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BBCSports |
Fulham (1) 3-1 (0) Preston North End
Fulham ended Preston North End's five-game unbeaten run to boost their hopes of reaching the Championship play-offs.
Sone Aluko fired in from Neeskens Kebano's cutback to open the scoring before Chris Martin found the bottom corner to double the hosts' lead.
Tom Barkhuizen made it 2-1 on the break, but Kebano pounced to end Preston's hopes with a calm finish.
Fulham stay seventh, five points off the play-off places, with Preston still ninth, nine points adrift.
Slavisa Jokanovic's side have now won four of their last five Championship games, but Reading's 2-1 victory over Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday's 5-1 thrashing of Norwich meant they did not gain any ground.
The home side, who have a game in hand on their rivals, enjoyed 70% of possession and went ahead after 22 minutes through Aluko's well-taken finish and could have widened the deficit at the break had Tomas Kalas made the most of two chances from corners.
Kebano then struck the crossbar from a narrow angle, but goalkeeper David Button had to be alert to keep out Daryl Horgan's strike at the other end.
Martin's 10th league goal of the season, created by Ryan Fredericks' pace and vision, finally gave the dominant Cottagers a two-goal lead.
Barkuizen guided the ball underneath the onrushing Button from Aiden McGeady's clever through ball on his full debut to give Simon Grayson's side hope.
But Kebano slotted into the bottom corner from Aluko's pass to round off an outstanding personal performance and ensure that Fulham have now scored 13 goals in their last five league matches.
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic:
"We are around the top six and we now want to close the gap to the top six. This is our target and we are still in position to be fighting to play after the first week in May.
"We have taken 13 points from the last five games and my team plays with confidence.
"In general where we are now, we can be relatively satisfied."
Preston assistant manager Glynn Snodin:
"We've come up against a good side today. I felt they were different class, a step above us.
"To be fair to our players they kept going and got back in it at 2-1. They have got belief as a unit and always believe we can get something from a game.
"But Fulham are a good counter-attacking side with good footballing brains. And that's what we've been undone by today."
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