Chris Pike came back to haunt Fulham as his brace inspired Cardiff City to thrash his former employers 5-2 at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Bluebirds’ brilliant victory doesn’t alter their position at the bottom of the Third Division but the first time they have scored five league goals away from home in 21 years – since another resounding victory at the Cottage in December 1968 – should at least give the City players confidence that they can dig themselves out of relegation trouble. Pike and Cohen Griffith ripped a ragged Fulham defence to shreds as Ray Lewington’s side never came close to ending their two month wait for a home league win.
Pike, who recovered from injury to line up on the banks of the River Thames, opened the scoring in the eighth minute heading home after a rampaging run and cross from Ian Rodgerson. Cardiff’s lead lasted three minutes when a mistake from Ray Daniel allowed Steve Milton to equalise, but no visiting heads dropped. Two minutes later, Pike dropped into midfield and released Griffith with a peach of a pass. The former Kettering forward surged away from the home defence and he steered a cool finish past Jim Stannard.
Cardiff were 3-1 up just two minutes later as Griffiths seized on a terrible back pass from Richard Langley to get himself into another shooting position and his shot ended up in the net despite the best attempts of John Marshall to try and clear the danger. The home fans chanted ‘Lewington out’ and, although their side tried to respond, on-loan goalkeeper Roger Hansbury made magnificent saves to deny Andy Sayer and then a disbelieving Gary Elkins from close range.
It took a penalty from Justin Skinner – awarded after referee Arthur Smith controversially adjudged Daniel to have brought down Gary Barnett – to reduce Fulham’s arrears, but nothing was going to spoil Pike’s big day. The striker, who scored just six times in 47 games for the Whites in four injury-hit years at Craven Cottage, drove home his second after excellent approach play from substitute Chris Fry before midfielder Jon Morgan completed the rout at the second attempt, nodding in the empty having initially hit the bar from Griffith’s pinpoint cross.
FULHAM: Stannard; Langley, Elkins (Vertannes 59), Nebbeling, Marshall, Skinner, Mauge, Barnett, Walker, Milton, Sayer (Watson 74).
GOALS: Milton (11), Skinner (pen 63).
CARDIFF CITY: Hansbury; Abraham, Daniel, Morgan, Chandler, Gibbins, M. Kelly, Rodgerson, Barnard, Griffith (Fry 84), C. Pike (Scott 81).
GOALS: C. Pike (8, 72), Griffith (13), Marshall (o.g. 15), Morgan (81).
REFEREE: Arthur Smith.
ATTENDANCE: 4,030.
