Any optimism generated by Saturday’s goalless draw against Bury evaporated quickly as Fulham were hammered 5-2 at home by Walsall in the Auto Windscreens Shield this evening.
The Whites began brightly with Gary Brazil going close on two occasions in the opening ten minutes. Skipper Simon Morgan put the hosts ahead on twelve minutes when he volleyed home from a Gary Brazil corner. But two goals in two minutes stunned Craven Cottage. Martin Butler headed in his first goal of the season from Wayne Evans’ cross to equalise, before Walsall went in front when Chris Marsh teed up Kevin Wilson for a fine right-footed shot five minutes before the break.
Fulham were caught cold at the start of the second half as Butler and Kyle Lightbourne made it 4-1 within five minutes of the restart. Butler beat Lee Harrison with an assured finish after a splendid solo run twice minutes after the interval and the lively Lightbourne put the game beyond Ian Branfoot’s side when he followed up after Martin O’Connor’s shot was parried by Harrison. O’Connor made it five from Wilson’s pass with twenty minutes to go – meaning that Morgan’s second of the evening, headed home from a Thomas cross with seven minutes to play, was merely academic.
Remarkably, Fulham still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the competition – but they will need Walsall to wallop Wycombe Wanderers in a similar fashion next month to progress.
FULHAM (4-3-3): Harrison, Finnigan (Hamill 61), Herrera, Bower, Angus; Mison (Bolt 52), Thomas, Morgan; Brazil, Barkus (Cusack 52), Conroy.
GOALS: Morgan (12, 83).
WALSALL: Wood; Evans (Rollo 75), Roper (Palmer 45), Viveash, Rogers; Marsh, Keister, O’Connor (Ntamark 75), Butler; Lightbourne, Wilson.
GOALS: Butler (38, 47), Wilson (40), Lightbourne (49), O’Connor (70).
REFEREE: Ian Hemley (Bedfordshire).
ATTENDANCE: 1,315.
