Not even half an hour into this match, with teammate João Palhinha dawdling in possession while surveying a total absence of attacking options at his disposal, the Fulham centre-back Calvin Bassey began gesticulating wildly in a desperate attempt to summon some semblance of life from proceedings; a plea to make something happen. Anything.
It would unfair to suggest neither side wanted to win. There were just about enough visible moments of endeavour not to feel entirely short-changed. But games like this can happen in May, when any sense of jeopardy has passed and the stakes are almost nonexistent. Fears of relegation and hopes of challenging for Europe have been forgotten.
