Wayne Biggins’ twelfth goal of the season proved enough to secure all three points for Stoke City against relegation-haunted Fulham at Craven Cottage this evening.
Caretaker boss Graham Paddon’s fourth win from seven games in charge of the Potters was secured in the 74th minute when skipper Noel Blake supplied Biggins with a perfect pass to clinch Stoke’s third victory of the season in London. Paddon praised Blake for his matchwinning display afterwards – as well as his part in the winning goal:
“Noel is typifying the attitude we have shown over the past few weeks. He had got forward into an attacking position just before he supplied the pass for Wayne to finish – that spoke volumes for how he wanted to win. He deserved the ovation he got from the crowd at the end, but then so did all the players, for it was a solid, all-round team performance.”
Stoke snuffed out Fulham’s chief threat in the shape of striker Phil Stant, who was the target of an aerial bombardment from the boot of home goalkeeper Jim Stannard. What Fulham lacked in imagination they more than made up for in fortitude with Simon Morgan outstanding at the heart of their defence. A goalless draw might well have been a fairer result – and that looked like the way it was heading until Blake burst forward from right back.
The unfairly-maligned Stoke skipper surged along the right flank, winning a tackle with Gary Brazil, and fizzing in a low cross that skidded out of reach of the home defenders and fell kindly for the visitors’ top scorer, who fired into the roof of the net from twelve yards out. Jim Stannard, who had saved superbly from Biggins just a couple of minutes later, had no chance given the power of this finish.
Stoke deserved their slender lead if only because they had created the clearest chances during an otherwise forgettable first period. Teenager Mark Devlin was unfortunate not to open the scoring with a clever 20-yard curler that was superbly saved by a stretching Stannard and Carl Beeston perhaps should have done better than drag an effort wide from a similar distance in the second half after excellent approach play by Biggins and Devlin.
Fulham’s hopes of avoiding the drop look forlorn as they once again struggled to break down a well-drilled visiting defence. The home side threatened through Steve Milton’s inswinging corner, which almost embarrassed Peter Fox, but when Stant did beat the Stoke goalkeeper after latching onto a hopeful long ball, the Fulham striker’s shot hit the outside of the far post and bounced wide.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, North, G. Thomas, Pike (Cobb 58), Morgan, Scott, Talbot, Brazil, Milton (Davies 52), Stant.
STOKE CITY: Fox; Sandford, Devlin, Blake, Higgins, Carr, Rice, Beeston, M. Thomas, Biggins, Clarke. Subs (not used): Kelly, Gallimore.
GOAL: Biggins (74).
REFEREE: Brian Hill (Kettering)
ATTENDANCE: 3,131.
