Fulham have been lauded for their style under Jean Tigana, but their steel often goes unremarked upon. Here was another example of old fashioned grit earning a vital point as Barry Hayles’ equaliser secured a draw in the first SW6 derby for sixteen years that Chelsea had threatened to run away with after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first half opener.
The Blues were so dominant in the first period that Hasselbaink could have had a hat trick before half time. But Chelsea are not as miserly as you might expect despite Claudio Ranieri’s Italian heritage and, just as against Middlesbrough last week, they let a lead slip. Ranieri talked afterwards about the need to examine why his team are unable to hold onto advantage: any investigation would start and end with the evidence right in front of you. Whether it is complacency or overconfidence, it will hinder their hopes of breaking into Europe’s elite if it isn’t stamped out soon.
By the end of the contest, it was the visitors who were hanging on. Fulham looked the likelier scorers, enlivened by the impact of substitute Luis Boa Morte, and Chelsea had to survive the final eight minutes with ten men after Slavisa Jokanovic was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in quick succession. It says something about how far the pendulum had swung that the Fulham fans leaving Craven Cottage could justifiably discuss how a chance to celebrate a famous derby victory had passed them by.
Chelsea began with the all the speed of a bullet train and could have taken the lead as early as the third minute. Hasselbaink hammered a long kick from Ed de Goey against Edwin van der Sar’s crossbar having sauntered past Zat Knight. Louis Saha also had a bright start, inducing a rash tackle that saw John Terry booked, and then leaving the England under-21 centre back for dead as he headed Steve Finnan’s cross wide.
But that was as good as it got before half time for the hosts. Gianfranco Zola strolled untracked around the pitch, cajoling more Chelsea’s midfield, and was behind most of their brightest moments. The little Italian released Boudewijn Zenden only for the Dutch winger to guide a shot past the post and then set up Hasselbaink, whose shot was bravely blocked by van der Sar. He then drew a fine save from the Fulham goalkeeper himself, curling a terrific effort towards the top corner from a Jokanovic pass – only for the former Ajax custodian to somehow keep it out.
The pressure was ramping up on Fulham and they finally cracked just after the half hour mark. Zola searched out Zenden, who produced a perfect cross for Hasselbaink. The striker took one touch to steady himself and fired Chelsea in right off his right foot. For once, van der Sar was utterly helpless. The slender lead was the least Ranieri’s side deserved at the interval, but they almost didn’t have that after John Collins went close with a free kick late in the first half.
Fulham weren’t at all threatening from open play and Tigana turned to Boa Morte to solve that. The Portuguese winger added both penetration and bite, exemplified by the way in which he robbed Emmanuel Petit off possession – even if his eventual shot lacked conviction. But the belief began to surge through the home side. Their leveller owed plenty to persistence. Steve Finnan galloped into a crossing position and when Saha’s shot bounced back off the post, Hayles powered a finish past de Goey.
Two minutes after the equaliser, Sean Davis – a boyhood Chelsea fan – played Boa Morte through but saw his shot blocked by de Goey, who got his angles exactly right. Chelsea came again but van der Sar denied Zenden after Zola’s header had opened up the home defence. Ranieri’s perplexing decision to withdraw Zola with twenty minutes still to play removed the visitors’ more likely source of an opening. Fulham threw everything at their near neighbours after Jokanovic’s departure, but it seemed about right that the first top flight meeting between these sides in more than three decades finished all square in the end.
FULHAM (4-4-2): van der Sar; Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Knight; Davis, Collins (Marlet 88), Goldbaek (Boa Morte 45), Clark (Malbranque 66); Saha, Hayles. Subs (not used): Taylor, Symons.
BOOKED: Davis.
GOAL: Hayles (56).
CHELSEA (3-5-2): de Goey; Desailly, Gallas, Terry; Melchiot (Ferrer 80), Babayaro, Jokanovic, Petit, Zenden (Dalla Bona 84); Zola (Gudjohnsen 71), Hasselbaink. Subs (not used): Bosnich, Aleksidze.
BOOKED: Terry, Gallas, Jokanovic, Desailly.
SENT OFF: Jokanovic.
GOAL: Hasselbaink (32).
REFEREE: Graham Poll (Hertfordshire).
ATTENDANCE: 20,197.
