Fulham inflicted Bristol City’s worst home defeat for fourteen years with Andy Sayer scoring twice as the Whites produced a ruthless display of finishing to win 5-1 at Ashton Gate.
Colin Gordon, who was on loan at City last season, was honest enough to admit that Fulham might have been fortunate to register such a resounding victory. “These were two good sides but we got the breaks,” said the debutant. “Early on, it could have so easily gone the other way”.
Fulham scored from their only real opportunities in the first half. They won a free-kick in a promising position on nineteen minutes and captain Rob Wilson played the ball square for Gary Peters, who fired a fine shot through the defensive wall and into the net. Joe Jordan’s Bristol City arguably paid the penalty for adopting an all-out-attacking approach – particularly when they were caught on the counter attack just after the half hour mark.
Fulham centre forward Andy Sayer sprinted all the way from the halfway line to double the lead after latching onto a wonderful pass from Wilson. The Whites then killed the game off nine minutes after the break when Jeff Eckhardt guided a header home off the underside of the crossbar from Justin Skinner’s chip. John Marshall made it four with a superb solo effort as he jinked his way through the City defence.
Rob Newman got a goal back for the home side from the penalty after a foul from Glen Thomas but Sayer rounded off the scoring when he seized upon a dreadful back pass to clinch Fulham’s best away win since an eight-goal hammering of Halifax in 1969.
FULHAM: Stannard; Peters, Langley, Thomas, Eckhardt, Marshall, Skinner (Mauge 85), Barnett, Wilson, Gordon, Sayer. Subs (not used): Walker.
BOOKED: Peters, Sayer.
GOALS: Peters (19), Sayer (32, 86), Eckhardt (54), Marshall (78).
ATTENDANCE: 8,160.
