LEICESTER: Fulham fixed their penalty jinx as Ivan Cavaleiro’s spot kick eased them out of the relegation zone with a shock 2-1 win at high-flying Leicester City in the Premier League last night.
Scott Parker’s struggling side were leading thanks to Ademola Lookman’s well-taken 30th minute opener before Cavaleiro beat Kasper Schmeichel from 12 yards.
There was huge relief on the Fulham bench when Cavaleiro netted as the London side had failed to convert their last three Premier League penalties.
Cavaleiro had missed in their last game against Everton while in the game before that Lookman inexplicably attempted a ‘Panenka’ penalty against West Ham United – his embarrassing miss costing his team a point.
Leicester squandered their chance to join league leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on 21 points in a disappointing display, although an 86th-minute effort by Harvey Barnes set up a tense finale.
Fulham rode their luck in stoppage time as they held out for their second win of the season to climb to 17th place with seven points from 10 matches.
Things might have been different for Leicester had they not been denied by the woodwork twice in the space of seconds early on when Youri Tielemans’s volley struck the post before Wesley Fofana thumped the rebound against the crossbar.
Fulham made the most of their luck to take the lead with a superb counter-attacking goal.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa surged forward over the halfway line and slid the perfect pass through to Lookman who showed great composure to guide his shot past Schmeichel.
Lookman celebrated by going to the side of the pitch and raising a Senegal shirt of former Fulham player Papa Boupa Diop who died, aged 42, at the weekend.
Six minutes later Christian Fuchs clipped Bobby Decordova-Reid in the area and after a VAR check a penalty was awarded.
Cavaleiro strode up and planted his kick high past Schmeichel who had no doubt reminded the Fulham man of his side’s recent pathetic record from the spot.