Skipper Simon Morgan’s winner secured a hard-fought three points as Fulham beat Scunthorpe United 1-0 at Craven Cottage this afternoon and moved up to eighth in the Third Division table.
Morgan fired a left-footed finish beyond Iron goalkeeper Mark Samways after adventurous wing play from the bright John Marshall and Ian Branfoot’s side then demonstrated their defensive fortitude to keep a clean sheet and eek out a first home league win since mid-October. It was far from pretty but manager Ian Branfoot won’t be complaining.
In a physical game, on-loan Nick Cusack showed his tougher streak by making several fierce challenges in the middle of the park as Fulham demonstrated they were prepared to mix it with their industrious opponents. Cusack had the first sight of goal for the home side as he fired fractionally wide after Marshall, a willing outlet on the right wing all afternoon for the Whites, had hung up an inviting cross to the back post.
Scunthorpe put tougher several prolonged periods of pretty passing and posed a serious threat to the home goal. Jim Stannard did well to push away a shot from Paul Mudd that looked as if it was heading for the far corner before the Fulham goalkeeper had to be alert once move to keep out a volley from Ian Juryeff. Just as the visitors were really beginning to hit their stride, captain Morgan popped up with the game’s decisive moment.
Morgan’s improvised finish off his left side came after a trademark late run into the Scunthorpe box to connect with another excellent cross from Marshall, who had beaten two visiting defenders to find the space to whip the ball in. Morgan might have scored again four minutes later but a brilliantly directed downward header after he had latched onto Robbie Herrera’s centre was superbly saved by Samways.
Fulham kept pressing at the start of the second half as Cusack went close with a couple of headers before Fulham wasted an indirect free-kick inside the Scunthorpe area. The visitors were fortunate not to concede a penalty when it looked as though a rampaging Duncan Jupp was taken out in the box. Marshall and Alan Cork worked a shooting chance for the latter through some neat interplay down the right but the former Wimbledon forward’s finish was rather tame.
Cork made way for Belfast-born teenager Rory Hamill, who knitted together an exciting cameo in the last twenty minutes. The Northern Irish striker’s energy made him a different sort of threat to Scunthorpe defence, who were arguably far too preoccupied with shackling him when Morgan sent a diving header cannoning off the frame of the goal from Jupp’s cross in the last minute.
FULHAM: Stannard; Jupp, Herrera, Hurlock, Moore, Blake, Marshall, Morgan, Cusack, Brazil, Cork (Hamill 70). Subs (not used): Harrison, Angus.
GOAL: Morgan (33).
ATTENDANCE: 3,358.
