Fulham 1 Manchester City 2
Barclay's English Premiership
Sunday 21 March 2010 - 15:00 KO
City: Given, Zabaleta, Touré (c), Kompany, Garrido, Barry, Vieira, A Johnson (Wright-Phillips 83), Bellamy (Onuoha 90), Tevez, Santa Cruz (de Jong 81)
Unused: Taylor, Sylvinho, Richards, Ireland
Goals: Santa Cruz (7), Tevez (36)
Booked: -
Referee: Lee Probert
Man of the Match: Adam Johnson
With Liverpool and Aston Villa dropping points and Tottenham beating Stoke earlier in the weekend, City went into this game knowing that three points would certainly be very useful in the race for fourth spot.
It was City who started the brighter at Craven Cottage, keeping possession well in the opening stages. The first opportunity fell to Tevez after just two minutes, but Schwarzer was able to get down and save the Argentinean’s shot.
And then it got better for the visitors. Touré was on hand to clear off the line from behind Given, before Bellamy found himself in a shooting position and fired an effort towards goal. It took a deflection, flew past Schwarzer and crashed into the post, leaving Santa Cruz to tap home the rebound.
A minute later, though, and it could have been level. A goalmouth scramble in the City box left the Fulham fans shouting for handball against Touré, but the referee ignored the appeals and City were able to clear.
With 15 minutes gone, Tevez had another shot on goal, trying to curl it around Schwarzer, but the Fulham keeper was able to save comfortably. Two minutes later and City wasted another good opportunity, as Santa Cruz cleared the bar with an effort from a Zabaleta nod down.
Just before the half hour, Bellamy had a run into the Fulham half, but was stopped by Zamora, who had tracked him well, as the Welshman tried to find Tevez. Duff then put in an excellent cross that needed Johnson to clear, who was working hard at both ends of the pitch.
City began to dominate possession and it paid off on 36 minutes. Bellamy and Tevez played a neat one two and the Argentinean stepped inside the defender and slotted it straight past Mark Schwarzer for City’s second.
Fulham looked to respond quickly, but the best effort they could muster in the remainder of the half was a long range effort from the former City midfielder Dickson Etuhu and it finished well over Given’s bar.
The second half began with City looking content to hold on to the ball and soak up any Fulham pressure. The first chance of the half fell to the visitors thanks to a pacey run from Bellamy down the left. He fired it in low towards Santa Cruz, but it was cut out and cleared before the striker could get there.
Johnson was then instrumental in creating a good chance for Santa Cruz, just before the hour mark, as he weaved into the box and found the Paraguayan. He forced a save from Schwarzer, but should have scored. Johnson then fired in an effort from range and hit the post, as City looked for the third.
Bellamy and Barry then combined to clear a rare Fulham attack, before the Welshman pulled a volley wide of the Fulham goal on the break, after he had beaten the offside trap. He had more time than perhaps he realised and the rushed shot didn’t trouble Schwarzer.
With 72 minutes gone, City worked the ball to Adam Johnson after Garrido was fouled clearing a Fulham corner, and the January signing fired in an effort just wide of the goal. Dempsey then hit a free kick into the City wall from 8 yards from the box.
With 15 minutes to go, Damien Duff sent a low ball into the box and it appeared to hit Barry on the arm. The linesman awarded the penalty, with the City players feeling it was harsh, and Danny Murphy stepped up to send Given the wrong way.
Touré was then in the right place to block an effort on goal, before an attempted overhead kick from Okaka flew wide of Given’s post. Okaka was then played in by Riise and shot wide, as Given narrowed the angle.
An offside flag gave City a rest, as Duff had strayed beyond the line of the visiting defence, after a goalmouth scramble in front of Given left City hearts in City mouths. De Jong could then have finished the game as he was found by Tevez, but he hit it straight at the goalkeeper.
As the game moved into stoppage time, the home fans wanted another penalty for a handball by Kompany, but the referee decided it didn’t hit his hand and Garrido was able to clear. Wright-Phillips then sent a low ball across the Fulham box, aimed at the back post, and it went behind for a goal kick.
Barry conceded a free kick on the edge of the box for a fair challenge, and Dempsy hit it into the wall. Touré was then forced to concede a corner as it was backs against the wall for City, and Riise could only first a shot well wide of Given’s goal.
City were in complete control of the game until the penalty was scored, when Fulham got themselves back in contention and looked like they could have nicked a point. Fortunately for the visitors, the pressure didn’t pay off and City went back above Liverpool.
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