Fulham’s Jokanovic heaps praise on “special” Sessegnon
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic urged his side to take the final step after moving to within touching distance of a Premier League return with victory over Derby in the Championship play-off semi-final second leg.
Having lost their previous two fixtures, including the first leg at Pride Park, Fulham relocated their swagger and turned the tie on its head courtesy of second-half strikes from the highly-rated Ryan Sessegnon, who turns 18 on Friday, and unlikely goalscorer Denis Odoi.
Fulham, who have not experienced top-flight football for four years, will now play at Wembley for the first time since the 1975 FA Cup final on 26 May against either Aston Villa or Middlesbrough, who do battle in their second-leg showdown tonight.
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“It is not enough. We have taken an important step getting to Wembley but when you play a final people only remember the winners,” said Jokanovic, whose charges were beaten play-off semi-finalists last term. “It is a great step for us but the job is not finished and we must be ready.
“This club needs this kind of happiness. For the first time in 43 years we are going to play at Wembley and it is a great achievement. We played very well and it is an important step. We deserve to be in the final and deserve to fight for a place in the Premier League.”
Jokanovic also heaped praise on prodigious talent Sessegnon following his 16th goal of the season. He added: “This man hasnt changed his focus in any moment in the last two years in which we have been working with him. He wants to improve on a daily basis and he is always focused on the job. This man is special.
“Today he showed great quality and a great mentality and scored a really important goal for us.”
Fulham had failed to win any of their previous seven Football League play-off matches but showed their attacking intent during a first half in which they dominated and knocked loudly on the Derby defensive door.
The hosts turned the screw in the latter stages as Aboubakar Kamara and Ryan Fredericks drew saves from Scott Carson before the former England goalkeeper repelled a close-range header from on-loan Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The deadlock, however, was broken moments into the second period as the goal-hungry Sessegnon fired into the roof of the Rams net after full-back Matt Targetts cross was chested into his path by Stefan Johansen.
With the scores level on aggregate, Fulham went for the jugular and scored what proved the decisive strike on 66 minutes as Odoi, one of the smallest players on the pitch, superbly glanced home a header from a near-post corner.
Derby had progressed to the play-off final on each of the three previous occasions they had won the semi-final first leg but were unable to conjure a leveller, although an unmarked Andreas Weimann, following clever movement, headed over a Kasey Palmer cross.
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