Fulham 2 QPR 1: Play-offs or bust for hosts as Pawel Wszolek shares the spoils

It could well be play-offs or bust for Fulham this season after they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with QPR in the snow at Craven Cottage.

For the first half Slavisa Jokanovic’s side were irresistible, tearing through their west London rivals at will as Tom Cairney and Lucas Piazon earned them the lead.

A victory would have taken them within five points of second-placed QPR and was seemingly in the bag but a Massimo Luongo volley on the stroke of half-time gave the visitors hope. Ian Holloway’s visitors grew in menace as the half wore on and were handed their reward eight minutes from time when Pawel Wszolek made the most of a Denis Odoi mistake.

The atmosphere was surprisingly subdued for a west London derby but that was perhaps only because Fulham’s relentless stranglehold took so much of the tension out of the contest. Jokanovic’s side were ready and able to pass their opponents into submission. A few blood-and-thunder tackles might have raised the decibel level but QPR needed to be able to get close enough to their hosts to even attempt to win back the ball.

Sessegnon was the R's tormentor in chief. His every touch exuded menace, his driving runs infield from the left drawing multiple defenders who more often than not were simply breezed past.

Four minutes in he had the ball in the net, not for the first time this season tapping in from close range. On this occasion, he couldn’t add to his 14 Championship goals as he was flagged marginally offside.

Fulham’s opener was inevitable, the only question was how long it would take. Aleksandar Mitrovic went close after a quarter of an hour but saw his shot from the edge of the area deflected over.

Just as the nerves were starting to build around Craven Cottage Cairney burst through the floodgates. Space opened up for him in the QPR half. A tentative defence backed off and the Fulham skipper needed no second invitation, striking a low shot from 25 yards that arrowed into Alex Smithies’ bottom left corner.

The Cottagers were rampant, right-back Ryan Fredericks tearing down the flanks to add to an overwhelming attack that ended with him flashing a drive just wide.

On the stroke of half-time the match was seemingly settled when another spell of composed Fulham possession culminated in Fredericks darting in behind and cutting back. Sessegnon had the presence of mind with his back to goal to tee up a team-mate and Lucas Piazon slotted home.

QPR were chasing shadows, their luck over the first 45 minutes typified when an offside Matt Smith couldn’t even tap into an empty net, his effort blocked by Tim Ream.

Then in added time they found a way back into the match. Luke Freeman lofted a free-kick from midfield into the area, former Fulham striker Smith knocked it down and Massimo Luongo took one flick with his head to tee himself up for a sweetly-struck volley from near the penalty spot.

There were no signs that the setback had unduly affected Fulham early in the second half as they replicated their start to the first period, taking much of the air out of the contest as they kept the ball at arms’ length from QPR.

At least until the hour mark, when something very strange happened to the hosts. The passes that were flowing were no longer going to feet. Mitrovic was isolated, Sessegnon couldn’t get a touch. And everywhere Fulham looked there were two QPR players in red and dark blue hoops charging towards them.

Substitute Paul Smyth scampered down the right and crossed low for Freeman to divert towards goal but Odoi got the decisive touch to keep the ball away from goal.

The rearguard could not hold as Odoi lost the ball 30 yards out and Wszolek was clear to slot past Marcus Bettinelli.

For the likes of Cairney and Sessegnon, both long-term targets for a host of Premier League sides, this could be a last chance to reach the promised land through promotion rather than a big-money transfer.

Barring a late-season collapse from Cardiff or Wolves it looks certain that to do so they’ll have to bury the demons of last season’s defeat to Reading, when the best side in the division for months could not make it count in the play-offs. The fear for Jokanovic and his players is that history might repeat itself in a few months’ time.