A brilliant brace from Alan Cork helped Fulham come from behind to beat Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park this afternoon.
The home side made the stronger start with Damien Henderson testing Jim Stannard’s reflexes within the very first minute. Scunthorpe seemed sharper in the early stages and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the eighth minute through a fabulous goal from former Leyton Orient forward Ian Juryeff. He had few options in the penalty area when he received the ball out wide 25 yards from goal, but produced an astonishing shot that flew into the far corner of the net.
Fulham were level within six minutes after Cork was brought down just outside the penalty area. An elaborate free-kick routine saw Brazil and Moore run over the dead ball before the former Wimbledon striker found the bottom corner with a measured finish. The Cottagers could easily have then gone ahead but Simon Morgan saw a shot blocked and Cork sent a header wide in quick succession from Brazil crosses.
The action swung from end to end in an open game with Paul Mudd flashing a shot across the Fulham goalmouth from the left angle of the penalty area before Mark Samways made a superb reaction save to deny Rob Haworth. Mark Smith almost restored Scunthorpe’s lead with a clever curler whilst, at the other end, Glen Thomas sent a free header wide from a Fulham corner.
The Whites had a lucky escape after Jim Stannard was bizarrely penalised from picking up a ball that had deflected off Kevin Moore. Matt Carmichael’s blast from the indirect free-kick was blocked on the line by the Fulham wall, but referee Terry Heilbron booked Stannard for charging forward to try and block the shot.
Ian Branfoot sent on midfielder Martin Ferney in search of a late winner, but it was Cork who conjured up a real moment of magic in the last minute. His second of the game – and the decisive goal – was a thing of real beauty, a fierce volley into the roof of the net after Morgan’s own effort had deflected off a defender and into the path of the veteran.
SCUNTHORPE UNITED: Samways; Ford, Mudd, Thornber (Carmichael 45), Knill, Bradley, Alexander, Bullimore, Juryeff, Henderson (Goodacre 80), Smith. Sub (not used): Heath.
GOAL: Juryeff (8).
FULHAM: Stannard; Morgan, Marshall, Mison (Ferney 77), Moore, G. Thomas, Jupp, Cork, Brazil, Haworth, Herrera. Subs: Bedrossian, Ferney, Harrison.
GOALS: Cork (14, 89).
REFEREE: Terry Heilbron (County Durham).
ATTENDANCE: 3,165
