A brilliant brace from winger Clive Walker fired Fulham to a 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
Walker rolled back the ways with a virtuoso display on the Fulham flanks, scoring a superb solo strike and converting a late penalty to defeat Ian McNeill’s side. The truth was that without some outstanding goalkeeping from Town number one Steve Perks the home side’s winning margin might have been even greater.
Shrewsbury started by the far brighter – as if to prove their promotion hopes aren’t mere pipe dreams. They led through John McGinlay’s excellent goal on seventeen minutes – as the Scot smashed a fine finish past Jim Stannard as the Fulham defence waited for an offside flag that never came. McGinlay had timed his run behind the home back line to perfect as Mick Brown drifted in from the left flank and floated a lovely ball over the top.
The goal seemed to galvanise Fulham and Walker in particular, who was denied an equaliser when Perks peerlessly tipped over his free-kick before the winger embarked on a trademark individual run before blazing over when space opened up for him inside the box. But Shrewsbury’s relief was merely temporary. Walker drew Fulham level a minute later with a wonder goal as he collected a short free-kick with the intention of driving towards goal but swivelled upon finding his route blocked by defenders and blasted a brilliant finish into the net from 25 yards – with Perks a mere spectator.
Shrewsbury set the pace again at the start of the second half with McGinlay going close twice within five minutes of the restart. But Fulham managed to mark Brown and Naughton out of the game and McGinlay faded from view, eventually being substituted with twenty minutes remaining. By that time, Walker was on the warpath and the mercurial winger was thwarted by another excellent save from Perks after he pulled the trigger from 20 yards.
Walker scored the winner from the penalty spot with ten minutes left after Tony Kelly had tripped Leo Donnellan in the area. The former Chelsea winger stepped forward and hammered the penalty straight down the centre of the goal, with Perks, unfortunate to be on the losing side, already having dived to the left.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, Burns, Marshall, Scott, Donnellan, Mauge, Walker, Sayer (Milton 75), Watson. Subs (not used): Barnett.
BOOKED: Mauge, Donnellan, Milton.
GOALS: Walker (15, pen 80).
SHREWSBURY TOWN: Perks; Green, Pitman, Finley, Moyes; Kelly, Priest (Melrose 70), Gorman, Brown, Naughton; McGinlay (Griffiths 75).
GOAL: McGinlay (17).
REFEREE: Peter Foakes.
ATTENDANCE: 3,622.
