Fulham manager Micky Adams was delighted with Fulham’s display as the Whites pummelled Plymouth Arygle 4-0 at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Cottagers, perhaps buoyed by their hard-fought derby win over Leyton Orient, were in the mood from the outset – harrying Argyle and putting their players under pressure. They were incisive with their passing and looked threatening almost every time they went forward. It took only seven minutes for Rob Scott to give Adams’ men the lead when the striker smashed a powerful finish beyond goalkeeper Steve Cherry after a well-worked move.
It might have been two moments later when Rod McAree produced a defence-splitting pass to put Paul Brooker away but the young winger choose the wrong option – shooting wildly over the bar when Mike Conroy was screaming for a cut back then would have given a tap-in. Fulham should have been further in front at the interval but McAree missed his kick in front of goal and Scott squeezed a shot against the base of the post from an acute angle.
But skipper Simon Morgan eased any home fan’s worries about the slender nature of Fulham’s lead with a sensational strike from 25 yards five minutes after the break. Fulham then made sure of all three points when Conroy finally got his goal on 68 minutes. The hard working Scottish striker was this time found by a Brooker cross to bundle home from close range after excellent approach play from his strike partner Scott.
Brooker also rounded off the scoring with a goal that his lively display merited. The teenager punished an underhit backpass from Richard Logan by racing in on goal and this time keeping his composure impressively.
A beaming Adams said afterwards: “I have got to say I’m delighted. I’m fed up of picking up the paper and reading that I’m fuming. I have questioned the players in the last couple of weeks to see if they bounced back and they have. I’m chuffed to bits with my team. We came out and the way we competed was everything you could wish for. If you do not compete, you get your bottom smacked and we have had it smacked too many times this season.”
FULHAM: Lange; Jupp, Herrera, Morgan, Angus (Simpson 75), Blake, Brooker, Cusack, Conroy, Scott, McAree (Hamill 77), Subs (not used): Mison.
GOALS: Scott (7), Morgan (50), Conroy (68), Brooker (82).
ATTENDANCE: 5,667.
