Source: Telegraph
Fulham 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 1: match report
It will be difficult, but Bobby Zamora gave Fulham a fighting chance of dispatching Uefa Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk from the re-branded Europa League with a magnificent right-footed drive to take a slim advantage to the Ukraine. [LNB]Leading through Zoltan Gera's early goal, Fulham succumbed to the silky skills of Shakhtar's heavy Brazilian influence, with Luiz Adriano responding before the interval, but Zamora's 14th goal of an impressive season leaves the tie tantalisingly open. [LNB]Fulham are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and they made it clear to the Ukrainians that they take this competition equally seriously. [LNB]Just 33 seconds were on the clock when, from Danny Murphy's free-kick, Brede Hangeland was denied by goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov, who tipped his header over his crossbar. [LNB]With Shakhtar without a competitive game since December, Fulham sensed the best tactic was to get at the visitors as quickly as possible and, with 130 seconds played, they took the lead. [LNB]From a corner on the left, Murphy fed Zamora, who threaded a deft pass to Gera and the Hungarian responded by rolling the ball under Pyatov. Gera was returning after a fortnight out with a knee injury yet this was his seventh goal of the campaign and third in the Europa League. [LNB]Shakhtar made much of being refused entry to Harrods, owned by Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, on Monday and here they were experiencing another shut-out, with the hosts taking advantage of their superior match-fitness. [LNB]The winners of the tie between Juventus and Ajax the Italians won the first leg 2-1 in Amsterdam await the victors from this clash and the lure of a trip to a former Champions League winner was clearly spurring on Roy Hodgson's men. [LNB]Yet Shakhtar hinted at what they were capable of for the first time in the 14th minute when Hangeland was dispossessed by Fernandinho, one of six Brazilians in their squad, but Aaron Hughes lunged across goal to clear to safety. [LNB]But Fulham responded midway through the half when Murphy touched a short free-kick to Zamora, who teed up the ball for the midfielder to curl an effort just fractionally wide of the post. [LNB]Again Shakhtar threatened but again Fulham got bodies behind the ball and Hangeland was able to block a dangerous attempt from Rodrigues Jadson. And before the interval the visitors began to demonstrate delicate passing skills honed on the beaches of Rio and developed in a mining town in the Ukraine. [LNB]A poor finish from captain Darijo Srna prevented an equaliser but, in the 32nd minute they got the goal they deserved. [LNB]Again it was the Brazilian influence that paid dividends, with Ilsinho's ball finding Adriano, Shakhtar's leading scorer in the Ukranian league, who finished easily. [LNB]Simon Davies glanced a header wide from Damien Duff's chipped pass, but as the whistle blew for half-time, so Fulham realised the superior skills of a side that just needed time to find its rhythm after a lengthy winter break. [LNB]With the rain cascading down on Craven Cottage, Shakhtar continued to impress and they almost took advantage of Zamora's hesitance soon after the restart when the striker sent a ball to a player in orange and black stripes. [LNB]Shakhtar raced forward and Ilsinho dispatched a shot which took the slightest deflection wide, leaving Zamora a relieved man. [LNB]Fulham responded when Zamora headed down to Davies and his well-flighted ball appeared to be heading for Gera, only for the goalkeeper to make a timely intervention. [LNB]The hosts needed at least another goal to cancel Shakhtar's away-goal advantage, and it came in the 63rd minute and left the visitors stunned. [LNB]Dickson Etuhu fed Gera, whose deft pass offered Zamora a chance. He looked up, struck the ball from 25 yards with venom into the top right-hand corner. A moment of class. [LNB]
