Source: Telegraph
Fulham 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0: match report
Like all good cockney showdowns there's got to be a sequel. Roy versus 'Arry II coming to a screen near you. Rated R. [LNB]For once it's got to be better than the first one: the acting was wooden and plot just meandered along without really going anywhere. At least the soundtrack was good: there was an excellent atmosphere down at the Cottage. [LNB]Roy Hodgson hopes Manchester United fail to focus on FA Cup tie with FulhamFulham squeeze through with Bobby Zamoras late strikeManchester United and Chelsea hit the road for FA Cup quarter-finalsWith Tottenham trying to hang on to fourth spot and Fulham still in the Europa League neither Harry Redknapp nor Roy Hodgson wanted the replay from this one but a replay is what they got. [LNB]There was no shortage of huff and puff but nothing that remotely looked like bringing the house down. Wembley deferred. [LNB]Before the game Roy Hodgson and Mark Schwarzer were presented with their manager- and player-of-themonth awards for February, a recognition of the fine achievements of this modest club this season.[LNB] Even more impressive was Hodgson's cross-field dash to get back to the dressing rooms for a last exhortation to his men and at a fair old nick for a man who has just entered his seventh decade. [LNB]That was just about the quickest anyone moved on this turgid pitch. With Jermain Defoe's hamstring niggle keeping him on the bench and Fulham playing Bobby Zamora alone up front there was preciously little pace in either attack. [LNB]The result meant both lines of defence could squeeze the play, leaving little space in a stodgy midfield. [LNB]Unsurprisingly, then, chances were scarce in the first half. Fulham had the first significant effort on target, Zamora taking advantage of Vedran Corluka's error to get a shot in at the near post which Heurelho Gomes saved comfortably. [LNB]Without Danny Murphy, out with a groin injury, Fulham lacked wit and too often chipped the ball vaguely in Zamora's general direction. [LNB]With Croatian pair Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar there was more imagination in Tottenham's approach play. The latter nearly embarrassed Schwarzer with a dipping shot 28 minutes in that the Australian only managed to awkwardly parry. [LNB]Two minutes later and Schwarzer was called on again, getting smartly across goal to push Peter Crouch's impressive header from Corluka's cross behind for a corner. [LNB]Fulham, though, are a robust defensive unit and they were clearly looking to take things very cautiously and pick Tottenham off by putting away one of their infrequent chances. [LNB]They almost did just that with the break looming, but Benoît Assou-Ekotto hooked alertly away from Zamora as he tried to latch on to Gera's flick. [LNB]Mercifully the game opened up after the break. Seconds after the restart and Fulham had their best chance yet. Nickey Shorey played a ball down the left which Simon Davies crossed to the far post where Zamora nodded back across goal. [LNB]Gera's close-range near-post header was flailed away by Gomes. Moments later Gomes saved more comfortably from Dickson Etuhu's header after the Nigerian met Davies' outsinging corner. [LNB]Fulham no longer appeared content to let this game drift towards a replay. [LNB]Roman Pavlyuchenko, in such fine form at the moment, hazarded a particularly unconvincing dive to try and win Spurs a penalty he should have been booked and then referee Mark Clattenburg failed to award a genuine one, missing Brede Hangeland's handling of the ball as he challenged Crouch in the air. Spurs had their revenge though, when Kranjcar accidentally body-checked the referee minutes later, leaving him on his backside. [LNB]Damien Duff, playing on the right, twice went close for Fulham shooting wide with a right-footed drive before squirting out an effort with his left that Gomes dived to save. Spurts responded, with Pavlyuchenko hooking over after Crouch had flicked on Bale's long throw. Unbelievably, Modric then managed to jump high enough to get in Crouch's way from another Bale cross. [LNB]With both side's tiring, the game was getting stretched. Hodgson moved first sending on David Elm for Simon Davies to play up front with Zamora. Fulham hit and hoped for a winner, Zamora twice nearly getting on the end of optimistic punts into the box and when he did get a sight of goal he mis-hit it. [LNB]All a bit of an anticlimax, really. Roll credits. [LNB]
