Two goals in the last ten minutes gave ten-man Fulham a vital victory at Aldershot this evening.
Clive Walker and Gordon Davies turned a match that looked to be slipping away from Ray Lewington’s side right on his head and lifted the Whites into fourth place – whilst ending Aldershot’s hopes of avoiding relegation to the fourth division.
The first half was a cagey affair with little in the way of goalmouth action to ease the tension. Fulham looked the most likely to break the deadline but experienced winger Clive Walker couldn’t find a finish after two of his trademark mazy dribbles had opened up the home defence. Instead, it was the Shots who went in front shortly after half time. Glen Burvill headed home Adrian Randall’s cross from the left to the delight of the home fans.
Fulham’s task looked almost impossible when Ronnie Mauge was shown a second yellow card five minutes later, but they roared back into the contest in the closing stages. First, Walker wonderfully lobbed Steve Osgood in the Aldershot goal to bring Lewington’s side level with a brilliantly taken eighth league goal of the season. There was more to come.
Substitute Andy Sayer’s intelligent flick found Davies in space and the Welsh striker drove home his fourteenth goal of the campaign to secure another precious three points in the race for promotion.
ALDERSHOT: Osgood; Smith, Anderson, Phillips, Brown, Burvill, Randall, McDonald, Stewart, Claridge (Wignall 45), Riley (Mazzon 47).
GOAL: Burvill (50).
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Thomas, Rougvie, Marshall, Scott, Skinner, Mauge, Walker, Cole (Sayer 70), Davies (Wilson 84).
BOOKED: Eckhardt, Mauge.
SENT OFF: Mauge.
GOALS: Walker (75), Davies (84).
ATTENDANCE: 3,841.
