Martin Pike’s equaliser earned Fulham a point against promotion-chasing Bury at Gigg Lane this afternoon – but it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to keep the Whites in the Third Division.
Manager Alan Dicks admitted in the aftermath of the midweek defeat by Brentford that his side would have to win two of their last three fixtures to avoid tumbling into the fourth tier for the first time in Fulham’s history. The odds were always against the Cottagers from pulling off a shock against Mike Walsh’s side, who are still chasing a play-off place. Martin Pike might have done better than hit the post from eight yards in the third minute and Bury penned Fulham back for long periods after that early escape.
The Shakers went in front on sixteen minutes through a fabulous long-range strike from centre forward Liam Robinson, whose lashed an unstoppable shot past Jim Stannard after being set up by former Fulham midfielder Ronnie Mauge. But the visitors refused to lie down and got themselves level seven minutes before half-time when a Pike 30-yard piledriver shocked the home fans.
Walsh hit out at Fulham’s timewasting tactics in the second half as he accused the Londoners of feigning injury in the closing stages of the contest. The Bury manager told his post-match press conference: “If any of my players had behaved like that, I wouldn’t be happy.” Dicks defused the situation by saying he was proud of his players and their commitment to the cause, saying he was looking forward to the challenge of trying to get two wins from Fulham’s final two league matches.
BURY: G. Kelly; Bishop, Valentine, Greenall, Stanislaus, Lee, Hulme, Parkinson, Mauge, Kearney, Robinson.
GOAL: Robinson (18).
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, North, G. Thomas, Pike, Morgan (Cobb 30), Marshall, Onwere, Skinner, Haag, Stant. Subs (not used): M. Kelly.
GOAL: Pike (38).
ATTENDANCE: 3,217.
