Fulham thrashed Preston North End 5-0 in the latest leg of their pre-season tour of Ireland at Fota Island this afternoon.
Cauley Woodrow’s first half double and a debut goal for Sone Aluko put Slavisa Jokanovic’s well in the ascendancy before a double from Matt Smith added a more resounding look to the final scoreline. Former QPR midfielder Alejandro Faurlin lined up as a trialist in the Cottagers’ midfield.
Fulham headed Jokanovic’s words to play with more intensity and verve from the outside. Aluko dropped into dangerous pockets of space behind the willing Woodrow and the pair linked up impressively to create an early chance for the Nigerian international, whose close-range snapshot was well saved.
The Whites went in front in the seventh minute. Ryan Sessegnon, who has made a real impression in Ireland, surged away from his opposite number and delivered the inch perfect cross for Woodrow, who effortlessly rolled an assured finish into the far corner. Woodrow and Aluko’s burgeoning partnership was showing real signs of progress and when the ex-Hull City forward seized on a defensive mix-up to put the England under-21 international in behind the Preston defence, Woodrow emphatically fired past Anders Lindegaard.
Floyd Ayite almost embarrassed the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper with a venomous cross-cum-shot that nearly squeezed in at the near post and the Londoners did extend their lead just before half time. Ayite chased down a lost cause by the corner flag, winning possession and slipping in Aluko, who advanced inside the area and rifled beyond the luckless Lindegaard.
Smith wasted little time in joining the scoring party after the interval burying a trademark header at the far post after he had outmanoeuvred his man to reach Stevie Humphrys’ deep cross. His second goal was much more inadvertent as Lasse Vigen Christensen’s venomous drive deflected off his body and ended up in the net. Preston mustered a couple of chances at the death, with Jesse Joronen saving bravely at the feet of Jordan Hugill and Tim Ream bravely blocked the follow-up from Eoin Doyle as Fulham clung onto their clean sheet.
With the Whites coasting to victory, Jesse Joronen made a solid save to deny a Preston goal as he stood tall in a one on one, and Ream blocked the follow-up heroically to preserve a clean sheet.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Bettinelli (Joronen 45); Stearman, Madl (Fredericks 45), Ream, R. Sessegnon (Edun 60); Tunnicliffe (Adeniran 45), Faurlin (Parker 60); Cairney (de la Torre 45), Ayite (Christensen 45), Aluko (Humphrys 45); Woodrow (Smith 45).
GOALS: Woodrow (8, 13), Aluko (42), Smith (47, 83).
PRESTON NORTH END (3-5-2): Lindegaard (Hudson 30; Maxwell 60); Wright (Woods 30), Clark (Huntingdon 30), Davies (Gallagher 30); Humphrey, Cunningham, Pearson, Browne, Johnson; Beckford (Doyle 45), Garner (Hugill 45).
