A virtuoso display from Clive Walker inspired Fulham to a comprehensive 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The former Chelsea winger scored twice to deliver the Whites’ first league victory since September. He tormented the Wigan defence from the first minute and could have set up the opening goal as early as four minutes in when Andy Sayer’s overhead kick came back off the post. A mesmerising run from the wily wide man then saw Walker fire wide from the edge of the box as the home side dominated the early stages. Wigan’s best opening fell to Mark Hilditch, but Jim Stannard just beat the all-action midfielder to a mistimed back pass from Gary Elkins.
Hilditch departed with a leg injury just after the half hour and his replacement, the industrious Alan Johnson, was outstanding in a losing cause. For a while, the youngster even quelled Walker’s influence in a display of ceaseless running – but he could only hold back the Fulham pressure for so long. The hosts took the lead three minutes before half time when Walker fed Peter Scott and the midfielder found the bottom corner from 25 yards out.
Wigan kept battling and Don Page could easily have equalised from Phil Daley’s cross. Page drove another effort narrowly wide as they finished the first half in defiant mood, but it took just six minutes after the restart for Fulham to add a second. Walker drove home clinically from Scott’s pass and, as the Latics defence wilted, he took centre stage, complete with clever flicks and tricks. The wide man added a third just past the hour mark with a left-footed finish from John Marshall’s pass before Andy Sayer completed the rout by scoring his sixth of the season from close range.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, Elkins, Langley, Marshall, Scott, Skinner, Walker, Milton, Sayer. Subs (not used): Donnellan, Lewington.
GOALS: Scott (42), Walker (51, 63), Sayer (74).
WIGAN ATHLETIC: Hughes; Carberry, Tankard, Atherton, Patterson, Senior, Ward, Griffiths, Hilditch (Johnson 31), Page (Thompson 45), Daley.
REFEREE: Keren Barrett.
ATTENDANCE: 3,156
