Jamie’s report: Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Fulham

A thoroughly enjoyable day out with over 2,000 other Fulham fans at a bitterly cold Hillsborough. After some ambiguous comments in midweek, Roy Hodgson decided on fielding a strong line-up for this FA Cup tie, including nine of the eleven who had faced Chelsea a week earlier. He was rewarded with our first away goals since October and a first away win of the season.

This was truly entertaining stuff as Fulham abandoned the conservative tactics recently employed on our travels and attacked with great purpose and invention from the outset. It took 12 only minutes for Danny Murphy to find a perfectly weighted pass for Andrew Johnson, who slotted under the keeper to put us into the lead. However, this being a more open contest, chances came for Wednesday too. Schwarzer had to save well at the feet of (their) Johnson and the same player then headed over when well placed. We continued to pass it well, and seemed to have weathered the mini-storm when all of a sudden, full-back Tommy Spurr produced a peach of a shot from 25 yards which swerved away from Schwarzer and into the net. 1-1. Minutes later, Dickson Etutu, clearly inspired, tried his own version and almost succeeded with a ridiculously powerful strike from even further out. The crossbar it struck is probably still reverberating now.

We started the second period as we had the first, attacking intelligently and inventively. Johnson was especially impressive: a constant creator of opportunities as he ran the channels tirelessly whilst showing no little skill on the ball. But a goal failed to come and there was an anxious phase in the middle of the half when our impetus seemed to drop and Wednesday created some more openings of their own. Hodgson – unusually, and to his credit – reacted, bringing on Davies and Nevland. It did the trick and for the last ten minutes we pressed hard for a winner, Nevland guilty of missing two very presentable chances created for him by Johnson. In the end, it was the reverse combination that worked: Nevland receiving the ball on the right and crossed low for Johnson to slide home in front of the travelling faithful. Joy!

Of the ‘newcomers’ to the team: Etuhu was impressive, a real presence in front of the back four. Frederik Stoor proved a more than able replacement for John Paintsil – perhaps a defensively sounder if less dynamic version – and equally committed to the cause. Julien Grey’s performance on debut was passable, but little to suggest he might make an impact at Premiership level. Indeed, it was his substitution for Davies that prompted our late renaissance, along with the removal of Zamora (who was having an off day) for the enigmatic Nevland. Davies, encouragingly, showed glimpses of his form of last season and was unlucky to hit the post late on.

Good, good, good. Your correspondent is happy. This really was a satisfying day – an entertaining, end-to-end match, the right result, a fantastic away following and (I feel I must mention in light of our CCN supremo’s boxing day success) a small bet that went our way: £1 on 1-2 with Johnson to score first, at odds of 28/1. Now if only we’d put a tenner on that…