A sell-out crowd turned up at Craven Cottage hoping to see Fulham crowned as
Division One champions but they had to wait until the third minute of added time
before Sean Davis grabbed the equaliser to give them the point they needed to
lift the title.
In a flowing move it was fitting that it was Davis, who had had a fine game,
that volleyed the ball into the roof of the net.
It looked for a while as if Dutchman Gerald Sibon had spoiled the party with a
43rd minute corner kick that sailed straight into the net.
Fulham had at least three quarters of the possession but could not force a way
through a packed defence, marshalled well by veterans Des Walker and Carlton
Palmer.
The Wednesday goal was particularly cruel on Fulham's American goalkeeper
Marcus Hahnemann.
The man from Colorado Rapids has patiently sat on the bench all season before
making his league debut.
In the first half he had little to do before Gilles De Bilde made a rare
excursion into the Fulham half and won a corner.
Sibon's shot appeared to go straight in but it was possible that Hahnemann
punched it onto the post and into the net.
Fulham had their chances and Wednesday's keeper Kevin Pressman did well with
saves from Louis Saha, Luis Boa Morte and Lee Clark but for much of the game he
was well protected by his defence.
Fulham stepped up the tempo in the second half but still could not get the
equaliser that would have given them the point they needed.
They brought on strikers Barry Hayles and Karlheinz Riedle but were still
unable to find the net.
Indeed Sibon had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 60th minute when sloppiness in
the home defence gave him a chance but he blazed the ball high and wide.
A furious finale nearly saw Saha find the net with a header before Davis
snatched it at the end, only to be booked following his celebrations.
Teams:
Fulham Hahnemann, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Symons,
Clark (Riedle 76), John Collins (Stolcers 68),
Goldbaek (Hayles 45), Davis, Saha, Boa Morte.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Goma.
Booked: Finnan, John Collins, Boa Morte, Davis.
Goals: Davis 90.
Sheff Wed Pressman, Bromby, Palmer, Harkness, Walker, Ripley,
Lescott, Soltvedt (Haslam 90), Sibon, De Bilde (Di Piedi 58),
Ekoku.
Subs Not Used: Donnelly, Stringer, Geary.
Booked: Di Piedi, Soltvedt.
Goals: Soltvedt 45.
Fulham are Champions
Att: 17,500
Ref: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).