Craven Cottage might get used to staging top flight football. One of the more traditional venues in England revelled in its status as the host of Fulham’s first home game amongst England’s elite for 33 years. By the end of a pulsating contest, during which Jean Tigana’s side swept aside Sunderland with the ruthlessness of a team that has been playing on this stage for three decades rather than three days, neutral observers would have identified the opposition as more likely to be worried about relegation come May rather than newly-promoted Fulham.
The Cottagers had announced their arrival back on the big stage by almost shocking Manchester United on Sunday, but Tigana is more interested in points than plaudits. It was important, he said, that they picked up a victory at home ahead of this game. His team heeded his words. Fulham were fluent in possession and, just as pleasingly probably for Tigana – who was a defensive midfielder – disciplined out of it. They didn’t seem taken by the gravity of the occasion, even if chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed waved his scarf during a pre-match walkabout as the home fans sung his praises and those of the Frenchman who guided the Whites back to the promised land within a year of moving to SW6.
Once the game got underway, it was a clash of cultures. Fulham were patient and probing with the ball at their feet. Sunderland were all blood and thunder, seeking to get it forward at every opportunity. The hosts had the first chance. The evergreen Rufus Brevett raced down the left and sent over a cross that Barry Hayles headed wide. There was a scare at the other end when Brevett and Edwin van der Sar got in a tangle. Kevin Phillips had a sight of goal and Fulham were fortunate that former Sunderland defender Andy Melville arrived to make a superb saving challenge.
Fulham had the better of a very watchable first half. Sean Davis, fresh from his outstanding display in Manchester, was full of energy here again doing the running that the technically correct John Collins no longer can. Steed Malbranque surged forward from midfield to combine effectively with Louis Saha and Hayles. That movement perplexed George McCartney on only his second top-flight start. The 20 year-old will have easier assignments than this.
Saha looked a threat throughout but the cool finishing that characterised his devastating display at Old Trafford appeared to have deserted him. The Frenchman spurned four chances to put Fulham in front before drilling another straight at Thomas Sorensen. Alain Goma headed a corner millimetres wide, but Sunderland still look dangerous on the break. Kevin Kilbane had the better of his battle with Steve Finnan and whipped in a cross that Philips drove wide, before shooting off target himself and, just before the break, Lilian Leslandes wasn’t far away with an acrobatic overhead kick.
Saha continued to sparkle after the break, forcing a fine save out of Sorensen after tormenting the Sunderland defence with a mesmerising run. Malbranque found more space in front of the visiting defence as they tired, but it seemed as if the Black Cats might hold out for a point with the contest’s tempo dipping in the final quarter. A dreadful mistake from Sorensen put paid to that. The goalkeeper presented Malbranque with possession when attempting to clear his lines from the edge of the box and the midfielder worked two one-twos with Hayles, who fired home from twelve yards.
Malbranque then laid a glorious opportunity on a plate for Saha after surging down the right but the striker somehow missed his kick from ten yards out. Saha made amends five minutes from time with a low shot that deflected in off the luckless McCartney to make sure of the points for Fulham. Substitute David Bellion would have supplied a splendid consolation for Sunderland in stoppage time, but van der Sar made a superb diving stop to preserve a clean sheet on his home debut.
FULHAM (4-4-2): van der Sar; Finnan, Brevett (Harley 65), Goma, Melville; Davis, Collins, Goldbaek, Malbranque; Saha, Hayles. Subs (not used): Taylor, Ouaddoh, Symons, Betsy.
GOALS: Hayles (72), Saha (85).
SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Sorensen; Haas, Gray, Craddock, McCartney; Schwarz (Bellion 76), Hutchinson, McCann, Kilbane; Laslandes (Quinn 71), Phillips. Subs (not used): Macho, Williams, Rae.
BOOKED: McCartney, Craddock.
REFEREE: Mike Dean (Wirrall).
ATTENDANCE: 20,197
