|
|
Mark Ashenden at BBCSport |
Fulham 2-0 Hull
Fulham moved away from the bottom end of the Premier League after an easy victory over an unambitious Hull side.
After a sluggish start, Damien Duff's volley before the break was parried away by keeper Boaz Myhill and Bobby Zamora pounced to nod in the opener.
Hull's Jimmy Bullard came off the bench for his first game in nine months but Diomansy Kamara doubled the lead when he poked in Zamora's selfless pass.
The Tigers rarely troubled Fulham, who won on their 130th anniversary.
With both teams struggling at the wrong end of the table, it was an unsurprising nervy opening half an hour with entertainment and composure at a premium.
Hull had won only once on their travels in 2009 before Monday's clash and they seemed determined not to change those statistics from the first whistle with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink having to battle up front with a team-mate rarely nearby.
The hosts were at least attempting to play a free-flowing passing game and Zamora came within inches of scoring the first on 25 minutes.
Kamara provided an excellent defence-splitting pass through the static Hull players but Zamora, dashing into the six-yard box, could only blast the ball over the bar.
The excellent Duff, returning to the side after a calf injury, was lively throughout and almost scored with two long-distance efforts as Fulham slowly stirred from their slumber.
With half-time looming, the all-important goal arrived.
Zamora did well to head a long pass back to Duff, whose 25-yard volley could only be punched away by Myhill.
The keeper will regret not having turned the ball around the post because Zamora reacted quickly and headed in over his flapping arms.
Hull at last showed a willingness to venture forward after the resumption and just before the hour, Stephen Hunt brought the ball down well in the box, only to boot high into the crowd.
It was time for manager Phil Brown to make some changes as he brought on midfielder Bullard, facing his former club after injuring himself 37 minutes into his Tigers debut back in January.
However, his introduction seemed only to shake up Fulham from their complacency.
The increasingly lively Zamora broke down the right and, after looking up for his colleagues, calmly slotted across the box to Kamara, who slammed the ball into the net.
The heads of Hull's players dropped further and they will take minor consolation at not conceding more than two goals.
American Clint Dempsey dragged a shot wide and then missed the target with an easy header, leaving Zamora to fire straight at the keeper from the edge of the box.
The only downside for the London outfit - now up to 12th - was the departure of influential midfielder Danny Murphy, who had to leave the pitch in the second half because of a knee injury.