Fulham’s hopes of finishing in Europe were dealt a major blow as they drew 1-1 at relegated Wolves on Sunday.
Mateus Mané put the hosts ahead with a fine finish in the 25th minute of the Wolves’ final home game of the season. But the Portuguese teenager gave away a penalty in first-half stoppage time, Antonee Robinson slotting home to put Fulham back on level terms.
Fulham delivered a lacklustre performance to leave their hopes of European football all but over, three points off eighth place with a game to go.
While the Wolves head coach, Rob Edwards, was booed by some home fans at the final whistle, questions remain over the future of his Fulham counterpart, Marco Silva, and that uncertainty may have fed through to his team who delivered a lacklustre performance.
Early attempts from the visitors to assert some dominance over their rock-bottom hosts had little joy. Timothy Castagne’s ball to the back post found Alex Iwobi, but he blasted straight at Jose Sá.
Wolves had no initial luck playing out from the back and their first real glimpse of goal came from a punt down the field that was eventually played to Mané, who drew a good save from Bernd Leno from distance. The hosts took the lead in the 25th minute when Mané let rip from the edge of the area with a ferocious strike beyond Leno, raising hopes of a first Wolves victory since March.
Fulham immediately came close to an equaliser, with a corner falling on the head of Sander Berge who nodded into the ground and over with the goal gaping before Emile Smith Rowe drew Sá into his second save of the contest.
Silva’s side were handed a chance to equalise from the spot when Mané brought down Castagne inside the area. Thomas Kirk initially did not award a spot-kick but overturned his decision after being sent to the pitchside screen, and Robinson sent Sá the wrong way to equalise.
Molineux was quiet but stood to sing and applaud their former striker Raúl Jiménez’s introduction for Fulham. Wolves went close to retaking the lead midway through the second half when Hwang Hee-chan slipped a ball through to Adam Armstrong, but he was denied a first goal since March by a post.
