A second half double from Geoff Horsfield secured Fulham’s first win in three games as Paul Bracewell’s won at Walsall this evening.
The Whites went in front ten minutes before half time when German forward Karl-Heinz Riedle produced a trademark header to finish off a flowing move began by Sean Davis from a free-kick. The Londoners resisted the temptation to lump a long ball into the penalty area from just over the halfway line, with the club’s academy graduate driving forward from deep before finding Rufus Brevett on the left wing. The full back’s fine cross was emphatically headed home by Riedle, who timed his run and jump to perfection.
The Cottagers showed some courage to recover from the setback of losing their lead on the stroke of half time when Pedro Matias lifted a looping finish over Maik Taylor after being played in behind the Fulham defence by Andy Rammell. Davis was instrumental in the arrival of the second goal twenty minutes into the second half, when he drove forward from a central midfield position once again and picked the perfect moment to play in Horsfield. The burly striker coolly rounded Jimmy Walker in the Walsall goal and found the unguarded net with a modicum of fuss.
Horsfield made the points safe with five minutes to play when he raced on a through ball that was cleverly dummied for him by Lee Clark. He spun away from his marker, making an extra yard of space ten yards out, and found the bottom corner with a powerful right-footed finish.
WALSALL (4-4-2): Walker; Padula, Viveash, Roper, Marsh; Bukran, Mathias (Gatsby 78), Wrack, Keates (Larusson 83); Robins (Eyjolfsson 78), Rammell. Subs (not used): Emberson, Barras.
BOOKED: Marsh, Viveash, Bukran, Rammell.
GOAL: Mathias (45).
FULHAM (5-3-2): Taylor; Uhlenbeek, Brevett, Symons, Melville, Coleman; Davis (W. Collins 89), Hayward, Clark; Horsfield, Riedle (Hayles 72). Subs (not used): Hahnemann, Morgan, Cadamarteri.
BOOKED: Uhlenbeek, Riedle.
GOALS: Riedle (35), Horsfield (65, 85).
REFEREE: Mike Pike (Cumbria).
ATTENDANCE: 5,449.
