Fulham produced a peerless performance to batter Barnet 4-0 at Craven Cottage and give their promotion push some serious momentum.
The home side took the lead on seven minutes when the rapid Duncan Jupp accelerated away from David McDonald down the right wing and crossed for Nick Cusack to drill past Bees goalkeeper Gary Phillips after the hard-working forward had brought the ball down brilliantly on his chest. Scottish right-back Jupp was the outlet for Fulham’s second just before the quarter hour mark when another pinpoint ball from the right picked out Cusack, who headed down for the onrushing John Marshall to double Fulham’s lead.
Cusack might have had a second of the afternoon minutes later had he not been thwarted by a superb Phillips’ save but skipper Simon Morgan made the points save for the Cottagers just before the half time break. The lively Rory Hamill opened up Barnet’s defence with a lofted through ball and Morgan raced through on goal before picking his spot to beat the helpless Phillips with a powerful low drive.
Home goalkeeper Jim Stannard made a pair of brilliant second half saves to deny Dougie Freedman and former Fulham midfielder Mark Cooper before Hamill rounded off the scoring with eleven minutes to go. The new Northern Ireland B international charged through the remnants of a weary visiting defence to fire home Fulham’s fourth after the industrious Morgan had broken up a Barnet break with a strong tackle.
FULHAM: Stannard; Jupp, Herrera, Marshall, Moore, Blake, M. Thomas, Morgan, Cusack, Adams (Finnigan 45), Hamill (Mison 81). Sub (not used): Harrison.
GOALS: Cusack (7), Marshall (14), Morgan (43), Hamill (79).
ATTENDANCE: 6,195.
