Fulham continued their push for promotion to the Premier League with an incident-packed victory over Portsmouth, who were reduced to nine men in the second half, at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
Barry Hayles, rewarded for his goalscoring cameo at Selhurst Park a fortnight ago with a start in place of Luis Boa Morte, scored twice and the outstanding Lee Clark added a third – fitting reward for his energetic display in the home midfield – as the visitors paid the penalty for losing their discipline at a key point in the second period. Pompey had looked like they would pose the league leaders problems when new player-manager Steve Claridge drilled in an equaliser from Ceri Hughes two minutes before half-time, but Hughes and Linvoy Primus were sent off for second yellow cards as things fell apart after the break.
Portsmouth’s physical approach to proceedings attracted the ire of both the home crowd and referee Keith Hill long before the dismissals which ultimately proved the tie’s turning point. The visitors were already behind by the time both Hughes and Primus had entered the official’s notebook for persistent fouling, with their defenders unable to react to lovely interplay between Louis Saha and Hayles in the tenth minute. The Frenchman’s impudent flick gave Hayles space in the penalty area and he fired beyond a helpless Russell Hoult.
Pompey were far from bystanders, however, with Maik Taylor forced into a smart reaction save from Lee Bradbury. Claridge, who would eventually taste his first defeat in eight matches at the helm, levelled matters himself – turning home a precise cross from Hughes to silence the home fans. He was furious at Hill’s decision to show Primus a second yellow, insisting that his centre half had made contact with the ball before clattering into Saha, a claim that the television replays quickly showed to be dubious.
Hughes swiftly followed the centre back down the Putney End down the tunnel for another yellow card and Portsmouth’s afternoon quickly became all about damage limitation. Claridge, who was later involved in a slanging match with home supporters in the Stevenage Road stand, suggested his side would have won had they kept all eleven men on the pitch. That seemed stupendous given the stylish football Fulham played – but they were certainly cut open once their numbers had been depleted.
The fabulous French under-21 international had the visiting defenders in a trance long before he supplied a superb cut back for Hayles to add his second of a productive afternoon and Clark, who had run the show in the engine room in the absence of an injured John Collins, made sure of all three points for the home side with a lovely low finish from the edge of the box. Claridge and Lee Bradbury continued the arguments with the officials in the tunnel after the final whistle – but his side won’t be the last to be outclassed by Fulham on this evidence.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Taylor; Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Coleman; Davis (Sahnoun 83), Clark, Goldbaek (Boa Morte 58), Fernandes; Saha, Hayles. Subs (not used): Hahnemann, Symons, W. Collins.
BOOKED: Fernandes, Davis.
GOALS: Hayles (11, 69), Clark (80).
PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): Hoult; Hiley, Quashie, Primus, Moore; Derry (Waterman 90), Hughes; Thogersen, Panopoulos; Claridge, Bradbury. Subs (not used): Flahavan, Edinburgh, Miglioranzi, Nightingale.
BOOKED: Primus, Hughes, Derry.
SENT OFF: Primus, Hughes.
GOAL: Claridge (44).
REFEREE: Keith Hill (Hertfordshire).
ATTENDANCE: 19,005.
