Louis Saha’s 24th goal of an incredible season ensured Fulham saw off a spirited Nottingham Forest side at Craven Cottage this afternoon as the Whites moved a step closer towards clinching promotion.
This was a workmanlike and hard-fought victory for Jean Tigana’s side, who threatened to increase the 20th minute lead that the irresistible Saha had fashioned, but ultimately had to settle for the slenderest of successes. The win lacked the style and panache of some of Fulham’s showings earlier in the season but the Cottagers ground out another important victory to move ten points clear of Bolton Wanderers.
The narrow advantage meant the Craven Cottage regulars were far from comfortable and Forest midfielder Chris Bart-Williams came agonisingly close to pinching a point in the dying stages when his 86th minute free-kick cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar from 25 yards out with Maik Taylor well beaten. Forest certainly finished on the front foot, penning back the runaway league leaders in a frantic final fifteen minutes, but failed to find an equaliser.
But Fulham had began in fine fettle and fully deserved to take the lead when Luis Boa Morte breezed to the byline and produced a precise cross that Saha stylishly converted. The home side squandered several chances to make things more comfortable, with Boa Morte absolutely incandescent not to have been given a penalty when he went down under Ricardo Scimecca’s challenge. Instead, the on-loan Southampton forward was booked for simulation.
Dave Beasant somehow denied substitute Karl-Heinz Riedle when he sensationally clawed away the German’s bullet header from Boa Morte’s corner – in a moment when the former Wimbledon goalkeeper rolled back the years. Forest almost made Fulham pay for failing to make the game safe with Jim Brennan and Marlon Harewood going close before Bart-Williams’ brilliant free-kick rattled the woodwork.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Taylor; Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Symons; Davis, J. Collins (Stolcers 80), Goldbaek (Riedle 64), Clark; Saha (Moller 84), Boa Morte. Subs (not used): Hahnemann, Neilson.
BOOKED: Boa Morte, Brevett.
GOAL: Saha (20).
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-4-2): Beasant, Scimeca, Edwards,Benali, Olsen; Bart-Williams, Jones (John 74), A. Johnson (Williams 87), Brennan; D. Johnson, Harewood. Subs (not used): Roche, Hjelde, Cooper.
BOOKED: Benali, Brennan.
REFEREE: Tony Leake (Lancashire).
ATTENDANCE: 17,425.
