Stoppage-time equaliser stuns Albion

Matt O'Riley's second-half penalty put Albion on course for victory only for Fulham to make it 1-1 deep into stoppage time.

Bruce Talbot

2025-08-16T17:00+01:00

Georginio Rutter leads the celebrations after putting Albion in front. 📷 James Boardman.

Albion were denied a fifth successive opening day win as Fulham stunned the Amex with an equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

There were only seconds remaining when Albion failed to clear a corner and substitute Rodrigo Muniz lashed the ball through a crowd of players from the corner of the six-yard box.

Albion had won their previous four opening-day games and were on course to make it five when Matt O’Riley converted a 55th-minute penalty. They had other opportunities to put the game to bed and not taking any of them was punished with virtually the last kick of the game.

Yankuba Minteh faces up to Calvin Bassey. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

There were few clear opportunities in the first half as both sides felt their way warily into the season. The four-way battle for supremacy down the right involving Mats Wieffer, Yankuba Minteh and Fulham’s Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi was a lively sideshow though, and one run inside by Minteh forced Iwobi to drag him back and pick up a yellow card.

Carlos Baleba looks for options. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

A move down their right produced Albion’s best chance of the half. After some patient play on the edge of the box O’Riley lifted his cross to the far post where Kaoru Mitoma met it eight yards out with a firm header which dropped the wrong side of the bar – Mitoma’s reactions suggested he knew it was a wasted opportunity.

Maxim De Cuyper impressed on his Premier League debut. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

There were signs at the end of the half that Albion were getting on top though, and ten minutes after the break they were in front.

Sander Berg halted Georginio Rutter’s rampaging run with a challenge and referee Barrott decided there was enough contact to award a penalty. O’Riley stepped up to find the bottom corner with a clinical left-foot strike.

Georginio Rutter is brought down for a penalty converted by Matt O'iley. 📷 James Boardman.

Albion had a great chance to double their lead midway through the half after breaking from deep inside their own half. Minteh and Mitoma exchanged passes but Minteh fired over from ten yards although to be fair the ball seemed to bounce alarmingly as he struck his shot.

Fulham keeper Bernd Leno was nearly embarrassed by Diego Gomez’s powerful shot which he saved at the second attempt and Lewis Dunk headed a corner at the far post into the side netting. The second goal which would have eased Albion’s nerves didn’t come but they had coped comfortably with what Fulham had to offer and Fabian Hurzeler made good use of his bench, making five changes in the last 20 minutes to try and see the game out.

Muniz steered a great chance wide in stoppage time and Albion seemed to have got the job done but when Harry Wilson whipped in a corner from the right Muniz reacted quickest to give Bart Verbruggen no chance.

Matt O'Riley celebrates after putting Albion ahead. 📷 James Boardman

The line-up

Verbruggen, De Cuyper, Dunk, van Hecke, Wieffer, Ayari, Baleba (Gomez 70), Minteh (Kadioglu 70), Mitoma (Gruda 84), O’Riley (Milner 89), Rutter (Welbeck 70).