Micky Adams promised to shake up his side after being disappointed with Fulham’s application during a narrow defeat at Hartlepool United this evening.
An angry Adams slammed his side’s lack of desire after they blew a golden chance to put more distance between themselves and the relegation zone by missing a number of late chances in the north east. The Fulham manager told his post-match press conference:
“It’s a game we should have won and I have to question whether we fancied it tonight. I’ve got to take a long, hard look at my team selection and anyone who didn’t start the match has to be in my thoughts [for the forthcoming game against Cambridge United on Saturday].”
Both sides struggled in chilly conditions to start with. A fierce wind blowing in off the North Sea rendered any attempts at playing attractive football utterly useless, whilst a steepling bounce off the playing surface threatened to embarrass defenders. Fulham did fashion the first opportunity when Duncan Jupp sped down the right flank and dug out a fine cross to find Phil Barber but the on-loan midfielder’s header was superbly saved by the stretching Brian Horne.
The home side gradually took control with player-manager Keith Houchen focing a fine save from Tony Lange with a header and, after Hartlepool had penned Fulham back, it was little surprise that they took the lead midway through the first half. The visitors struggled to clear a corner and Paul Conlon punished them by shielding the ball from Mark Blake with his back to goal, spinning superbly and volleying beyond Lange from close range.
Fulham almost equalised three minutes when Martin Thomas cut inside and found Rob Scott, only for the striker to smash a powerful drive well over the crossbar to jeers from the home fans. Hartlepool continued to outfight Fulham in the engine room with Stephen Halliday setting up Houchen again only for the midfielder’s effort to miss the target.
Mike Conroy missed a great chance to equalise in the last twenty minutes when a dreadful mistake from Ian McGuckin gave the former Preston North End centre forward a sight of goal. The Scottish striker paid the penalty for a poor touch as he burst through on the goalkeeper and United’s covering defenders were able to clear the danger. The late introduction of substitute Rory Hamill added some life to Fulham’s forward line but Conroy, Thomas and Scott all missed late chances before the Whites had to play the final ten minutes with only ten minute after skipper Simon Morgan went off with concussion after coming off worse following a clash in the midfield.
FULHAM: Lange; Jupp (Marshall 65), Herrera, Morgan, Cusack, Blake, Thomas, McAree (Mison 65), Conroy, Scott, Barber (Hamill 70).
ATTENDANCE: 1,198.
