HARRY Wilson revealed he had specific instructions to get into the box to try to get on the end of crosses after he scored twice in stoppage-time in Fulham’s thrilling 2-1 win over Brentford at Craven Cottage on Monday night.
Marco Silva’s side trailed to Vitaly Janelt’s brilliant 25-yard strike in the 24th minute before Wilson’s dramatics.
In the 92nd minute, Wilson leapt at the near post to meet Adama Traore’s cross and flick the ball with the outside of his left foot to send it looping over goalkeeper Mark Flekken and inside the far post.
Five minutes later, Wilson was in the box again at the near post to stoop and head Antonee Robinson’s cross home to spark wild scenes among the home suppoprt.
“When the gaffer put me on he said you are going to play in that pocket and when the ball goes wide try to get into the box,” Wilson said.
“When the ball went wide to Adama for the first one I just tried to get across the front man and get a flick on it and if it didn’t go in off me, hopefully it would find someone else.
“On the second one, when the ball goes wide to Jed the space opened up for me and I was just hoping he saw me.
“It was kind of at an awkward height – whether to use my chest then hit it or go with my head. I decided to go with my head but in the end it came off my shoulder but ended up in the back of the net.”
Wilson had only come on for Reiss Nelson in the 82nd minute.
Wilson has scored a goal on each of his last three Wales appearances, but his two against Thomas Frank’s side were his first for the Cottagers this season.
“We set Harry in a different position to normal, he normally comes from the left-hand side,” Silva said.
“He smells the goal and has the capacity to arrive in different areas. He deserved it. It’s been a tough season for him in terms of minutes, probably not playing as much as what he wanted.
“With his goals, he’s been on fire with the national team but tonight he was able to help us.
“He really deserved the moment and I hope there will be much more to come from him.”
Frank praised Wilson’s “unbelievable touch”.
“Of course, it’s brutal,” Frank said. “The better team won, but when leading 1-0 away from home in the 93rd minute, and we don’t see the two goals and big chance to us that happened [afterwards], we see out the last four or five minutes winning 1-0 then everyone praises us for the defending which I still think was fantastic.
“The principles, the character, the mentality was unbelievable. Sometimes when you can’t hit your level you need to work hard, and I think the boys did that when they were throwing everything at us.
“It was an unbelievable touch from Wilson that 100 times out of 100 I would take again and it wouldn’t go in the back of the net from that position and that angle.”
