Fulham £11.5million man Steve Marlet paid back another chunk of his club-record
transfer fee as the Londoners sentenced Middlesbrough to a miserable 300-mile
journey home contemplating a spring relegation battle.
The Frenchman, who kept his side in the FA Cup with a last-gasp equaliser
at Wycombe on Tuesday night, produced a smart finish again to clinch a 2-1
victory at chilly Craven Cottage and leave Steve McClaren nervously scrutinising
the league table.
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Steve Marlet third in four games
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Boro centre-back Colin Cooper took advantage of an awful defensive mix-up
between Cottagers goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and midfielder Sylvain Legwinski
to nod home a soft eighth-minute opening goal.
But Jean Tigana's side established their slick passing game and substitute
Louis Saha needed just five minutes on the pitch to power home a great diving
header for the 40th-minute equaliser.
Saha then turned provider to slip a pass through to Marlet - nearing full
fitness after a two-month injury lay-off - who tucked the ball under Mark
Crossley for his third goal in four games on the stroke of half-time.
After the interval, Fulham came close to extending their advantage over
shot-shy Boro - but will be happy to record a 2-1 success which cements
their position in mid-table.
Cottagers winger Luis Boa Morte was ruled out by a one-match suspension,
while struggling Boro - whose league win against Everton and FA Cup draw
at Wimbledon had ended a run of four straight defeats - were without forward
Alen Boksic, sidelined with a calf strain.
Argentinian midfielder Carlos Marinelli returned for the visitors after
overcoming an ankle injury - and Boro raced into an eighth-minute lead after
his hopeful free-kick resulted in a terrible defensive mix-up between Fulham
keeper van der Sar and Legwinski.
The Dutch shot-stopper inexplicably left the ball to go out of play at the
far post, just as Legwinski allowed Cooper to have a yard of space to nod
the ball into the net for one of the softest goals of the season.
Fulham attempted to hit back when Steed Malbranque slipped a great pass
through to Marlet - but Crossley deflected the Frenchman's shot skywards
and Hayles headed the loose ball just over the crossbar.
Marlet came closer than his strike partner Hayles after 23 minutes. Legwinski
humped a hopeful cross into the box and the former Lyon frontman rose highest
to plant a firm header just inches over Crossley's bar.
Collins curled a 20-yard free-kick a foot wide of Crossley's left-hand post
before Fulham manager Jean Tigana made an attack-minded substitution after
35 minutes.
Off came Legwinski, suffering from what appeared to be a thigh injury, to
be replaced by forward Saha.
Hayles brought a spectacular save from Crossley a minute later with a powerful
header from a dinked Steve Finnan cross.
And at the other end, Paul Ince's deflected long-range shot and Noel Whelan's
back-header were both comfortably gathered by van der Sar.
The equaliser the home side deserved finally arrived in the 40th minute,
when Saha rocketed a diving header past Crossley from a precise Malbranque
free-kick.
And it got even better for Fulham in stoppage time as Saha's poked ball
into the box was deflected into the path of Marlet, who cleverly tucked
it under Crossley to make the half-time score 2-1.
At the start of the second period, Marlet flashed a header a yard wide of
Crossley's goal as the Cottagers tried to extend their lead.
And Tigana's team were agonisingly close to establishing a two-goal cushion
in the 63rd minute. Saha's towering header was deflected goalwards by Marlet
- but Robbie Mustoe awkwardly blocked on the goal-line and the ball was
scrambled clear.
Play then switched to the opposite goalmouth and Whelan skinned Andy Melville
but dragged his angled shot a foot wide of the far post.
Van der Sar gathered Phil Stamp's 20-yard free-kick in the 76th minute and
Malbranque came close to adding Fulham's third when Crossley produced a
brilliant tip-over from his 15-yard drive late on.
Teams
Fulham: Van der Sar, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Goma, Collins, Malbranque,
Legwinski (Saha 36), Davis, Marlet, Hayles (Knight 73).
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Harley, Stolcers.
Booked: Hayles.
Goals: Saha 40, Marlet 45.
Middlesbrough: Crossley, Stockdale, Cooper, Southgate, Festa, Ince,
Mustoe, Greening (Windass 67), Marinelli (Nemeth 78), Whelan, Ricard (Stamp
50).
Subs Not Used: Gavin, Jones.
Booked: Ince, Windass.
Goals: Cooper 8.
Att: 18,975
Ref: M Dean (The Wirral).