Fulham were frustrated by a battling Exeter City side this afternoon at Craven Cottage as two of the outsiders in the play-off race played out a dreary goalless draw.
Don Mackay demanded more creativity and ruthlessness from side as the Whites laboured to land a blow on the Grecians, who played a portion of the match down to ten men whilst Jake Daniels had six stitches in his head following a first half clash with Sean Farrell. The usually reliable Fulham forward struggled to link the play or team up with Kelly Haag. Farrell wasted a couple of good positions having made runs towards the box and had the only shot on target, a tame effort, in the second half. He was eventually replaced by Julian Hails – but Fulham made no impression on the Exeter goal in the final fifteen minutes of a forgettable match.
Exeter kept their own promotion hopes bubbling up with a spirited display typified by the way in which Daniels demanded to return to the field – rather than be substituted by Alan Ball. The Grecians fought hard to keep Fulham at bay with Vince Hillaire outstanding at right back and everyone working hard to defend from the front. Ball blamed a poor pitch and gusty winds for this fixture not being a spectacle, but a seething Mackay felt Fulham no excuse for drawing another blank in front of their won fans. Scoring just once in their last three home games is ‘pathetic’: as Mackay admitted.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall, Morgan, Scott, Brazil, Farrell (Hails 75), Haag. Subs (not used): P. Kelly.
BOOKED: Pike, Farrell.
EXETER CITY: Miller; Daniels, Whiston, T. Kelly, Brown, Cook, Hilaire, Wimbleton, Williams, Marshall, Morris.
ATTENDANCE: 3,957.
