A fine free-kick from Per Frandsen saw Fulham held to a draw by their closest rivals for promotion Bolton Wanderers on a frustrating evening at Craven Cottage.
The home side had completely dominated proceedings but somehow emerged from a pulsating encounter with only a share of the spoils – and will have to do without the services of Portuguese forward Luis Boa Morte after his late dismissal for headbutting Robbie Elliott. Scottish midfielder John Collins rattled the woodwork twice and Simon Charlton headed off the line on two occasions before Frandsen’s brilliant let set piece secured a scarcely deserved point for Sam Allardyce’s men.
The game between the two protagonists was twelve points at the start of play but it seemed like a chasm as the Londoners laid siege to the Bolton goal from the outset. Collins stabbed a fifth minute effort against the post when it seemed more straightforward to score after he seized on a mistake from his compatriot Colin Hendry. He then produced an impudent chip, similar to the one that had broke the deadlock at Gillingham last weekend, that rattled the crossbar after Saha had seen a shot blocked.
Bolton threw bodies in the way frequently to keep themselves in the contest with Charlton and Dean Holdsworth somehow managing to block goalbound efforts from Saha, central defender Kit Symons and an unfortunate Sean Davis. Fulham threatened to cut loose after Barry Hayles opened the scoring five minutes before the break when he collected a clever pass from Saha and spun away from Colin Hendry before stroking a superb finish beyond Tommy Wright to make it eighteen goals for the season.
But the hosts couldn’t find a second to kill off Allardyce’s side and that failure came back to haunt them when Danish midfielder Frandsen swerved a 25-yard free kick between Maik Taylor and the near post to level the scores. The point could prove previous for the Trotters, who are engaged in a mighty battle with Blackburn for the second automatic promotion spot – after Rovers thumped them 4-1 last weekend.
Fulham huffed and puffed but couldn’t resote their lead and things went from bad to worse when Boa Morte thrust his head into Elliott’s face after the former Newcastle full-back committed a clumsy foul with ten minutes to go. Whilst Elliott escaped with a caution for his part in an ugly fracas, substitute Boa Morte was shown a straight red card and could now miss at least three league fixtures. tempers began to boil over and was shown the red card by referee David Laws.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Symons; Davis, J. Collins, Goldbaek (Boa Morte 58), Clark; Saha, Hayles. Subs (not used): Hahnemann, Neilson, Moller, Riedle.
SENT OFF: Boa Morte.
GOAL: Hayles (40).
BOLTON WANDERERS (4-4-2): Wright; Bergsson, Elliott, Charlton, Hendry; Passi, Warhurst, Frandsen, Farrelly (Ricketts 50); Hansen (Summerbee 88), Holdsworth (Marshall 76). Subs (not used): Banks, Barness.
BOOKED: Warhurst, Hendry, Elliott.
GOAL: Frandsen (52).
REFEREE: David Laws (Whitley Bay).
ATTENDANCE: 16,468
