A brilliant bit of skill from Clive Walker allowed the evergreen winger to score the only goal of the game as Fulham ended Blackpool’s winning streak at Bloomfield Road this afternoon.
Fulham’s resolute rearguard diligently dealt with all the attacks that the Tangerines could muster – but a bad mistake from Steve Morgan in the twentieth minute proved costly. The left back dwelt in possession when he had both the time and the space to clear and that allowed 32 year-old Walker to seize the ball and beat Vince Bartram with a clever finish high into the net.
The former QPR, Chelsea and Sunderland winger was comfortably Fulham’s best performer – rarely wasting a pass or an opportunity to tease a full back – until he was replaced by Gary Peters with a quarter of an hour to play. Fulham’s disciplined defence dealt with Blackpool’s rather primitive methods of attack and the home side only mustered one shot on target in the whole game when Gary Brook latched onto a flick on from Andy Garner but his tame effort was easily smothered by an alert Jim Stannard.
Fulham were comfortable for most of the afternoon – with Gavin Nebbeling outstanding at the heart of the visiting defence – and thoroughly deserved their three points.
BLACKPOOL: Bartram; Elliott, Methven, Gore, Morgan (Davies 57), Burgess, Coughlin, Eyres, Owen, Garner, Brook. Subs (not used): Methven.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, Burns, Marshall, Scott, Donnellan, Skinner, Walker (Peters 76), Sayer (Milton 67), Watson.
BOOKED: Skinner.
GOAL: Walker (20).
REFEREE: Trelford Mills.
ATTENDANCE: 2,648.
