Goals from Iain Dowie and John Marshall guided Fulham to a comfortable away win at Chester City this afternoon.
The home side might have taken the lead in the very first minute but centre forward Carl Dale steered a shot wide of goal after being played through on goal by a precise pass from Martin Lane. Dale was then stretchered off with a gashed knee that required fourteen minutes and Chester’s day only got worse from there as David Pugh and Aiden Newhouse squandered good opportunities to make the most of their early dominance.
Iain Dowie scored the first league goal of his career to put Fulham in front just before half-time – latching onto Clive Walker’s low ball into the box – and firing past Billy Stewart. John Marshall doubled the Cottagers’ lead eight minutes into the second half as Ray Lewington’s side avenged their 7-0 drubbing from their last visit to Sealand in the sunshine. The only downside to Fulham’s ruthless away victory was that Dowie was dismissed for a second bookable offence by referee Roger Gifford after a late challenge on the home goalkeeper.
CHESTER CITY: Stewart; Abel (Reeves 55), Woodthorpe, Lane, Hinnigan, Lundon, Butler, Pugh, Newhouse, Dale (Lightfoot 6), Croft.
BOOKED: Lundon, Pugh.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, G. Thomas, Marshall, Scott, Skinner, Mauge, Walker, Dowie, Sayer. Subs (not used): Bremner, Watson.
BOOKED: Nebbeling, Dowie.
SENT OFF: Dowie.
GOALS: Dowie (45), Marshall (53).
REFEREE: Roger Gifford (Mid Glamorgan).
ATTENDANCE: 2,135.
