Goals from Don Goodman and Jermaine Wright gave Wolverhampton Wanderers a win over Third Division Fulham at an underwhelmed Molineux last night.
Embattled former England manager Graham Taylor professed himself happy with the Second Division’s side display, which sees them take a comfortable cushion to Craven Cottage for the second leg, but the home fans could be seen arguing with one another as their side struggled to break down Ian Branfoot’s battlers.
They had the perfect platform to enjoy an easier evening free of worrying about their league woes when Goodman cracked home a fine fifth-minute strike having latched onto a raking ball from Mark Rankine. But they barely created a chance for the remainder of the first half despite enjoying virtually all the possession and were jeered by a section of the much-reduced home crowd at half time.
Taylor admitted his half-time team-talk was a little terse, but Wolves emerged renergised after the interval and added a second five minutes after the break. Mark Stowell’s long kick was flicked on by Steve Bull and Wright found the bottom corner of Tony Lange’s net with a lovely low drive. The expected onslaught never materialised after that and Fulham grew in confidence the longer the contest went on.
Substitute Nick Cusack was only denied a valuable away goal five minutes from time by a superb sprawling save from Stowell. That would have been fitting reward for the Cottagers’ defensive discipline and application on what might have been a much more testing evening.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: Stowell; Smith (Emblem 45), Thompson, Rankine, Young, Richards, Daley (Williams 78), Goodman, Bull, Ferguson, Wright. Sub (not used): Cowens.
BOOKED: Thompson.
GOALS: Goodman (5), Wright (50).
FULHAM: Lange; Jupp, Herrera, Mison (Cusack 50), Angus, Blake, Thomas, Morgan, Brazil, Conroy, Adams. Subs: Harrison, Moore.
BOOKED: Thomas.
REFEREE: Eddie Lomas (Davyhulme).
ATTENDANCE: 20,381.
