Fulham maintained their hundred per cent record and their spot at the First Division’s summit after showing significant spirit to overcome a plucky Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage this evening.
An eleventh straight league win might have seemed a formality when top scorer Louis Saha headed home an opener in the tenth minute from Fabrice Fernandes’ free-kick, but the home crowd were stunned seven minutes later when Neil Ruddock bundled in an equaliser from an uncleared corner. Even though Jean Tigana’s side quickly reestablished their advantage through Lee Clark, the game was in the balance until the former Sunderland midfielder added his second of the evening just before the hour mark.
A rampant home side should have increased their lead in the closing stages but were denied by a combination of casual finishing and outstanding goalkeeping from Alex Kolinko. The Latvian international made excellent saves to thwart Saha and Clark and, when he was beaten, wily winger Fernandes struck the foot of the far post. Palace had their moments, too, with Fulham not always the immaculate outfit we have seen so far this season. The visitors perhaps should have punished some sloppy passing by causing more alarms amongst a shaky home defence, but they lacked conviction in the final third.
The Whites made a strong start and could easily have been in front before taking the lead in the tenth minute. Saha wasn’t going to miss with a free header from a floated Fernandes free-kick – and the Frenchman made Palace pay for poor marking by powering in his tenth goal of an already prolific campaign. At that point, Tigana’s men looked utterly rampant but they were pegged back when they missed a couple of chances to clear a corner and former Liverpool defender Ruddock rammed home an equaliser to the delight of a vocal travelling support.
The Eagles’ joy lasted barely seven minutes. Clark, who ran proceedings from the Fulham engine room all evening, displayed a touch of class to clinically convert a cross from Bjarne Goldbaek after making one of those trademark late runs into the penalty area. A host of chances came and went for the Cottagers to put clear water between themselves and Palace before Clark’s second, which owed an awful lot to the persistence of substitute Barry Hayles.
The powerful striker powered too hot to handle for the Palace defence as Hayles battered his way through a pair of visiting defenders before supplying an accurate cross for the former England under-21 midfielder to make it 3-1. Kolinko kept Palace in the contest after that with a string of superb saves as Fulham made sure of maintaining this magnificent start to Tigana’s tenure at the Cottage.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Taylor; Finnan, Trollope, Symons, Coleman; J. Collins, Clark (Lewis 80), Goldbaek (Davis 67), Fernandes; Saha, Boa Morte (Hayles 55). Subs (not used): Hahnemann, W. Collins.
BOOKED: Symons.
GOALS: Saha (10), Clark (22, 59).
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Kolinko; Smith, Harrison, Ruddock (Rubins 45), A. Morrison; Mullins, Pollock, Rodger, Black (Gray 72); C. Morrison, Forrsell (Carlisle 72). Subs (not used): Thomson, Austin.
BOOKED: Smith, Pollock.
GOAL: Ruddock (17).
REFEREE: John Brantwood (Preston).
ATTENDANCE: 16,040.
