Aleksandar Mitrovic took his Sky B et Championship goal tally for the season to 43 as Fulham sealed the title in devastating fashion with a 7-0 mauling of Luton at Craven Cottage on Monday evening.
Captain Tom Cairney opened the scoring in the 29th minute – the Cottagers’ 100th league goal of the campaign – and Kenny Tete made it two 10 minutes later to ensure the hosts, who sealed promotion to the Premier League on April 19, were in control at the break.
The floodgates opened in the second half with goals from Fabio Carvalho, Bobby Decordova-Reid, substitute Jean Michael Seri and a brace from Mitrovic – confirming a record haul in the second tier for the Serbia striker.
It marked the third time this term that Marco Silva’s side have netted seven goals.
Play-off hopefuls Luton, who fielded emergency loanee Matt Ingram in goal in place of the injured James Shea, mustered the first chance of the game when Kal Naismith drove forward from midfield and forced a smart save from Marek Rodak.
It was not a sign of things to come, however, as Fulham soon asserted themselves.
The Cottagers had their first effort midway through the first half, Ingram comfortably keeping out a Mitrovic shot after he had been played in by Harry Wilson, but the home fans did not have to wait too much longer for their side to break the deadlock.
Wilson followed up some neat skill by finding Cairney, who smashed home from the edge of the box to bring up the London club’s century of goals.
The Hatters’ woes were compounded by the loss of midfielder Fred Onyedinma, who was injured in the build-up to the goal, and was replaced by Peter Kioso.
The result – and the destination of the title – appeared assured six minutes before the interval when right-back Tete latched onto a poor clearance and unleashed a superb effort into the bottom corner.
Luton looked in danger of buckling under the Fulham onslaught and almost conceded a third before the break when Wilson rounded Ingram, but Tom Lockyer did well to clear off the line.
Cairney went close to notching his second goal two minutes after the restart, his curling attempt shaving the top of the bar.
Fulham’s third goal arrived on 54 minutes, however, courtesy of Carvalho with the aid of Mitrovic and Wilson.
Mitrovic got his name on the scoresheet for the first time just after the hour mark, working his way into the area and finishing with confidence, before Decordova-Reid made it five with a slick turn and shot three minutes later.
Substitute Seri added a sixth 11 minutes from time with a 20-yard effort – his first goal of the campaign – before Mitrovic rounded off the perfect night in stoppage time by breaking the Championship goalscoring record.
TC with silverware in his hands.
It just looks right.#FFC pic.twitter.com/ds0We5wetF— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) May 2, 2022
