David Mehew and Gary Penrice got the goals as Bristol Rovers punished Fulham for failing to take their chances at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Whites have now gone five games without scoring a goal and it is difficult to see how Ray Lewington’s side are going to end the goal drought that threatens to doom their promotion hopes. The hosts created many more chances than their visitors in this game, but an inability to find the net proved their undoing once again. Lewington offered his own analysis afterwards:
“Our forwards are thinking about it, having another look or taking another touch or snatching at the chance when they get one.”
Winger Clive Walker got frustrated with the forwards failing to get a decisive touch on his crosses and came close himself but saw a rising drive and then his one-on-one opportunity both thwarted by the excellent England under-21 international Nigel Martyn in the Rovers goal. Captain Rob Wilson hit the bar with his own effort from distance – and the hosts couldn’t have done much more after having ten shots on target over the ninety minutes.
It didn’t help that Fulham were always playing catch up as well as being outnumbered in central midfield. The spare man David Mehew gave Rovers the lead in the fourth minute with an assured right-footed finish after racing onto a pass from Ian Holloway. The visitors gave themselves breathing space eight minutes after half-time when Devon White teed up Penrice to power a venomous volley past a helpless Jim Stannard from 20 yards. The striker rated his special strike as the best goal of his career – and nobody could have stopped it.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Stannard; Eckhardt, Gore, Marshall, Kerrins, Scott, Barnett, Wilson (Elkins 67), Walker, Gordon (Cole 67), Sayer.
BOOKED: Gordon, Elkins.
BRISTOL ROVERS (4-4-2): Martyn; Stapleton, Yates, Twentyman, Jones, Mehew, Holloway, Reece, Purnell, White, Penrice. Subs (not used): Clark, McClean.
BOOKED: White.
GOALS: Mehew (4), Penrice (53).
REFEREE: Jim Rushton (Stoke).
ATTENDANCE: 4,461
