BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE – CRAVEN COTTAGE – Wednesday October 29th 2008
FULHAM
Johnson 11, 60
2-0
WIGAN ATHLETIC

On a very cold night in West London, Latics just couldn’t find that spark to get themselves into this game and even though at times some good football was played, the final ball was dismal and ultimately the strikers found it very tough.

Latics actually had the first real chance of the game after Wilson Palacios turned ex-Latics favourite Jimmy Bullard 20 yards out. The Honduran International though spurned the opportunity and struck a stunning shot which was just wide of the post.

Maynor Figueroa had a similar chance later in the half when his long range effort drifted just wide of the upright and really that was all we could muster in the first half as we squandered possession in the middle of the park.

Fulham took the lead after just eleven minutes as Paul Konchesky’s cross found Andy Johnson wide open in the six yard box to score one of his easier goals in his career, Latics should have taken this as the blue touch paper, but alas more squandering ensued.

Latics’ best chance of the match came just before the break. Amr Zaki shook off his man and crossed to find the waiting Paul Scharner. The Austrian had lost his man and had the goal at his mercy but just couldn’t direct his header goalward.

Fulham doubled their lead on the hour. Jimmy Bullard played a telling ball through our defence which gave Johnson the opportunity to double his tally which he gladly took. The shot left Kirkland no chance as we went two down.

Emile Heskey had Latics best chance in second half but his speculative long range effort deflected to land comfortably in Mark Schwarzer’s hands. The rest of the second half saw us drag Fulham down to our level and the match was brought to an end with the score at 2-0.

Latics will have to show better form than this if we are to get away from this very tight bottom of the league. Hopefully this will act as the kick up the arse we need.

Report by Jason Taylor

Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham, South Yorkshire)
Attendance: 22,500
LINE UP
FULHAM WIGAN ATHLETIC
1 Mark Schwarzer 1 Chris Kirkland
18 Aaron Hughes 25 Mario Melchiot
5 Brede Hangeland 7 Paul Scharner
4 John Pantsil 17 Emmerson Boyce
3 Paul Konchesky 31 Maynor Figueroa
13 Danny Murphy 4 Lee Cattermole
21 Jimmy Bullard 5 Wilson Palacios
25 Simon Davies 8 Kevin Kilbane
11 Zoltan Gera 16 Antonio Valencia
8 Andrew Johnson 9 Emile Heskey
9 Bobby Zamora 13 Amr Zaki
SUBS
19 Pascal Zuberbuhler 12 Mike Pollitt
34 Chris Baird 18 Emmerson Boyce
22 Fredrik Stoor 2 Ryan Taylor
17 Julian Gray 10 Jason Koumas
26 Leon Andreasen 11 Michael Brown
10 Erik Nevland 18 Daniel de Ridder
23 Clint Dempsey 27 Henri Camara
TIMELINE
11′ Goal Andrew Johnson
35′ Yellow Card Kevin Kilbane
60′ Goal Andrew Johnson
62′ Player Off Maynor Figueroa
Player On Jason Koumas
72′ Player Off Zoltan Gera
Player On Clint Dempsey
76′ Yellow Card Lee Cattermole
80′ Player Off Wilson Palacios
Player On Henri Camara
80′ Player Off Lee Cattermole
Player On Daniel de Ridder
88′ Player Off Jimmy Bullard
Player On Chris Baird