Jimenez nets two penalties to rescue Fulham in 2-2 draw with Ipswich

LONDON: Raul Jimenez scored two equalisers from the penalty spot in a dramatic second half as Fulham held Ipswich Town to a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Sunday, extending the hosts’ unbeaten streak to eight league matches.

Both teams converted penalties within two minutes as Jimenez cancelled out Sammie Szmodics’s first-half strike in the 69th minute, before Liam Delap restored the visitors’ lead after Timothy Castagne brought him down.

Yet Jimenez got a second crack at restoring parity when Leif Davis fouled him in the 90th minute, denying 18th-placed Ipswich a chance to climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since November.

“It’s really bad for us. I think we did everything to win the game… this is two lost points,” Jimenez, who has not missed a Premier League penalty in 10 attempts, told Sky Sports.

Ninth-placed Fulham dominated possession in the first half but struggled to create chances and conceded against the run of play as failed clearances from Antonee Robinson and Calvin Bassey led to Szmodics’s strike in the 38th minute.

When Sam Morsy brought down Harry Wilson in the box shortly after the hour mark, referee Darren Bond initially denied the penalty, before changing his decision following a review prompted by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Christian Walton, whose reflex save had kept out Jimenez’s header in the 20th minute, could not deny him from the spot as the Mexico forward tricked the keeper with a stop-start run up in the first penalty and sent him the wrong way in the second.

“He’s been doing that all his career. He’s our best penalty taker… the way he fought and made it hard for the defenders, he is in a really good moment,” Fulham manager Marco Silva told the BBC.

Silva, however, was unhappy with Ipswich defender Davis being let off with a yellow in the first half when he brought down Harry Wilson to prevent him from entering the box. The VAR decided Davis was not denying a goal-scoring opportunity.

“It’s difficult to understand why it wasn’t a red card… I’m going to be in trouble (if I talk about it) and I don’t want to be,” Silva told Sky Sports.

Ipswich could have led 3-1 in the 89th minute, but Jack Clarke’s shot from the edge of the box hit the woodwork.

“When you lead twice you always feel a little bit disappointed not to win,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said.

“I’m so proud of the way we played. We had some chances to get a two-goal margin but weren’t able to take them.”

Fulham, who are unbeaten since November, remained on 30 points while Ipswich moved to 16, equal with 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers who have played a game less.