An injury-plagued Fulham outfit cruised to a comfortable victory over Notts County at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Magpies’ miserable run in London – they have failed to win in the capital for six years – continued despite the Whites having to field an unfamiliar line-up as Ray Lewington lost the services of five first-team regulars. County were definitely second best on the banks of the Thames having failed to recover from the disappointment of conceding two goals in three first half minutes.
Lewington, who had to put himself on the injury list earlier this month, also has Paul Parker, Kevin Hoddy, Dean Coney and Kenny Achampong in the treatment room. The Cottagers made light of their absentees after Gary Barnett, who missed three earlier chances, tapped home from close range after Leo Donnellan hit the post having run onto a cross from John Marshall.
Donnellan doubled Fulham’s lead after breaking up a County break on the halfway line, surging away from three would-be tacklers before his cross from the byline was turned into his own net by luckless captain Mark Goodwin. The Cottagers were utterly rampant by this point with Chris Pike somehow shooting over the bar from twelve yards and Donnellan drilling a tame shot in the arms of visiting goalkeeper Mick Leonard.
The Whites made sure of all three points when Jim Hicks hammered his first Fulham goal from close range after the Magpies defence failed to properly clear Cliff Carr’s free-kick. They were denied a clean sheet right on the stroke of full time when Ian McParland punished a poor clearance from Keith Oakes by netting a well-deserved consolation for the visitors, who had seen debutant David Campbell fire a free-kick into the side netting earlier in the half.
FULHAM: Vaughan; Oakes, Hicks, Elkins, Carr, Cottington, Marshall, Kerrins, Donnellan, Barnett, Pike. Subs (not used): Davies.
GOALS: Barnett (24), Goodwin (o.g. 27), Hicks (62).
NOTTS COUNTY: Leonard; Smalley, Davis, Thompson, Yates, Hunt, McParland, Goodwin, Waitt, Kevan, Campbell. Subs (not used): Young.
BOOKED: McParland, Thompson.
GOAL: McParland (90).
REFEREE: Jim Borrett (Ipswich).
ATTENDANCE: 3,054.
