John Collins and Luis Boa Morte got the goals that secured a poignant victory for promotion chasing Fulham at Gillingham this afternoon.
The Fulham fans were desperate for success at Priestfield – even if it proves largely irrelevant as Jean Tigana’s side seem destined to reach the promised land of the Premiership – as they remember lifelong follower Matthew Fox who lost his life in senseless violence here two years ago. This was far from a vintage Whites display but the runaway league leaders defeated their plucky hosts with two goals in the final quarter of an hour as their superior football and fitness eventually told.
Collins produced a high quality finish to finally break Gillingham’s stubborn resistance and substitute Boa Morte made sure of all three points when he latched onto a lovely through ball from man of the match Lee Clark to score his seventeenth goal of the season.
The Whites thought they opened the scoring in the seventh minute but referee Steve Baines disallowed the goal for handball against Barry Hayles. The hosts had a couple of good openings themselves with Ty Gooden firing wide of the far post before a perceptive pass from Marcus Browning played Paul Shaw in behind the visiting defence, but Maik Taylor read the danger and raced off his line to intercept.
An end-to-end contest saw Fulham’s leading goalscorer Louis Saha headed agonisingly wide of the far post before Taylor thwarted Browning at the other end. The Cottagers put together the classier moves with Hayles somehow missing his kick when it seemed easier to score after excellent set-up play from his strike partner Saha. The French forward then glided past two Gillingham defenders and curled a finish fractionally wide of goal.
Clark, who looked a cut above throughout in the middle of the park, shot just wide after another flowing Fulham break and Andy Melville was denied by a good save from Bartram in the last action of the first half. The home side were more adventurous immediately after the interval with Marlon King shooting wide of goal when well placed and Nicky Southall was inches away from connecting with a great King cross. Paul Shaw should have scored with a close-range header from Mark Patterson’s ball but Taylor produced a fine reaction save.
Fulham survived Sean Davis being stretchered off midway through the second half to take the lead when Adrian Pennock and Patterson got in each other’s way when trying to clear a loose ball. It dropped instead to Collins and the Scottish ventured cleverly chipped Bartram from fifteen yards. Gillingham, for whom this was only a second defeat in twelve games, threw numbers forward in search of a late leveller and paid the penalty with two minutes to go.
Clark turned smartly on the halfway to escape the attentions of Ian Ashby and threaded a lovely ball through for Boa Morte, who kept his cool after sprinting sixty yards to fire home the clinching second goal.
GILLINGHAM (4-4-2): Bartram, Patterson, Smith, Ashby, Southall, Gooden, Browning, King (Onuora 60), Pennock, Hope, Shaw (Asaba 61). Subs (not used): Nosworthy, Rose, James.
BOOKED: Ashby.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Taylor; Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Symons; Davis (Neilson 68), J. Collins, Goldbaek (Boa Morte 64), Clark; Saha (Riedle 84), Hayles. Subs (not used): Hahnemann, Moller.
BOOKED: Symons.
GOALS: J. Collins (74), Boa Morte (88).
REFEREE: Steve Baines (Chesterfield).
ATTENDANCE: 9,931
