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Jamie Lillywhite at BBCSport |
Burnley 1 - 1 Fulham
Fulham remain without a win at Burnley since 1951 as a keenly contested game deservedly finished even at Turf Moor.
The visitors had two golden chances in the opening minutes but the first half was a largely forgettable affair.
Bobby Zamora collected a long free-kick from Chris Baird and held off Steven Caldwell to put Fulham ahead with a right-foot shot into the bottom corner.
But the home side rallied and Wade Elliott equalised with a fine volley into the roof of the net from 15 yards.
The omens for a Fulham victory were not good, their last success at Turf Moor coming when tea rationing was still in operation, and 28 matches had gone by without a win in the 58 years since then.
But Burnley had conceded 11 goals in their last four games, and the Cottagers, who had lost only once in nine, might have been two up inside the first two minutes.
Erik Nevland touched on Zamora's pass to put Damien Duff clear on the right-hand side of the area but the former Blackburn winger, whose every touch was roundly booed, shanked horribly wide trying to chip the giant Brian Jensen with his right foot.
Moments later, Nevland's low shot was blocked by Jensen with his legs.
At the other end Robbie Blake's 20-yard left-foot volley was parried by Mark Schwarzer but the best of the chances continued to fall to the visitors, and Duff cut in from the right to unleash a stinging drive with his more favoured left foot, forcing a smart save from Jensen to his left.
Burnley winger Chris Eagles briefly gave the home contingent some encouragement with a mazy run and deflected shot that Schwarzer kept out, but the match descended into an extremely scrappy affair.
Later, Fulham felt Eagles was offside when he drifted through but play was allowed to continue and Schwarzer needed to make a fine save, although the remainder of the half was notable only for the lack of incident and fluency.
Burnley started the second half brightly and Andre Bikey played in Elliott, but he dragged his shot from the edge of the box badly wide.
David Nugent was introduced in an attempt to inject some firepower into the home attack but Fulham went ahead as Chris Baird's quick free-kick from inside the centre circle saw Zamora wriggle free from Caldwell's challenge, and his finish across the goalkeeper was clinical.
However, 10 minutes later Elliott made amends with a superbly controlled shot into the top corner after Stephen Jordan's cross from the left flicked off the head of Fulham defender Aaron Hughes.
The home fans urged their side forward again but the next chance fell to the visitors as Zamora just failed to connect with Brede Hangeland's through ball, having appeared to have been dragged back by Caldwell.
In the end the decisive moment of inventiveness or fortune eluded both sides and neither could feel seriously aggrieved with a point.
Burnley manager Owen Coyle:
"I thought it was two teams going all out to win.
"Fulham were very impressive, as good as anything we have seen at Turf Moor this season.
"But coming back from a goal down showed a lot about our character.
"We know the quality in the Premier League and it's a learning curve for us but the players have an appetite for it and a quality and we play the right way."
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson:
"We were more than good value for a point.
"We created some excellent chances, especially in the first-half.
"It was a difficult place to come and if I'd been offered a point before the game I would have been tempted.
"But after the way we played in the first half I think I can be a little bit disappointed that we didn't take all three points."
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