Don Mackay demanded immediate improvements from his Fulham side after they were thrashed 5-2 at Burnley this afternoon – meaning their leaky defence has conceded eleven goals in the space of three games.
The way in which Burnley eased to victory stood in stark contrast to how the Turf Moor tussle began with Sean Farrell firing the Londoners in front after only ninety seconds after a miscued clearance from Marlon Beresford landed at his feet. But the joy of the travelling fans was shortlived as the Clarets responded to going behind with a wave of incessant attacks and scored with virtually every shot leaving the contest effectively over by half-time.
Left winger Steve Harper brought Burnley level in the eleventh minute with a ferocious drive from the edge of the area after he had dribbled inside the attentions of Gavin Nebbeling all too easily. Nebbeling was also at fault nine minutes later as the hosts went in front when Mike Conroy chased a long ball from Joe Jacob down the left flank and won a 50-50 with the Fulham centre back, who went to ground all too easily, and crossed for Andy Farrell to sidefoot past a seething Stannard.
Steve Penney then ghosted in at the back post to sweep Harper’s left-wing cross into the net to make it 3-1 with half an hour played and the influential Adrian Heath headed a fourth a minute before half-time after he had charged down a poor clearance from Stannard and followed in to score from barely a yard out. Conroy completed the scoring a minute after half time with a trademark header – and, in truth, Fulham were fortunate to escape without any further punishment.
Farrell’s second of the afternoon, which saw him head in Nebbeling’s cross, eight minutes later was scant consolation for a performance that Mackay admitted was ‘utterly unacceptable’ afterwards.
BURNLEY: Beresford; Davis, Pender, A. Farrell, Jacob, Measham, Harper, Dreary, Heath (Eli 67), Penney, Conroy (Monington 80).
GOALS: Harper (11), A. Farrell (20), Penney (30), Heath (44), Conroy (46).
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling (Newson 70), G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall, Morgan, Hails, Baah (Lewis 60), Brazil, S. Farrell.
GOALS: S. Farrell (2, 53).
ATTENDANCE: 9,881.
