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Ipswich 0-2 Fulham Cham 23 1617 - GetWestLondon

last updated Wednesday 28th December 2016, 6:02 PM


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Paul Warburton at GetWestLondon


Ipswich (0) 0-2 (1) Fulham


Fulham made it to the cusp of the Championship play-offs with a clinical performance that made the Tractor Boys look just that - slow and cumbersome.

Slick Whites squandered numerous chances to put the game out of sight. But eventually Ragnar Sigurdsson rose highest in a crowded box with 12 minutes left to add to Chris Martin's tremendous free-kick in the first half.

Fulham never gave Ipswich a chance.

Indeed, the Town faithful started by giving Martin grief for his time with hated neighbours Norwich.

They ended by chanting 'what a load of rubbish' at their own side - but in truth, Fulham made sure the hosts were second best throughout.

How the possession stats didn't read 80-20 to Whites at half time suggested someone was fiddling them. It ended 67-33 to the visitors - but even that didn't do justice to the visitors.

They forced the early pace with a delicious Scott Malone bending cross causing all kinds of havoc in the Ipswich defence.

Great build-up from the back ended with Floyd Ayite's shot on the angle taking a block.

Martin is still wondering how he didn't open the scoring on 32 minutes when he connected sweetly with Malone's cross to bring a point-blank save from Bartosz Bialkowski.

Straight after, Kevin McDonald complained he got a tug on his shirt at the far post, but the Whites midfielder might still have done better when the ball stuck under his foot to poke wide.

That earlier Martin moment was instantly forgotten when his terrific free-kick was up, over the wall, and down into the corner to give Bialkowski no chance.

McDonald was a toe short of 2-0, but right at the break only a Tim Ream touch as Christophe Berra got on the end of a header to bring a fine save by the under-worked Button.

Ipswich went with two attackers in a bid to see some of the ball in the second half.

But the 907 away fans were the ones closest to the game's second goal when Martin stuck the ball into the net from close in only to see the recalled Denis Odoi harshly flagged for a foul in the build-up.

Ayite then might have regretted that second mulled wine when he made a hash of a cross from Stefan Johansen just eight yards on 69 minutes and flashed his effort wide.

Johansen himself came close with a half a connection at the near post as the other 19,000 supporters were forced into silence, and the wasteful Ayite then fired straight at the grateful Bialkowski.

But there was always going to be one that made it between the sticks - and sub Sigurdsson provided it as Whites piled six into the box for a corner with the Icelander the one to head home.

It was as comfortable as any of the previous eight victories thus far.























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