Match Report
Fulham
(2) 2-1 (0)
Blackburn
Championship Match Day 06 1516 at Craven Cottage
Sunday 13th september 2015 KO: 12:00
Ref: Tony Harrington
Sky 5
|
Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele fired Fulham to a 2-1 victory and piled on the misery for Blackburn.
Winless Rovers are rooted in the bottom three of the Sky Bet Championship after finding themselves two goals down inside the opening half an hour.
What should have then been a Sunday stroll for Fulham became less straightforward when Jordan Rhodes halved the arrears from the penalty spot.
But Rovers' rotten recent luck was summed up when Grant Hanley's late effort was disallowed despite replays showing the ball had clearly crossed the line.
It took just four minutes for Fulham to make the breakthrough, when Dembele chased down Ryan Tunnicliffe's through-ball and outmuscled Hanley.
Dembele squared the ball towards the penalty spot where McCormack was waiting to sidefoot home his fourth goal in three matches.
McCormack could have had a first-half hat-trick but for a fine near-post save from Jason Steele and a shot across goal which flew inches wide of the far post.
Instead the Scotland striker turned provider in the 30th minute when his cross was met with a firm header from Tunnicliffe.
His effort was kept out by a fine save from Steele, who then also managed to block Tom Cairney's follow-up, but the keeper's heroics were in vain as Dembele crashed in the loose ball at the third attempt.
Fulham did not have it all their own way in the first half, though, and they were indebted to goalkeeper Andrew Lonergan for denying Nathan Delfouneso and Corry Evans before he pulled off a stunning stop to keep out Ben Marshall's header before the interval.
| Match Stats |
Fulham
|
Blackburn
|
| Goals |
(2) 2 |
1 (0) |
| |
| Scorers |
McCormack 4 |
Rhodes pen 68 |
| |
Dembele 30 |
|
| |
| Goal attempts |
16 |
23 |
| On target |
9 |
9 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
56% |
39% |
| Possession |
49% |
51% |
| Passes |
409 |
418 |
| Pass Success |
71% |
71% |
| Crosses |
15 |
28 |
| Crosses Success |
33% |
36% |
| Corners |
4 |
7 |
| Tackles |
12 |
11 |
| Tackles Success |
58% |
91% |
| Saves |
7 |
7 |
| Fouls |
12 |
13 |
| Offsides |
3 |
2 |
| Yellows |
1 |
4 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: Soccernet/Fulham FC |
The second half quickly became the Rhodes show with the usually prolific Rovers striker somehow hitting a post when he slid in to meet Marshall's cross from all of three yards out.
When Rhodes then planted a header over the crossbar and another straight at Lonergan it appeared his wait for a first goal of the season was destined to go on.
But he was gifted the chance to open his account after being shoved over in the area by James Husband in the 67th minute, and made no mistake from the spot to give Rovers a lifeline.
The visitors piled forward in search of an equaliser and should have got it when Jazz Richards blocked Shane Duffy's header on the line, only for the ball to rebound off Hanley and back towards goal.
The ball was over the line when Jamie O'Hara hacked it clear from underneath the crossbar but referee Tony Harrington did not award the goal and luckless Rovers were condemned to another defeat.
Fulham (4-4-2): Lonergan, Richards, Stearman, Ream, Husband (Burn 89), Cairney, Tunnicliffe, O'Hara, Pringle (Fredericks 62), McCormack, Dembele
Subs not used: Kacaniklic, Lewis, Mattila, Woodrow, Christensen
Scorers:
McCormack 4, (left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Moussa Dembele)
Dembele 30, (right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal.)
Booked: O'Hara (76,f)
Blackburn (4-4-2): Steele, Henley, Hanley, Duffy, Spurr, Marshall, Guthrie, Evans (Akpan 83), Conway (Lawrence 90), Delfouneso (Koita 45), Rhodes
Subs not used: Kilgallon, Olsson, Williamson, Raya
Scorers: Rhodes 68 (pen)
Booked: Rhodes (43,f), Koita (70,f), Hanley (70,f), Duffy (77, arguing)
Referee: Tony Harrington
Attendance: 14372