davis. This time, Jimenez went the other way and buried it as Delap sat on the bench with his head in his hands.
