West Brom 2 Fulham 1

Any dreams of finally ending that awful run of away games, in the Premier League, were dashed by a West Brom side who are a credit to Roberto Di Matteo.

Mark Hughes, his former Chelsea room-mate on away days, must be wondering when that elusive away win will be coming. After a decent unbeaten run to the season we`ve now lost back-to-back fixtures and the relegation zone is beckoning us.

But, amongst the doom of a second successive Premier League defeat there was one ray of sunshine with Andrew Johnson making a return from injury and getting thirty odd minutes of action.

Perhaps our fate was sealed when the realisation hit home that we`d be without several key midfielders in the shape of Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu, Damien Duff and Simon Davies.

Resplendent in what must be a serious contender for the worst away kit in our history, all green, Fulham started well and an early Dempsey shot, from long range, crept just wide.

With the home side on the back foot, Fulham did take the lead, thereby enhancing our hopes that we could get three points on the road. The goal was somewhat fortunate though with Zoltan Gera unleashing a great thirty yard shot that Scot Carson tipped onto the post only for the ball to rebound back, hit him square in the back, before rolling into the net - not that we were complaining!

But our hosts were to produce the sort of cultured football you`d expect with Di Matteo in charge and our destroyer in chief was the wide-man Chris Brunt. Just eight minutes after we`d taken the lead he carved out an opportunity for Mulumbu to equalise.

Fulham after having the early initiative were now on the back foot and five minutes before half time we were behind when Brunt was instrumental in setting up another goal.

His ball found Thomas who produced a great pull-back fro Fortune to hammer home his first goal in a year, that`s the sort of thing you`re up against when your chasing that elusive first away win in well over a year.

Despite a lot of huffing and puffing in the second forty-five minutes you just have to hold your hands up and admit that West Brom were worth the three points and simply console yourself with the fact we`ve an ideal chance to get three points, at home, next weekend against Wigan Athletic.




Vital Fulham on:

Vital Fulham on:

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.