Northampton Town ended a run of four games without a win with a convincing victory over feeble Fulham at Sixfields this afternoon courtesy of goals from Neil Grayson and Jason White.
Fulham manager Ian Branfoot was incandescent with rage afterwards, labelling this abject display in which they failed to muster a single shot on target the worst of the season so far. The Whites’ sixth straight away defeat leaves the optimism with which Branfoot’s boys began the season a distant memory – and their hopes of automatic promotion from the Third Division in tatters.
The Cobblers were in command from the outset against the injury-plagued Londoners, who were without the services of Gary Brazil, Danny Bolt and Micky Adams. Branfoot drafted in new signing Mark Taylor at left back and pushed Robbie Herrera further forward on the left side of midfield, but they were second best throughout. Fulham were indebted to bravery of goalkeeper Tony Lange, who dived at the feet of Jason White to preserve parity when the striker looked set to put Northampton ahead following a poor defensive clearance.
Grayson, who tormented Duncan Jupp all afternoon, should have opened the scoring rather than skew a shot wide of the target when he met an inviting cross from Alistair Gibb eight minutes before half time. All the Whites managed in response were two strikes from distance by Michael Mison, which both went well wide of the goal. The pattern of home pressure continued two minutes after the interval when David Norton drilled a shot straight at Lange after good link-up play between the full-back and Thompson.
Town were in front two minutes later. Grayson sauntered away from two tacklers in midfield, played a one-two at pace with Grayson, and delightfully chipped Lange from 20 yards. Branfoot sent on Tony Finnigan for Jupp and Fulham put together their best move of the match. Blake’s raking ball released Martin Thomas on the right and the midfielder’s excellent cross found Mike Conroy five yards but the Scot somehow lifted his shot high over the bar with the goal gaping.
Lange kept Fulham in it when he tipped over an Ian Sampson header from Chris Burns’ free-kick and, from the ensuing corner, Grayson had the ball in the net for a second time – but was this time adjudged offside. Fulham improved once Rory Hamill replaced the ineffectual Conroy but couldn’t find an equaliser. Mison volleyed wide from just outside the area before ex-Northampton centre back Terry Angus drove wide after Cusack had flicked on a Blake cross.
But the Cobblers clinched victory with five minutes remaining as White beat Angus to poke a White header underneath the body of Lange from seven yards and score the decisive second goal.
FULHAM: Lange; Jupp (Finnigan 50), Taylor, Blake, Angus; Mison, Morgan, Thomas, Herrera; Cusack, Conroy (Hamill 64). Subs (not used): Harrison.
ATTENDANCE: 5,778.
