Superb set-piece goals from Steve Claridge and Phil Chapple secured Cambridge United’s first win of the campaign at Fulham this afternoon.
U’s assistant manager, Gary Johnson, who stood on the Hammersmith End to watch the Whites as a boy, had to sprint to Craven Cottage to make sure the visitors handed in their teamsheet on time after the Cambridge bus got stuck in the Saturday west London traffic. But a feeble Fulham side were far more accommodating than the clogged up roads as John Vaughan claimed a clean sheet on his return to the Cottage.
Cambridge began brightly, forcing three corners in the first ten minutes, with Michael Cheatham almost squeezing home a shot after fine work by Dion Dublin. The home side took until ten minutes before half time to threaten their former goalkeeper but found Vaughan in fine form as he palmed away a Francis Joseph effort from ten yards out. The Whites were to rue that miss a minute before the break when the recalled Steve Claridge headed home after Dublin had flicked on a massive long throw from Richard Wilkins.
Fulham looked to respond but Vaughan easily fielded a shot from Steve Milton before making a magnificent double save in the 57th minute. He dived to his right to push out a pliedriver from John Marshall and reacted quickly to gather the loose ball before Joseph could convert a tap-in. United went straight down the other end and won a corner after a clever run from Cheetham saw the midfielder find Dublin, whose shot was deflected over.
John Beck’s doubled their lead from the set-piece with Colin Bailie’s delivery picking out an unmarked Chapple who nodded past Batty and inside the far post to the delight of around 400 travelling fans at the Putney End. Cambridge could have had a cricket score by the end as Cheetham, Claridge, Chris Leadbitter and substitute Chris Philpott squandered chances to add to beleaguered Fulham manager Alan Dicks’ misery. The Craven Cottage faithful spent the final twenty minutes rendering their verdict on another dismal display, revelling in chanting ‘Dicks out’.
FULHAM: Batty; Eckhardt, G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall, Newson, Scott (Skinner 80), Baker, Kelly, Joseph (Cole 80), Milton.
BOOKED: Eckhardt.
CAMBRIDGE UNITED: Vaughan; Bailie, Chapple, Kimble, Fensome, O’Shea, Cheetham, Wilkins, Leadbitter, Dublin (Philpott 80), Claridge.
GOALS: Claridge (44), Chapple (65).
ATTENDANCE: 4,145.
