Goals from Leroy Rosenior and Gordon Davies gave Fulham their first win of the season at Craven Cottage this afternoon – and sent Rotherham United bottom of the Third Division.
Davies missed a glorious chance to give Alan Dicks’ side the lead in the third minute – ballooning a finish into the Putney End with just Millers goalkeeper Kelham O’Hanlon to beat. But Rosenior showed his strike partner how to finish two minutes later when he raced onto a pass from John Marshall and slotted into the far corner from ten yards out.
Welsh legend Davies moved to within one goal of matching Bedford Jezzard’s club record of 154 league goals when he doubled Fulham’s lead on 20 minutes. The 35 year-old celebrated wildly after heading home from three yards out after debutant Stacey North had flicked on Gary Brazil’s corner. North, who had not scored in more than a hundred games, almost marked a fine first appearance at the heart of the Fulham defence with a goal himself but saw his header turned onto the bar by O’Hanlon.
The visitors came back into it after the break as Clive Mendonca and Stewart Evans were denied by sharp saves from Jim Stannard. Rosenior went close to a second goal after a rapid home break saw Martin Pike bring the ball out of defence, but the forward’s curling effort from 20 yards dropped just wide of the far post. Newson had a shot charged down at a corner in what was easily Fulham’s finest performance of the season.
FULHAM: Stannard; North, Pike, Marshall, Newson, Cobb, Ferney, Kelly, Brazil, Davies (Haag 75), Rosenior. Subs (not used): Langley.
BOOKED: Stannard.
GOALS: Rosenior (5), Davies (20).
ROTHERHAM UNITED: O’Hanlon; Law (Goater 60), Barnsley, Robinson, Forrest, Goodwin, Spooner, Dempsey, Hazel, Mendonca (Jenkinson 65), Evans.
ATTENDANCE: 3,498.
