Rory Hamill rescued a point for Fulham as the Whites roared back from 4-2 down against Northampton Town to claim a share of the spoils in an eight-goal thriller at Craven Cottage this evening.
Hamill, who was brought down for the penalty that was coolly converted by substitute Micky Adams to bring the home side to within one goal of the Cobblers, then volleyed home from fifteen yards to make it 4-4 – with the young striker refusing to allow Martin Thomas to claim the goal even though his dramatic strike clearly deflected off the midfielder’s backside before nestling in the back of the net.
Northampton, third from bottom of the Third Division, looked by far the more dangerous side in a first half where the Whites really struggled to get going and it was no surprise when Martin Aldridge gave them the lead on the half hour after he latched onto a knock down from Ian Brown. Fulham had not even mustered a shot on target at that point and were fortunate not be further behind when Jim Stannard spread himself to deny Brown.
Somehow, the hosts went in 2-1 up at the interval when the experienced utility man John Marshall got free down the right flank and when Ian Ovendale spilled his cross, skipper Simon Morgan was on hand to bundle in the rebound. Morgan then drove the home side ahead, with his speculative strike catching both Ovendale and captain Ray Warburton rather unaware. Fulham might have even stretched their barely believable advantage further but Nick Cusack failed to find the target from another Marshall cross.
But rather than take the attack to Town in the second half, the Cottagers inexplicably opted to try and sit on their lead. They failed to heed a warning nine minutes after the break when a rasping drive from Neil Grayson came back off the crossbar and paid the penalty when Aldridge easily beat Terry Angus to cross for Brown to head Northampton level.
The visitors went ahead again just a minute later when Warburton’s header broke kindly for Grayson, who delicately caressed a chip over Stannard and into the far corner of the Putney End net. Warburton then produced a superb sliding challenge to prevent Cusack from equalising and Northampton looked to have taken all three points when Aldridge scored at the second attempt after racing onto a header from Warburton.
But Adams brought Fulham back into it from the penalty spot after referee Paul Vanes adjudged that Smith had pulled back Hamill – a decision that stood despite furious Northampton protests. Hamill stole a point in the 88th minute when his improvised volley flew past Ovendale off Thomas.
FULHAM: Stannard; Jupp, Angus, Marshall, Moore (Adams 56), Blake, M. Thomas, Morgan, Cusack, Brazil, Hamill. Subs (not used): Harrison, Finnigan.
BOOKED: Hamill.
GOALS: Morgan (35, 43), Adams (pen 86), Hamill (88).
NORTHAMPTON TOWN: Ovendale; Norton, Smith, Samson, Warburton, Martin (Harmon 75), Aldridge, Brown, Thompson, Burns, Grayson.
BOOKED: Smith, Samson.
GOALS: Aldridge (30, 82), Brown (56), Grayson (57).
REFEREE: Paul Vanes (Warley).
ATTENDANCE: 3,423.
