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FULHAM NEWS
Picture Schwarzer - hopes Fulham can bounce back.

SCHWARZER PUTS ROME SETBACK ASIDE

By Cindy Garcia-Bennett, Press Association Sport

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Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is confident Fulham can recover from their Europa League disappointment in time for Sunday's Premier League game against Wigan.

The Cottagers surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 at Roma on Thursday night in a game which turned in the 49th minute when half-time substitute Erik Nevland was controversially shown a straight red card for a foul on Italy international Daniele de Rossi.

That dismissal meant Fulham played a sapping second half with 10 men at the Stadio Olimpico - nine when Paul Konchesky was dismissed in stoppage time.

But Schwarzer is confident his side will bounce back.

The Londoners had gone into the game on the back of six matches without defeat, including last weekend's 3-1 triumph over Liverpool.

"I don't think it will affect the team," Schwarzer said.

"We've had a very good run the last couple of weeks and decisions against Roma were made that were out of our hands.

"Now we must recover as much as possible and prepare for Sunday's game at Wigan, which will be tough.

"The key to it will be to recover as much as possible. It's a long trip there (from Rome) and it is a hard game.

"We played with 10 men for most of the second half and we just need to make sure we recover in time for Sunday's game.

"Wigan have had a bit of an up-and-down season so far but it's early, they have some good players and they have our respect. It's going to be a tough game for us."

It was tough luck in Rome for the Cottagers, who took the lead with Diomansy Kamara's first-half spot-kick and were playing with confidence when Nevland was dismissed.

Roma dominated the rest of the game and equalised when John Arne Riise's deflected shot beat Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Stefano Okaka Chuka headed in the winner with 13 minutes remaining before Fulham had Konchesky sent off in injury time.

Australian keeper Schwarzer was unhappy with the performance of Dutch official Kevin Blom and said: "One crucial decision was made and it killed the game. It destroyed it.

"It was a bad decision but that's how it goes.

"If you send a player off early in the second half against a team like Roma, it's going to be an uphill battle from then on and the rest is history."

Fulham had Stephen Kelly dismissed in their 1-1 draw against Roma at Craven Cottage a fortnight ago.

"We felt that in the last few games we have been hard done by the referees' decisions," said Schwarzer.

The Australian also felt he could have denied Roma the winner.

"It's disappointing," he said.

"There was little I could do in the first goal but the second one I felt should have probably done better, I should have saved it.

"We were a bit unlucky."

The defeat at the Stadio Olimpico was the Cottagers' first in the competition and dropped them to third in Group E, two points behind second-placed Roma with two games remaining, but Schwarzer is not giving up hope of making progress.

The 37-year-old said: "We are still in with a chance.

"We are still confident that we can make it. There are two games remaining in the group and we will do our best to progress."

The Cottagers host CSKA Sofia on December 3 before meeting group leaders Basle in Switzerland two weeks later.

To complicate matters, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will have to do without Nevland and Konchesky through suspension.

Schwarzer believes Fulham nevertheless proved that they are a solid team.

"Roy Hodgson didn't say much at half-time because there was very little to say," he said.

"We played well, we had much of the control of the game and passed around, opened Roma up quite a lot.

"We were very well organised."

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