It takes a lot for Jean Tigana, the normally impassive Fulham manager, to
discard the cocktail stick that he chews incessantly, clear his throat and
question authority. Yet as he stalked from the saturated pitch at Craven
Cottage yesterday, he had plenty to say to Mike Riley, the referee, and
Dermot Gallagher, the fourth official. He was not a happy Frenchman.
Tigana was clearly agitated by Riley’s performance, though quite why
will remain a mystery. Only rarely does he attend post-match inquisitions,
and after watching his side stutter to another poor draw, this time against
Ipswich Town, he decided that it was not the right moment to share his views.
Good job, too.
On reflection this morning, having seen the match video, Tigana might well
be relieved that his limited grasp of English often provides a ready-made
excuse to avoid revealing his innermost thoughts. At Fulham’s next
training session, it is more likely that he will chastise his players than
dwell on the referee’s perceived inadequacies.
As it was, Riley had a better game than most of the 28 players who ran around
him at some stage during the 90 minutes. That he issued six cautions, handed
out a sending-off and awarded a penalty — to Fulham — was entirely
justified in the context of a drab and at times niggly, occasionally desperate,
match.
Riley’s only error was that he did not dismiss Luis Boa Morte, the
Fulham striker, earlier than he did. Boa Morte had been fortunate to escape
with a yellow card after his apparent combination of right hook and head-butt,
in the 35th minute, had felled Fabian Wilnis. Andy Melville, the Fulham
captain and Tigana’s nominated spokesman of the day, should make a
manager in the not too distant future.
“I didn’t really see the incident,” Melville said. “I
was too far away.”
Wilnis, the Dutch defender, was closer. “I feel like a boxer after
12 rounds and my jaw is still sore,” he said. “I was knocked out
for a few minutes and I couldn’t really remember what had happened.”
Boa Morte, who had missed a penalty in the 28th minute, got his comeuppance
in first-half stoppage time. He blatantly dived under the innocuous challenge
of Hermann Hreidarsson, a second yellow card added up to red and he trooped
disconsolately to the dressing-room shortly before his team-mates. “Luis
is very disappointed,” Melville said. “He’s very down about
what happened. There’s not much you can say to people after things
like that happen.”
Boa Morte’s antics apart, the first half held few memories. With each
side having behind them a six-match league sequence without a win, confidence
was low and inspiration negligible. Swirling rain and a treacherous surface
did not help, either.
For Fulham, life in the Nationwide League first division last season had
been a doddle. Huddersfield Town, Crystal Palace et al had been easy prey.
For Ipswich, they no longer enjoy the status of “surprise package”
of the Premiership. Opponents now know not to treat them lightly.
Both have been dragged into depths, and if Fulham were dismal in the first
half, Ipswich were dire. Fulham at least had the ability to score, when
Barry Hayles jabbed home a 22nd-minute free kick from John Collins, and
would have increased their lead six minutes later had Boa Morte not wasted
the spot kick after John McGreal had handled.
Ipswich did improve, though, lifted psychologically by their numerical advantage
and physically by the introduction of Martijn Reuser. The loss of Finidi
George in the thirteenth minute, with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone,
the result of an accidental clash of heads with Alain Goma, was gradually
overcome.
Matt Holland and Jamie Clapham endangered the same corner flag with wayward
shots but Jermaine Wright got it right in the 55th minute. Reuser crossed,
Sixto Peralta nudged it on and Wright, on his 26th birthday, drove in his
first goal of the season.
Ipswich threatened again and Fulham responded sporadically, all to no avail.
Tigana spat away his chewing stick, chided Messrs Riley and Gallagher for
reasons unknown and the rain continued to fall. Every angle considered,
a miserable Sunday afternoon in West London.
FULHAM (4-4-2):
E van der Sar 5 — S Finnan 5, A Melville 5, A Goma 4, R Brevett 4 —
L Boa Morte 3, S Legwinski 4, L Clark 4 (sub: S Davis, 63min 4), J Collins
5 — S Marlet 5 (sub: S Malbranque, 63 5), B Hayles 6 (sub: L Saha,
68 5). Substitutes not used: M Taylor, Z Knight. Booked: Boa
Morte, Legwinski, Brevett. Sent off: Boa Morte.
IPSWICH TOWN (4-4-1-1):
M Sereni 5 — F Wilnis 5 (sub: M Reuser, 46 6), J McGreal 5, H Hreidarsson
5, C Makin 4 — F George (sub: M Stewart, 13 5), J Wright 5, M Holland
5, J Clapham 4 — S Peralta 4 (sub: J Magilton, 72) — A Armstrong
5. Substitutes not used: K Branagan, R Naylor. Booked: Peralta,
Armstrong, Wilnis.
Referee: M Riley 7.
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