A late strike from Gary Brazil rescued a point for Fulham against struggling Barnet this afternoon at Craven Cottage.
Barnet, perhaps wary of taking the kind of hiding that Second Division Swansea City had in last weekend’s FA Cup tie, defended deep and in numbers. The home side seized the initiative early on with teenage winger Paul Brooker – fresh from scoring his first professional goal against the Swans – seeing a sweet right-footed strike scrambled off the line by Alan Pardew. Simon Morgan was at the heart of Fulham’s best moves in the first period but the Whites struggled to break down a disciplined Barnet defence.
A double substitution midway through the second saw Danny Bolt and Martin Thomas looked to provide more penetration, with Branfoot moving Brazil to play up front, but it was the visitors who made the breakthrough. Tony Lange couldn’t hold a shot from former Fulham midfielder Mark Cooper and Barnet debutant Richard Dunwell swept home the rebound only a few minutes after coming off the bench himself.
It looked as if the Bees would hold on for a precious three points at the foot of the table, but Brazil hooked home a fine finish after Mike Conroy and Thomas had made nuisances of themselves in the Barnet box.
Branfoot was scathing about his side’s display afterwards – despite the relief of a late goal. “I thought we were sloppy. Because we won 7-0 last week we were jack the lads. Having said that, they had just one shot on target. They just came to bottle us up and they frustrated the players, the management and the crowd. We couldn’t do any more.”
FULHAM: Lange; Jupp, Herrera, Gray, Moore, Angus, Brooker (Thomas 66), Morgan, Brazil, Conroy, Hamill (Bolt 66). Sub (not used): Barkus.
GOAL: Brazil (88).
ATTENDANCE: 4,369
