Phil Stant scored a late winner as Fulham ended their thirteen month search for an away win and stole the local bragging rights by beating promotion-chasing Brentford at Griffin Park tonight.
Stant’s strike – that sparked delirious scenes amongst the travelling support – contained a good deal of fortune as his powerful finish squirmed through Bees’ keeper Graham Benstead’s hands and into the net but the former Notts County striker has earned all the luck he got in that moment after latching onto a through ball from Kelly Haag. The Fulham fans savoured the sweetest of victories against their local rivals – especially as this was their first away success since Clive Walker’s winner at Huddersfield in March 1990.
The three points also give Alan Dicks’ side a fighting chance of staying in the Third Division. Dicks himself suggested it felt rather like the Whites had won the FA Cup afterwards – and they had delivered a spirited showing befitting a Cup upset to leave Brentford sweating on their place in the end-of-season play-offs. The Bees will now have to win at Huddersfield to get their promotion push back on track after rarely hitting their stride in a strangely subdued derby display, where they badly missed the striking power of Richard Cadette and Gary Blissett.
Fulham’s resolute rearguard dealt comfortably enough with Marcus Gayle and Dean Holdsworth, whilst the industry of Martin Pike and John Marshall definitely won the midfield battle. The versatile Marshall whipped in a superb cross that saw former Brentford striker Kelly Haag head the opener past Benstead on his old stomping ground. Stant then spurned a glorious chance to make it two four minutes later, somehow shooting well over the crossbar from six yards out with the Bees defence all at sea.
It took the home side some 28 minutes to test Jim Stannard, who dealt easily enough with a tame effort from Marcus Gayle. Brentford were far better after the interval and, roared on by the home crowd, levelled just after the hour mark. Holdsworth appeared to push Stacey North out of the way of a long ball that reached Wilf Rostron, allowing the former Watford midfielder to run through and beat a seething Stannard to score his first goal for the Bees.
The Griffin Park faithful thought that set the stage for the sort of onslaught that would see struggling Fulham crack. But the home side opted for a route one approach that the Whites easily dealt with before the speedy Stant surged onto Haag’s searching ball down the inside right channel and delivered the sting in the tail.
BRENTFORD: Benstead; Bates, Ratcliffe, Evans, Fleming, Rostron, Goodyear, Smillie, Jones, M. Gayle, Holdsworth.
GOAL: Rostron (61).
FULHAM: Stannard; North, G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall, Morgan, Onwere, Skinner, Brazil, Haag, Stant. Subs (not used): Finch, M. Kelly.
BOOKED: Morgan.
GOAL: Haag (17), Stant (87).
ATTENDANCE: 7,839.
