Martin Pike was at the double as Fulham scored three for the first time this season and cruised past a below-par Swansea City side at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Swans remained rooted to the bottom of the Third Division and, on this evidence, it could be a long, hard battle against relegation for Frank Burrows’ men. They did hold out until just before half-time despite a barrage of home pressure, however, and it needed a deflection to beat the former Chelsea goalkeeper Roger Freestone. Fulham had dominated the first half but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard, but just when the home faithful were beginning to get restless up stepped Pike.
The attack minded left-back has often been a source of assists and goals for Fulham and today was no different. He took aim from just outside the box after moving on to a pass from Andrew Cole, but Freestone was entirely deceived by a hefty deflection off his own defender, Mark Harris.
The Whites doubled their lead barely a minute into the second period. Pike started and finished the move that gave Alan Dicks’ men the kind of commanding lead that their first half display had merited. His searching ball from the halfway line set Cole away and the on-loan striker surged past Harris before sending in the perfect cross for the onrushing Pike to lash into the net with his left foot.
The visitors began to push men forward in an attempt to get back into the contest. John Williams and substitute Paul Raynor came close with speculative efforts, but it was Fulham who scored the third goal of the contest with ten minutes left. Substitute Kelly Haag stripped Harris, who was having a game to forget, of possession in the final third and left Gary Brazil with the simplest of finishes into an empty net.
Fulham assistant manager Ray Lewington said afterwards: “I think we never looked in danger after we scored our second goal. Swansea came at us after that, but I always thought we looked capable of scoring a third. This was a good win – and sets us up well for the trip to Stoke on Saturday. That will be a tough game, but one we can approach with confidence.”
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, G. Thomas (Morgan 75), Pike, Marshall, Newson, Onwere, Scott, Baker (Haag 75), Brazil, Cole.
GOALS: Pike (43, 47), Brazil (80).
SWANSEA CITY: Freestone; Harris, Ford, Legg (Chapple 77), Hough, Jenkins, Coughlin, Thornber, Connor, McLean (Raynor 71), Williams.
ATTENDANCE: 3,426.
