Goals from Jeff Eckhardt and Martin Pike delivered Fulham’s first league win of the season at the expense of a below-par Preston North End this afternoon.
The visitors might have gone ahead in the very early stages when visiting winger Martin James beat Jim Stannard only for Simon Morgan to scramble the ball off the line, but that scare sparked the Whites into life. Sean Farrell was certainly in the mood, sending a looping header fractionally over the Putney End crossbar, and Don Mackay’s men hit the front just two minutes later. Julian Hails produced a peach of a cross from the right and Eckhardt rose highest to head home.
Hails nearly put another teasing centre on the Welshman’s head from the next attack but this time Eckhardt couldn’t connect despite diving in the direction of the ball. Simon Farnworth then twice denied Eckhardt in quick succession before the midfielder’s lob landed in the net only for the goal to be rightly ruled out for offside. Farrell also had a goal disallowed for offside before the break, but Fulham doubled their lead in the teeming second half rain.
Mark Kelly’s burst towards goal was halted by the intervention of John Tinkler, but the midfielder’s robust challenge sent the ball into the path of Pike, who powered past Mike Flynn before drilling a lovely low shot under Farnworth and into the Hammersmith End from 25 yards. A goal of such quality deserved to win any game, although Mackay expressed frustration afterwards that his side allowed North End to make a game of it when Tony Ellis turned in a cross from Mark Leonard to make the home faithful sweat.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, G. Thomas, Pike, Marshall, Morgan, Hails, M. Kelly, Bailey, Farrell. Subs (not used): Newson, Ferney.
GOALS: Eckhardt (6), Pike (63).
PRESTON NORTH END: Farnworth; Davidson, Flynn, Callaghan, Fowler, Tinkler (Eaves 81), James (Flitcroft 82), Leonard, Ellis, Ashcroft, Cartwright.
GOAL: Ellis (85).
REFEREE: Graham Pooley (Bishop’s Stortford)
ATTENDANCE: 3,641.
