England hopeful Sean Davis grabbed the goal which ensured a worrying day for
Fulham finished with a morale-boosting 1-0 victory against terrible travellers
Middlesbrough.
Sven-Goran Eriksson was in the directors' box to assess Davis before the
friendly with Australia next month - and he saw the midfielder slot home in the
39th minute to condemn Boro to their eighth away league defeat on the trot.
Before the game, off-the-field issues had dominated conversation at Loftus
Road.
The 'Back to the Cottage' fans' pressure group dished out leaflets urging
chairman Mohamed Al Fayed to resurrect plans to return the club to their
traditional Craven Cottage home.
But Al Fayed, who has poured more than £100million into the club, hit back in
the match programme.
"There seems to be a general perception I will continue to bankroll Fulham
with limitless funds. I will not," he warned.
"I may have deep pockets but I am not a fool with my money. We must tighten
our belts and introduce prudent budgetary control."
On the field Davis struck at the end of an uneventful first half.
The second period was far more entertaining, with Boro surviving an incredible
goalmouth scramble and Facundo Sava hitting the crossbar.
The best effort by Steve McClaren side's was Joseph-Desire Job's fierce
strike, flipped over the bar by Fulham goalkeeper Maik Taylor.
So Boro again failed to find the net - just as they have in their last eight
league games away from the Riverside - and it was Fulham who clinched the three
points to edge away from the Barclaycard Premiership relegation zone.
Early on, Sava caused Boro big problems at the back. But his wayward finishing
- sending headers well wide and blasting a shot on the turn into row Z - ensured
the game remained goalless at the quarter-hour mark.
Fulham moved up a gear at the half-way point of the first period, Mark
Schwarzer saving spectacularly from Davis and Steve Marlet seeing his strike
deflected wide.
Boro's attacking efforts were frequently halted by the linesman raising his
flag for offside.
Fulham were timing their runs much better - and from one such forward burst,
by Davis in the 39th minute, the home side bagged the opener.
Sava laid the ball off to Sylvain Legwinski on the half-way line, and the
Frenchman threaded a fine through ball down the inside-left channel.
Davis raced on to the precise pass and cut in on goal, ahead of Gareth
Southgate, to poke the ball beyond Schwarzer and into the bottom right corner.
Djetou preserved Fulham's lead by heading off his line when Taylor misjudged a
long punt up field and allowed the ball to bounce over his head and towards an
open net.
Boro somehow survived two minutes after the interval when Steed Malbranque's
first effort was blocked on his line by Massimo Maccarone, his follow-up was
charged down and then Marlet saw his header half-cleared before skying yet
another attempt.
Then the Teessiders finally showed some attacking invention and went close to
the equaliser.
A minute after Tony Vidmar's shot trundled wide, half-time substitute Job
produced a sparkling run and shot which was met by an equally impressive Taylor
save.
Sava's sublime mid-air flick almost created Fulham's second - but Marlet, just
five yards out, was unable to control the ball.
Southgate ironically went closer just after the hour, slicing Malbranque's
cross over his own bar.
It was all Fulham now, with only the woodwork and Schwarzer's heroics
preventing the Cottagers doubling their lead.
Sava produced a crashing header from Davis' corner which smacked against the
Boro crossbar.
Then Schwarzer brilliantly palmed Bjarne Goldbaek's dipping 25-yarder round
his right-hand post.
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook