Terry Evans grabbed the only goal of the game as Brentford beat Fulham to move to the top of the Third Division following a dreary derby at Craven Cottage.
Manager Phil Holder deployed Marcus Gayle in a more advanced role than in previous weeks to shatter Fulham’s defensive solidity as the talented winger posed huge problems for the home side’s sweeper and centre halves. Lone striker Richard Cadette enjoyed the freedom of Hammersmith and Fulham as a result and should have fired the Bees ahead in the eleventh minute – only to blaze over from Evans’ flick on.
Graham Benstead, whose goalkeeping displays have come to characterise these local skirmishes in recent seasons, made a superb save to deny Udo Onwere after the midfielder had superbly worked the space to shoot for the top corner. That stop took on a new significance when the home defence switched off at a set-piece, allowing Evans to head Wilf Rostron’s cross past the despairing dive of Jim Stannard on the half hour mark.
Benstead then produced another peerless piece of goalkeeping to get his fingertips to Gary Brazil’s penalty ten minutes after the interval. The Brentford keeper was called upon after Keith Jones had brought a dangerous run by Gary Cobb to an end by hauling down the home forward. Gayle almost rubbed salt into the Fulham wounds a couple of minutes after the penalty by breezing into the area and rifling against the post, with Stannard somehow keeping out Cadette’s follow-up.
The Fulham goalkeeper kept his side in it with good stops to deny Neil Smilie and Jamie Bates, but Alan Dicks’ men couldn’t find an equaliser despite laying siege to the Brentford goal in the closing stages. Onwere did finally beat Benstead with three minutes remaining, but his shot came back off the crossbar and rolled to safety – allowing the Bees to claim both the bragging rights and top spot.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall, Newson, Cobb (Haag 75), Onwere, Scott, Brazil, Cole. Subs (not used): Nebbeling.
BRENTFORD: Benstead; Bates, Millen, Evans, Rostron, Smillie, Jones, Manuel, Godfrey, M. Gayle, Cadette (Peters 85). Subs (not used): Radcliffe.
GOAL: Evans (30).
ATTENDANCE: 7,710.
