Fulham 2-0 WBA

West Bromwich Albion are a likeable side, but have what you might call a soft underbelly, and Fulham ripped them apart. Punishers-in-chief were the team’s oustanding midfielders, with Danny Murphy strutting around like Michel Platini, ably supported by his underappreciated henchman, Dickson Etuhu. The two were a delight to watch today and absolutely dominated the middle of the park. That Simon Davies and Clint Dempsey were also in rare form meant that West Brom were lucky to get away without a hiding. In the event we had to make do with 2-0, but this only tells part of the story. The catalogue of fun, then, in chronological order:

Free-kick, early on. Murphy bends it over the wall and Scott Carson in the West Brom goal *just* palms it onto the post and out. Close.

Fulham are pinging the ball around for fun. The ball drops to Dickson Etuhu on the edge of the box, who unfurls a hammer of a volley, with his left foot no less. Scott Carson can barely have seen it, so must be congratulated for keeping it out, and for not being swept into the net with the ball a la Hotshot Hamish.

Clint Dempsey is having a typically marauding afternoon. He enjoys the knowledge that West Brom are having trouble pinning him down, cuts infield and strikes a soaring left-footed drive, which bangs into the angle of bar and post and away.

Murphy again. A curler from distance, hits the bar! “One of those days?” wonder 20,000 Fulham fans.

Simon Davies nods down into Bobby Zamora’s path, and Zamora’s through. His shot, however, is shanked over the bar.

West Brom get in on the fun. A (defensive) diving header from centre-back Meite on the edge of his box beats Carson, who turns on his heels and just beats the ball to the goal-line, pawing it wide for a corner.

Then we score. Murphy takes a free-kick short to Etuhu, who stops the ball dead for Murphy, who casually launches the ball into the space on the right wing. John Paintsil appears in said space, crosses, Johnson gets a touch, ZAMORA SCORES! A relief for him, and the crowd loves it. We all want him to succeed, and here he is, getting that bastard monkey off his back. 28 hours without a goal was it?

He nearly adds another seconds later, as Dempsey races the length of the pitch, dinks the ball inside, and Zamora sends it screaming over the bar. That would’ve been too much.

Brede Hangeland climbs high from a corner and heads against the crossbar. What is going on?

Murphy, who is controlling the game without even running now, sends a delicious ball into the box, Zamora knocks out Carson with a volley, and Andy Johnson knocks the rebound into the empty net. Well done, Johnson, thoroughly deserved.

Davies puts Johnson through again, but Carson is alert to the danger.

West Brom have another go at an own goal, with a clearance smashing into another defender’s head and towards goal, but Scott Carson, who earned his money today, manages to keep it out.

At this point, with Swansea on Tuesday on his mind, Hodgson sensibly withdrew Johnson, Zamora, then Murphy. Diomansy Kamara and Erik Nevland took over up front and Olivier Dacourt in the middle. We now saw plenty of ole football, and the unusual sight of Kamara taking a short corner to Hangeland – twice.

The ref blows and we’ve cruised to a wonderfully entertaining win. Full credit to Hodgson for the way he has handled a tricky few weeks. In that time we’ve hardly played at home, but have kept on picking up points here and there. On today’s evidence, we really have little to worry about.