If Kit Symons feels something might have clicked with his frustratingly inconsistent Fulham side over the last few days, he might just be right. The Whites roared back from 2-0 down against Reading last Saturday lunchtime to score four second half goals without reply and continued their scoring streak by plundering four more in the first 45 minutes at Bristol City this afternoon. The transformation of a shot-shy side into a fluid outfit that looks threatening every time they come forward seems surreal.
Symons’ clever switch to a back three to match up with Fulham’s hosts paid handsome dividends. It took two minutes for the Londoners to go in front at Ashton Gate. Ross McCormack’s silky skills on the left flank allowed James Husband to gallop towards the by-line and the in-form Moussa Dembele gleefully gobbled up the full back’s near post cross. The French forward then harried Aden Flint into a mistake as he tried to play out from the back and clinically converted Tom Cairney’s low cross from twelve yards to make it eight for the season already.
McCormack then curled in a fine free-kick from thirty yards with and Fulham made it four through a fine break just three minutes later. McCormack, revelling in the pockets of space in front of the Robins’ back four, dropped deep and spotted Husband ahead of the half way line on the left. The Middlesbrough loanee saw Ryan Tunnicliffe roaming forward from his central midfield position and lifted a ball ahead of the former Manchester United trainee. Tunnicliffe took it first time, impudently chipping Frankie Fielding from just outside the box to spark carnage in the away end.
It could even have been worse for City before the break. A Ryan Fredericks’ cross had Fielding flapping and came back off the woodwork, whilst Cairney was denied a goal by a decent save from a cleverly-worked corner. The pattern remained the same for much of the second half – even if Fulham understandably eased down a little with the game already well won. McCormack nearly scored a sensational solo goal, with a mazy dribble taking him past two centre halves, before the third – Derrick Williams – bravely blocked his shot.
Jonathan Kodjia was lively throughout for the hosts and was twice unfortunate to grab a goal in the second period. He could only fire into the side netting after beating Andy Lonergan to a careless back header from Husband and was denied a sight of goal by Dan Burn after he had unselfishly looked for a team-mate when bursting into the box. The Ivorian forward eventually got his reward in the third minute of stoppage time – touching in Simon Cox’s shot to register a consolation for City, which Fulham’s first half excellence rendered merely academic.
BRISTOL CITY (5-3-2): Fielding; E. Bennett, Bryan (Little 65), Ayling, Williams, Flint; Pack, K. Smith, Freeman (Cox 71); Wilbraham (Decordova-Reid 81), Kodjia. Subs (not used): Hamer, Moore, Burns, Agard.
BOOKED: Freeman, Kodjia.
GOAL: Kodjia (90+3).
FULHAM (3-5-2): Lonergan; Stearman, Ream, Burn; Fredericks (Christensen 71), Husband (Garbutt 87), Tunnicliffe, O’Hara, Cairney; McCormack, Dembele (M. Smith 81). Subs (not used): Lewis, Matilla, Kacaniklic, Woodrow.
BOOKED: Stearman.
GOALS: Dembele (2, 18), McCormack (33), Tunnicliffe (36).
REFEREE: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire).
ATTENDANCE: 15,752
