Fulham confirmed their Premiership credentials
as goals from Barry Hayles and Louis Saha earned them a pulsating 2-0 victory
over Sunderland at Craven Cottage.
Hayles' strike came in the 70th minute after an error from Sunderland goalkeeper
Thomas Sorensen, who gave the ball away on the left side of his area and
Steed Malbranque teed up Hayles to thunder the ball home.
Saha clinched the points after 85 minutes when his 18-yard strike clipped
Wearsiders defender George McCartney's heels and wrongfooted Sorensen, with
the ball skidding inside the right-hand post.
The first hour of the contest was played at breakneck speed, with quick
passing and swift tackling from both sides making the match a thoroughly
entertaining spectacle.
Fulham appeared very confident in their first home Premiership outing, displaying
willingness to attack at every opportunity - and delighting the majority
of the 20,197 crowd.
Tigana's summer signings all enjoyed impressive home league debuts.
Malbranque - who has already become a firm fans' favourite - was a constant
threat in the heart of the Cottagers' midfield, while goalkeeper Edwin van
der Sar was completely in control throughout.
Jon Harley appeared as a second-half substitute and appeared comfortable
in his new surroundings after moving from Chelsea. Fulham's £3.3million
new signing Sylvain Legwinski looked on from the stands.
The midfielder, who moved from Bordeaux earlier on Wednesday, watched the
game after club officials were unable win international clearance in time
for him to join the squad.
He joined the Londoners' ex-Sunderland midfielder Lee Clark, out with an
Achilles injury, on the sidelines.
Fulham left-back Rufus Brevett, back in the side after serving a one-match
ban in Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Manchester United, delivered a wonderful cross
to create the first scoring opportunity of the match.
Hayles met the ball at pace but his header skidded harmlessly across the
face of goal from eight yards, when he really should have tested Sorensen.
The first of a host of Saha efforts arrived after 14 minutes when he turned
the visiting defence inside-out on the edge of the penalty area and cracked
a great shot a yard wide of goal.
Saha's influence on the game was growing by the minute, and at the half-way
point in the first period, he combined beautifully with Hayles and fired
in a powerful shot that deflected narrowly over the crossbar.
From the resulting corner, Saha headed Malbranque's flag kick a foot over
the top.
At the other end, Kevin Phillips sidefooted a Kevin Kilbane cross wide,
before Saha brought a great save from Sorensen with another powerful strike.
It was the visitors who spurned the best chance so far. Kilbane raced clear
on the left flank as the home defence hesitated, but he lost his cool and
wastefully pulled his shot well wide.
The pace of the game showed no sign of relenting as Cottagers centre-back
Alain Goma thumped a header from another Malbranque corner inches past the
far post.
Sunderland forward Lilian Laslandes came within six inches of goal of the
season on the stroke of half-time as he cracked a brilliant overhead kick
narrowly wide from a pinpoint Bernt Haas cross.
Another Saha moment of magic brought the capacity crowd to its feet early
in the second period.
He teased the Sunderland defence and slotted a right-foot shot across goal,
which Sorensen dived to save.
As the game finally slowed from its frantic pace, Malbranque began to dictate
the game with his tireless workrate and intelligent link-up play with Saha
and Hayles.
And the goal the home fans craved finally arrived after 72 minutes, following
an error from Sorensen.
Standing on the left edge of his penalty area, the visiting keeper played
a loose pass out, intercepted by the industrious Malbranque.
He played a clever double one-two with Hayles, who received the ball 12
yards from goal and thundered the ball past Sorensen, who had just reached
his goalmouth after his poor pass.
Malbranque raced clear down the left wing late on and centred for Saha,
who uncharacteristically completely missed the ball just 10 yards from goal.
Saha wrapped up the points in the 85th minute when his right-foot strike
from the edge of the box deflected off George McCartney's heels and past
the wrongfooted Sorensen.
Sunderland sub David Bellion drew a great diving save from van der Sar in
stoppage time.
Teams:
Fulham: Van der Sar, Brevett (Harley 65), Melville, Goma, Finnan,
Collins, Malbranque, Goldbaek, Davis, Hayles, Saha.
Subs Not Used: Symons, Taylor, Ouaddou, Betsy.
Goals: Hayles 70, Saha 85.
Sunderland: Sorensen, Haas, Gray, Craddock, McCartney, Schwarz (Bellion
76), McCann, Kilbane, Hutchison, Phillips, Laslandes (Quinn 71).
Subs Not Used: Macho, Williams, Rae.
Booked: McCartney, Craddock.
Att: 20,197
Ref: M Dean (The Wirral). |