Fulham celebrated their salvation as a new consortium led by club legend Jimmy Hill watched the Whites move away from the relegation zone with a come-from-behind victory over a dangerous Chesterfield side at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
Ray Lewington’s charges had to summon considerable character to claim all three points after going behind in the eleventh minute. Chesterfield, playing into a virtual gale on a gutsy day on the banks of the Thames, quietened the celebratory atmosphere by breaking the deadlock when lone striker Dave Caldwell’s cross was flicked on by Carl Airey and Bob Bloomer beat John Vaughan with a precise finish.
The home side drew level within four minutes. Paul Parker’s played a clever ball into the box from the right and the dangerous Dean Coney impudently chipped the helpless Jim Brown with a modicum of fuss. The gale played a big part in proceedings and Gary Barnett was able to put the Whites in front on the half hour when he latched onto a ball from the left flank by Leo Donnellan that Chestefield’s back four seemed to leave to each other.
Chesterfield didn’t allow their heads to drop and persisted gamely. The visitors were unfortunate not to equalise when Caldwell saw a shot scrambled off the line and Bloomer twice went close to grabbing a second of an eventful afternoon. But Fulham sealed their first victory in eleven games when the visitors paid for committing too many numbers forward in search of a late equaliser as Parker dribbled around a stranded Brown to slam the vital third into the Hammersmith End net.
FULHAM: Vaughan; Oakes, Hicks, Hopkins, Carr, Parker, Donnellan, Lewington, Barnett; Brathwaite, Coney. Subs (not used): Achampong.
GOALS: Coney (15), Barnett (30), Parker (85).
CHESTERFIELD: Brown; Hewitt, Rogers, Bellamy, Williamson, Kowalski, Coyle, Airey, Caldwell, Henderson, Bloomer. Subs (not used): Wood.
GOAL: Bloomer (11).
REFEREE: Keith Burge (Tonypandy).
ATTENDANCE: 4,521.
