Peterborough United 0-1 Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic header secures sixth straight win

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Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 20 goals this season and 14 in his past nine gamesImage source, Rex Features
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Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 20 goals this season and 14 in his past nine games

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored for a sixth game running as his late winner at Peterborough gave Fulham a sixth straight Championship victory.

The hosts went closest in a first half low on chances when Jonson Clarke-Harris smashed a powerful shot from inside the box against the post.

Fulham had failed to register a shot on target in the first half, but improved after the break and Mitrovic twice went close before guiding a header inside the post from Neeskens Kebano's cross.

Posh almost levelled late on when Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak pushed Clarke-Harris's fierce strike against the post.

Fulham arrived fresh from a 7-0 midweek drubbing of Blackburn which took their tally to 24 goals on the road this season, as the Championship's leading scorers took on the EFL's leakiest defence which had conceded 31 times.

The visitors quickly settled into their rhythm, dominating early possession, but managed just one attempt before the break - Kebano's stoppage-time shot which flew over the bar.

Instead it was Posh who grew into the game and created the best chances of the half as Rodak pulled off decent saves in quick succession from a Sammie Szmodics shot and then Joe Ward's free-kick.

Fulham started strongly after the break, with Mitrovic twice forcing home goalkeeper David Cornell into saves after being teed up by Bobby Decordova-Reid, and then putting a header over from close range.

Cornell had no chance with Mitrovic's 20th goal of the season, but made another good stop to deny Kebano's powerful strike, and it almost helped earn a point as Clarke-Harris was denied by the woodwork for a second time.

But a fifth straight clean sheet helped Marco Silva's side remain two points behind leaders Bournemouth, while Peterborough slip to 21st, three points above the relegation zone, after a ninth defeat in their past 14 matches.

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:

"It's a rubbish result, a game we should have won, a game we felt we could win.

"Against a team like Fulham if you have four or five really good opportunities you have to win the game. Today we had to win that game so it's probably as disappointed as I've been all season.

"They're a really good team, full of quality, but our shape was good, we pressed at the right times, we caused them problems when we passed the ball like I thought we could.

"You can't give the country's leading goalscorer a free header from four yards. He's not missing."

Fulham boss Marco Silva:

"Six wins in a row with five clean sheets in a row is amazing. They are fantastic numbers for us and the key for our win was the passion we had throughout the game.

"Aleksandar (Mitrovic) has been brilliant for us and it is up to me to always push him and demand more, but for me it is a collective process and it is not just one player.

"It was a tough game just as we expected. Peterborough are always difficult to beat when they play against the best sides in this league at home.

"But overall we deserved the three points as we were the best team on the pitch from the start to the finish."

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