First half goals from Andy Melville and Paul Peschisolido were enough to give Jean Tigana a winning start in his first match as Fulham’s new manager as the Whites eased to victory at Tiverton Town this afternoon.
The First Division side finished off a week’s training camp at Nigel Mansell’s Woodbury estate with a workmanlike performance against Tiverton, who had only had a single training session by comparison, and were drafted in at a late stage after Exeter City were unable to fulfil the original fixture. More than a thousand fans enjoyed the sunshine and a watchable contest that saw the hosts more than hold their own despite Tigana fielding all of his first-team squad.
Academy graduate Kevin Betsy, offered a start on the right flank, played in Barry Hayles after six minutes but the burly forward’s shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Paul Edwards. The Town number one that repelled efforts from Hayles and summer signing Louis Saha in exactly the same manner as the Londoners looked to break the deadlock with a wave of early attacks inside the first ten minutes.
Saha looked the likeliest to grab a goal on an eye-catching debut with his pace proving far too much for the non-leaguers to handle. The Frenchman struck the base of a post after sprinting in on goal from the halfway and then saw a fierce drive superbly saved by Edwards, but the second effort saw Saha sprawled out on the turf clutching his thigh. He limped off to the dressing room and was replaced by Paul Peschisolido with ten minutes left of the first half.
The visitors went in front four minutes before the interval when Andy Melville was untracked from Eddie Lewis’s corner and planted a firm header past the helpless Edwards. Peschisolido doubled the lead in stoppage time by heading in a cross from Wayne Collins to the delight of the travelling fans.
Tigana rung the changes at half-time but his side continued to ask questions of the home defence. Edwards made sharp saves to deny Hayles and Paul Trollope before redeeming himself with an excellent reaction stop after picking up captain Neil Saunders’ back pass. Tiverton’s application more than merited a goal – that they could easily have got in a rousing finale. Substitute Ryan King appeared to be bundled over by Alain Neilson but the loud home shouts for a penalty went unheeded before substitute goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann did well to keep out Pete Conning’s free-kick.
TIVERTON TOWN: Edwards; Fallon (Vinnicombe 45), Saunders (Leonard 81), Tatterton, Marker (Square 75), Rogers (Jee 79), Nancekevill (Daly 81), Varley (King 59), Pears (Richardson 59), Daly (Conning 59), Leonard (Smith 59).
FULHAM: Taylor (Hahnemann 45); W. Collins (Ball 45), Phelan (Brevett 45), Melville (Symons 45), Coleman (Neilson 45); Davis (Hayward 45), Clark (Davis 72), Betsy, Lewis (Trollope 45); Saha (Peschisolido 35), Hayles.
GOALS: Melville (41), Peschisolido (45+1).
ATTENDANCE: 1,405.
