Fulham v. Reading: A Win!

By: Andrew | November 4th, 2007

Well, three points were sorely needed coming into yesterday’s game and three points the Cottagers duly delivered. The win takes us up to 13th in the table, just behind Reading and just in front of Birmingham. Now, at least until next week, it’s mathematically impossible for Fulham to fall into the relegation zone. That should ease some of the pressure off Lawrie Sanchez’s job.

On to my take on the game: If Fulham were going to win, yesterday was the day. Coming in Reading had atrocious away form (something like one win in the last eleven) and hadn’t won in London since last November when they beat Fulham 1-0. That looked set to continue when Simon Davies ripped a brilliant curling volley from about 18 yards out after the Reading defense had cleared a corner. The shot snuck through the defense and curled around Hanemann who had no chance.

What would Fulham’s reaction be? What they sit back and be scored on in the familiar style? Or would they put Reading to the sword and score another?

Going into halftime, we had held our own. Due to suspensions to Bocanegra and Konchesky, young Nathan Ashton and Omozusi were given the start. After the interval, things looked bad. Niemi was forced into some nice saves, but the all-too-familiar equalizer came after 51 minutes when Doyle was able to head into an empty net after Niemi misjudged the ball.

After this, Sanchez made a puzzling decision, deciding to bring on the Finn Shefki Kuqi, who had only made one other appearance for the first team, for the explosive Hameur Bouazza. The decision paid off: Kuqi’s lumbering presence gave Fulham a target man up front. He was lively and almost scored off a diving header. After Niemi made a brilliant save on a dipping free kick, the tide swung.

In one of Fulham’s first serious forays into the Reading defense in the second half, sub Healy crossed into the six-yard box, where, in confusion, the ball fell to Dempsey who poked home from two yards. It was his first league goal in four games. After that, there was no looking back. Reading’s forward surges left them completely exposed to the counter attack, and this was seen when Kuqi flicked the ball on to Davies who dribbled half the field before passing to Healy who calmly slotted home from close range.

The only major negative of the game came in stoppage time, when Omosuzi was sent off after a Reading player took a blatant dive. But, apart from that, the team delivered a much needed when. The defense still looks shaky at times, and our offense looked devoid of ideas in the first half, but it was a solid win overall.

Now only if we can repeat the same thing when we travel to Anfield next week…