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發表於 2005-8-29 11:44 AM
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Fulham 1-0 Everton
Final - Craven Cottage Attendance: 17,169
Fulham 1 - 0 Everton
Brian McBride (57)
Fulham 1-0 Everton: Steed inspires first winPA
A moment of inspiration from Steed Malbranque helped Fulham record their first Barclays Premiership victory of the season as Brian McBride's second-half strike proved enough to beat Everton at Craven Cottage.
The visitors - dumped out of the Champions League by Villarreal in midweek - had the better of a tight first half and were rarely troubled before they suddenly found themselves behind just before the hour.
MatthewLewis/GettyImages
Luis Boa Morte nips past Simon Davies
Malbranque, the French midfielder who has been the subject of much transfer speculation, had not been enjoying the most productive of afternoons before suddenly finding his touch.
A perfectly-weighted through ball released full-back Moritz Volz down the right and his cut-back was dispatched from 12 yards by the hard-working McBride.
• Coleman relieved with first win
The goal by a player who once plied his trade at Everton lifted the spirits around Craven Cottage following Fulham's sluggish start to the new campaign.
It was the visitors, though, who had created the first decent opening after seven minutes.
Tim Cahill stole possession from Papa Bouba Diop and played Mikel Arteta into the area, but his shot across goal was deflected behind.
Then a deep, high ball from Kevin Kilbane, out on the left touchline, almost found Cahill diving in at the near post - the Australian looking to have taken a nudge in the back from Zat Knight - before it bounced over Marcus Bent, who was arriving at speed to the far post.
Simon Davies and Bent collided when trying to intercept a loose ball on the edge of the Fulham box, and were left on the ground in obvious pain.
The home side, though, carried on - much to the annoyance of visiting boss David Moyes and the travelling support - as former Everton man Tomasz Radzinski sprinted away down the left channel, and his cut-back was sent just wide by Luis Boa Morte.
On 21 minutes Davies pounced on another loose pass across field from Fulham, this time by Knight, and sent a low drive only a few feet wide of Martyn's right-hand post from 20 yards.
Fulham had been thumped 4-1 by Arsenal at Highbury on midweek, and Everton gave them little time to settle, getting plenty of men behind the ball when the hosts looked to break and supporting their own attacks with plenty of options from midfield.
In the 35th minute, though, there was a rare moment of action in the visiting penalty area. From a corner on the left, Diop's header flicked up off David Weir, and with Martyn beaten, brushed the top of the crossbar.
Then, at the other end, Leon Osman chased down Volz and got ahead of the full-back to the ball just before the goalline on the left.
His instinctive centre into the danger area found Cahill, and the Australian's first-time, low effort was well held by Tony Warner down to his right.
The visitors looked to have a strong penalty claim five minutes into the second half when Cahill appeared to be shoulder-charged in the chest by Boa Morte as he latched onto Osman's neat cut-back following more patient approach play from Everton. Referee Mike Riley was, though, not interested.
Volz had to be alert to send Davies' centre over his own crossbar, with Osman looking to pounce on any mistake in the six-yard box.
Then out of nothing, Fulham took the lead on 56 minutes.
Malbranque, until now a virtual spectator, threaded a perfectly-weighted ball inside the Everton defence for Volz to charge onto down the right channel.
The Austrian looked up before cutting a pass back into the path of McBride, who drilled a low shot into the opposite corner.
Malbranque's dipping centre then almost caught out Martyn, who needed two attempts to collect the ball from under his crossbar.
The Frenchman had now suddenly found his touch. After 66 minutes he turned two markers before sending a low effort just wide from the edge of the area.
It then needed first a brave block from Joseph Yobo to deny McBride a second, with Martyn then producing a flying save to punch away the follow-up effort from Malbranque.
With 16 minutes left, Kilbane was replaced by Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson as Moyes looked to rescue something from the game. Davies then went off for youngster James Vaughan, with Bent replaced by James McFadden.
And the changes almost produced a late equaliser when Ferguson's close-range header from McFadden's centre was parried away by a good reaction save from Warner.
Boa Morte could have made it two when he broke into the Everton box, only to screw his effort wide.
Phil Neville then received a second yellow card and was sent off in the final minute for tripping Radzinski.
• Coleman relief at first win
Chris Coleman hailed a 'big three points' after watching Fulham claim their first win of the new season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton at Craven Cottage.
'It was not really about the performance, we just needed to get our first three points of the season,' said the Welshman. 'In the first half, we were a little bit tired from midweek, and a bit nervous.
'We have gone in at half-time at 0-0 when perhaps we should have been behind, but we were still in the game and were a lot better in the second half when Steed Malbranque started to open up and come into the game a bit more.
'It was a big three points for us because we have two weeks' rest now and it was important everyone has gone away from the club on a high.'
McBride, 33, had a loan spell at Everton, and returned to haunt his former manager, who also took the American to Preston. Coleman, though, is more than happy to have the big striker among his ranks.
'Brian was fantastic and if anybody deserved the goal, it was him,' declared the Fulham boss. 'The amount of work he puts into the game is incredible and he is a terrific professional - he give you every thing he has got.
'He has started well again and it was fitting that somebody who puts so much work in playing for this club gets the winner in what so far was possibly the most important game of our season.'
Coleman, linked with Celtic midfielder Stilian Petrov, revealed he is in the market for some fresh faces before the transfer window closes.
'From now to Wednesday is going to be a push, but there are two players we are keen on and if we get both, then fantastic,' he said. 'It is unlikely we will get both, but we could get one. We will just have to wait and see.'
The Fulham boss added: 'We have got some injuries, but I still think we have enough talent here to have a good season.'
Everton boss David Moyes tried to take some positives from the defeat.
'I thought we controlled the majority of the game, apart from maybe the opening 10 minutes, and did not really look as if we would lose a goal,' reflected the Scot.
'We did not maybe have the cutting edge, but as far as possession goes and keeping the ball, I was pleased with the players.'
The Everton manager added: 'We have had quite a tough start, Villarreal twice, Manchester United, been away to Bolton and now come here - but we knew that and looked forward to it because of the chance of the Champions League.
'We should have won today but just did not get the break which might have given us it.' |
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