Fulham kept their faint hopes of a play-off place alive with a comfortable victory over relegation-threatened Southend United at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
Chairman Jimmy Hill made an impassioned half-time plea to the home fans to donate £2 a week to the club’s Keep Fulham Alive scheme as the new ownership look to pay off the Cottagers’ considerable debts. Hill was joined on the pitch by TV star Terry Wogan and former Sunderland manager Lawrie McMenemy, but the former Fulham legend will have been impressed by an outstanding display by Michael Cole.
The lively young forward proved the difference between the two sides. Cole, a recent £45,000 capture from Ipswich Town, provided the game’s turning point midway through the second half with a fine run and cross to set up a thumping header from the energetic Jeff Eckhardt after Southend had struggled to clear a Gary Elkins free-kick. Ray Lewington’s battlers badly needed that shot in the arm after Peter Johnson had cancelled out Kenny Achampong’s fifth minute opener ten minutes into the second half.
Achampong gave the Whites a dream start when he scored his third goal of the season following a fine move involving John Marshall, Gary Barnett and Justin Skinner. But the hosts failed to capitalise on their fine start and were pegged back when Johnson fired home after a dreadful mistake by Elkins. Scott and Achampong then missed glorious chances to put Fulham in front before the classy Cole laid on the crucial second goal.
The home side only made sure of the points ten minutes from time after a calamitous mistake from visiting goalkeeper Paul Sansome. The United custodian, a deadline day signing from Millwall, horribly miscued a goalkick. Substitute Gordon Davies was quick to seize on the loose ball but his fierce shot struck the shocked Sansome on the head and rebounded for Gary Barnett, who found the empty net from thirty yards out to make it 3-1.
FULHAM: Stannard; Oakes, Eckhardt, Hopkins, Elkins, Marshall, Scott, Skinner, Barnett, Achampong (Davies 72), Cole. Subs (not used): Walker.
GOALS: Achampong (5), Eckhardt (65), Barnett (80).
SOUTHEND UNITED: Sansome; Clark, Brush, Johnson (Robinson 73), Hall, Ling, Martin, Butler, McDonough, Smith, Crown.
GOAL: Johnson (55).
ATTENDANCE: 5,021.
