Defender Tim Ream insists there are positives to take from Fulham's opening day draw with Norwich City, despite admitting conceding a last-gasp equaliser was “tough to swallow and very frustrating”.
The Cottagers took the lead in the Championship encounter after 25 minutes when Norwich captain Russell Martin turned Floyd Ayite's cross into his own net. However, just two minutes from time, Nelson Oliviera lost his marker and tucked Wes Hoolahan's pass under the advancing David Button to ensure the points were shared.
And while Ream believes Fulham played well for the majority of the game, he admits there are areas the team need to improve on – like their 'rusty' finishing.
“I thought we played well for probably 70 minutes but then lost our way a bit towards the end,” the 29-year-old said.
“It is always tough to give up a goal in the 88 minute, when you are so close to seeing the game out. Overall, we did some really good thing but obviously there is always room for improvement and we will take a look at things and get back to work.
“We did some really good things with the ball and then even defensively with our shape, and then attacking from defending positions. We kept the ball, possessed the ball, and created a lot of chances.
“It was our first real test of the year, our first game of the season and it's about finishing those chances but there was a little bit of rust, obviously. Those chances will continue to come and I'm very confident that the guys up front will start to finish those.”
But the United States international insists conceding the late equaliser was out of character for Fulham.
“It's hard to take,” he said of Oliviera's goal. “Obviously it was a little bit of role reversal for us compared to last year when we were the ones scoring late on.
“As someone who plays at the back, a defender, it tough to swallow and very frustrating for the entire team, not just us at the back, to give up such a late goal and then not have too much time to do anything about it. I think that's the most frustrating part.”
