Match ends, Fulham 2, Blackpool 2.
FulhamFulham2BlackpoolBlackpool2
Fulham fought back from two goals down after Blackpool captain Tony McMahon was sent off to deny Lee Clark his first win as Seasiders boss.
Ishmael Miller put the Championship's bottom club ahead after just 90 seconds, before loan signing Jacob Murphy tapped in a second on his debut.
McMahon was shown a straight red card for kicking out after 41 minutes.
Scott Parker pulled one back in first-half injury time before Bryan Ruiz equalised direct from a corner.
Blackpool, who have not won at Craven Cottage since 1986, could not have asked for a better start to Clark's second game in charge.
The former Fulham midfielder, making his first return to the club in a managerial capacity, saw Miller fire his side ahead with a first-time strike from Donervon Daniels's pass.
While former Wolves midfielder Jamie O'Hara's signing came too late for him to be included in Clark's squad, Murphy made his first start since joining from Norwich.
| Travel-sick Seasiders |
|---|
| Blackpool have won away from home only once since 2 November, 2013 - a 2-0 win at Wigan in the penultimate game of last season |
And he doubled Blackpool's lead on the break, converting a low cross from Miller after 26 minutes.
Fulham were given a route back into the game when McMahon was dismissed for a petulant swing of a leg at Hugo Rodallega.
And Parker ensured Fulham's half-time deficit was only one goal as he slotted home an angled shot from a Rodallega pass after Blackpool failed to clear a corner.
Blackpool defended manfully after the break as their hosts dominated possession in their bid to avoid only a second defeat in eight league games.
But, after Joe Lewis made a superb save from Nikolay Bodurov, their resistance was broken when Ruiz's corner went straight in as Fulham defender Dan Burn distracted Lewis at his near post.
Blackpool manager Lee Clark:
"I've seen the footage and Tony McMahon had a lash out. I don't know if he's made contact but if the referee sees that he's left with no option.
"I haven't spoken to him (McMahon) yet - that's how he knows I'm not happy. We'll be having a conversation. He's an experienced player, he's the captain and he can't get involved in that, even if he hasn't made contact.
"It's difficult to say we would have gone on to win, but we were controlling the game so you'd like to think there was a strong possibility.
"But the performance is key for me. We have started building blocks now and we have got a point."
Fulham manager Kit Symons:
"I would say the sending-off changed the game.
"But we couldn't have been as bad in the second half regardless. The first half was probably as bad as we have been since I took over.
"But with them being down to 10 men and us pulling one back at half-time we should have gone on to win the game.
"It's definitely two points dropped for me."
Line-ups
Fulham
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 40Bettinelli
- 13Zverotic
- 6Bodurov
- 33Burn
- 5AmorebietaSubstituted forStafylidisat 44'minutes
- 8ParkerBooked at 48mins
- 21ChristensenBooked at 22mins
- 27WilliamsSubstituted forRobertsat 68'minutes
- 10Ruiz
- 25DembeleSubstituted forWoodrowat 76'minutes
- 20Rodallega
Substitutes
- 1Kiraly
- 3Stafylidis
- 4Hutchinson
- 9Smith
- 14Roberts
- 16Woodrow
- 28Hyndman
Blackpool
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Lewis
- 29McMahonBooked at 41mins
- 2Daniels
- 6ClarkeBooked at 32mins
- 18DunneBooked at 33mins
- 24Lundstram
- 4PerkinsBooked at 88mins
- 25MurphySubstituted forDelfounesoat 77'minutes
- 11OrlandiSubstituted forMellisat 52'minutes
- 39Blackman
- 17MillerSubstituted forRangerat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Oriol
- 7Cywka
- 8Mellis
- 13Zoko
- 14Delfouneso
- 19Ranger
- 21Parish
- Referee:
- Robert Madley
- Attendance:
- 14,325
Match Stats
Home TeamFulhamAway TeamBlackpool
- Possession
- Home76%
- Away24%
- Shots
- Home32
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away3
- Corners
- Home18
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Fulham 2, Blackpool 2.
Post update
Foul by Dan Burn (Fulham).
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John Lundstram (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Elsad Zverotic (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lasse Vigen Christensen.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Donervon Daniels.
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Foul by Hugo Rodallega (Fulham).
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Donervon Daniels (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Konstantinos Stafylidis.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Donervon Daniels.
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Attempt saved. Bryan Ruiz (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Scott Parker.
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Attempt blocked. Cauley Woodrow (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dan Burn with a headed pass.
Booking
David Perkins (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by David Perkins.
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Hand ball by Bryan Ruiz (Fulham).
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Jacob Mellis.
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Attempt saved. Elsad Zverotic (Fulham) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Scott Parker.
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Attempt missed. Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Elsad Zverotic with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Elsad Zverotic with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
