Source: Telegraph
Fulham near Europe with Aston Villa victory
Seventh place, and a passport to Europe, looks highly achievable for Roy Hodgson's confident, slick-passing and incisive side who left to a thunderous ovation after Danny Murphy's penalty and two strikes from Diomansy Kamara, relishing his first start of the season, dispatched a Villa side perhaps showing the effects of this season's Uefa Cup exertions.
Kamara, the Senegalese forward who has fought back from cruciate knee ligament injuries sustained in a World Cup qualifier last June, harried Villa throughout. "His performance was very good and he was a model of tactical discipline," Hodgson said.
Fulham's bright opening brought several chances and an early breakthrough. Erik Nevland's flicked header had already stretched Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel when some slick approach play slipped in Kamara who was tripped by James Milner as he prepared to shoot. Murphy calmly steered the penalty low to Friedel's left.
Paul Konchesky, Fulham's progressive left-back, burst into the Villa penalty area, the ball spinning free to Nevland, whose shot was inches over. Yet if it was Fulham setting the beat, it was Villa who struck back unexpectedly.
Gareth Barry's backheel allowed Milner to whip in a cross, and with the Fulham rearguard watchful of John Carew, the ball landed for Ashley Young to smash home in the 14th minute.
Fulham were undaunted. Murphy's ball floated over the visitors for Nevland, Villa rescued only by the speedy retrieval work of Curtis Davies. From the corner, Friedel had to beat away Zoltan Gera's effort.
The Villa goalkeeper had also to deal with Clint Dempsey's 25-yarder as Fulham kept up the pace but the visitors served warning of their counter-attacking capabilities when Young grazed a post following Gabriel Agbonlahor's surging run after Fulham just forced three successive corners.
Fulham, however, deserved the advantage, and it was duly restored 26 seconds into the second half. Kamara strode forward and unleashed a low shot from just outside the penalty area that flew beyond Friedel's right hand.
Villa never looked recovering from that and there was little doubt over the outcome after Fulham delivered a knock-out blow on the hour. Brede Hangeland headed on Murphy's corner for Kamara to outfox Friedel and two defenders with an adroit back-heel.
"We were desperately poor in the second half," said Villa manager Martin O'Neill. "We conceded an early goal and never got going."
