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Lawrie Sanchez's first match as caretaker-manager with struggling Fulham did not offer him what he might reasonably have expected. Certainly his new charges charged around more energetically than of late, but the clouds of relegation are running just as fast and the ability to defend with confidence is painfully absent. Reading broke them down without playing well and at the same time broke their own run of indifferent results. Sanchez had probably been thinking that there could have been more intimidating places to begin his attempt to rescue Fulham than at Reading, for whom he made over 250 appearances between 1977 and 1984. The fans gave him a warm welcome back, and Reading's manager, Steve Coppell, had indicated that he was more concerned about preparing for next season than busting a gut over the remaining games that no longer have much consequence outside not wanting to extend the poor run of results. That outlook was made plain by the fact that Coppell omitted Steve Sidwell, who is expected to leave the club in the summer. However, that apart, he did not make enough changes to cause complaint from the other relegation candidates around Fulham. Brynjar Gunnarsson took Sidwell's role and was quick to press forward. Antti Niemi was immediately under pressure, as was the whole of the Fulham defence. Ian Pearce had to give away a corner as Seol Ki-Hyeon crossed dangerously and Gunnarsson had a powerful cross shot deflected away by Niemi's foot. Fulham thought they had put up some resistance when Brian McBride's low drive was just about held by Marcus Hahnemann, but after 14 minutes their concentration lapsed. Dave Kitson had snatched position before Seol took up the attack on the right. The South Korean was knocked down and once Kevin Doyle had centred low, Stephen Hunt simply turned the ball past Niemi and his flustered defenders. Seol's industry on the right was a constant threat to Fulham with lucid footwork which led to another good chance but from his centre, Gunnarsson's subsequent shot was pushed up and over by the keeper. Fulham's difficulties were exacerbated when Pearce, who Sanchez had risked bringing back into the team after a foot injury, damaged it again and had to abandon the match. Meanwhile, Reading took advantage of having two wide players, Hunt and Seol, and as a result the Fulham defence was stretched. If Coppell had warned his players to expect Fulham to come out flying in order to impress their new boss, he was not entirely wrong. Although the defence looked extremely vulnerable some quite effective mid-game counter-attacks deserved more than one disallowed goal when Papa Bouba Diop was caught offside. Reading were far inferior to their mid-season form and should have been back on equal terms when Fulham's McBride sent Simon Davies away on an unchallenged run down the left wing. Davies cut in and had only Hahnemann to beat, but the goalkeeper got his foot to the shot. Much as the outcome leaves Fulham in dangerous waters, Sanchez had seen a little more spirit than has been evident of late.However, they will need more than that. In fact they need five points from four games involving Blackburn, Arsenal, Liverpool and Middlesbrough. Sanchez was indignant that late in the game Diop headed what seemed a legitimate goal that was ruled offside by a linesman who himself seemed unsighted. He said: "We deserved something. In the second half it looked like my side playing. If we play like that, we'll get the points." |
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