A dreadful mistake from Brentford goalkeeper Tamer Fernandes allowed Nick Cusack to score a late winner and send Fulham into the southern quarter-finals of the Auto Windscreens Shield after a keenly contested local derby at Griffin Park this evening.
Fernandes seemed to have Cusack’s header from a Duncan Jupp cross covered but he let the ball squirm through his grasp and referee Clive Wilkes awarded the goal despite the home goalkeeper’s desperate attempts to hook the ball clear before it had crossed the line. Fulham had played more of the football in a tense contest that lacked real quality – and this narrow victory will come as a real boost to beleaguered boss Ian Branfoot.
Brentford striker Bob Taylor will be ruing a bad miss twelve minutes from time that could have put the home side ahead. Taylor should have converted a clever cutback from substitute David McGhee but shot straight at Tony Lange and the Whites were able to scramble the loose ball to safety. The centre forward had earlier rattled the crossbar after chipping the Fulham goalkeeper from 25 yards after an untimely slip by Terry Angus.
Dean Martin was fortunate to escape with a yellow card after deliberately treading on a grounded Simon Morgan – and most of the attention was focused on the Ealing Road terrace where trouble erupted between rival supporters after only five minutes. Brentford went close from a corner when Martin Gray cleared a header from Barry Ashby away from underneath his own crossbar after it had deflected off Kevin Moore, but Fulham were much improved after the interval.
The visitors stepped up the pressure with a succession of corners on the hour mark. Taylor managed to block a goalbound header from Angus, before Cusack fired an effort just wide. The forward was not to be denied, however, as his deft header proved the difference between these two local rivals in the end.
BRENTFORD: Fernandes; Statham, Grainger, Ashby, Bates; Ansah, Hutchings, Martin, Smith; R. Taylor, M. Bent (McGhee 66). Subs (not used): Dearden, Harvey.
BOOKED: Grainger, Martin.
FULHAM: Lange; Jupp, Taylor, Moore, Angus; Morgan, Gray, Barkus (Herrera 67), Bolt (Brooker 67); Hamill (Bartley 79), Cusack.
GOAL: Cusack (83).
REFEREE: Clive Wilkes.
ATTENDANCE: 3,760.
