Source: Daily_Mail
Fulham 3 Blackpool 0: Bobby Zamora scores twice as Cottagers cruise to win
The 'King of Pop' may have been remembered at Fulham, but it was the King of Craven Cottage who marked his full return with two excellent goals.[LNB]Bobby Zamora was back, starting his first game since breaking his right leg on September 11 and setting Fulham on their way to a comfortable victory before Dickson Etuhu added a third goal.[LNB]PICTURE SPECIAL: That's Bad! Fulham fans left stunned as club unveil Jackson statue Bobby's back: Zamora (centre) scored twice for Fulham on his first start since September [LNB]'Bobby for England,' sang theHammersmith End. It may take a while for Man in the Mirror, the lyricsto which are inscribed on the plinth below Fulham's new 7ft 6in statueof Michael Jackson, to catch on.[LNB]Zamora's goals made it six in onlynine appearances this season. He is already Fulham's second highestscorer. It makes you wonder what might have been.[LNB]Fulham boss Mark Hughes said: 'Thiswas the perfect game for him to get over the last hurdle from hisinjury, in terms of starting a game. I couldn't have hoped for a betterimpact from him.[LNB]'He showed qualities that we have lacked. Bobby coming back is a huge boost for us and gives the other players confidence.' [LNB] In she goes: Zamora opens the scoring in the 23rd minute with a well-executed strike [LNB] MATCH FACTSFULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer 6, Baird 7, Hughes 7, Hangeland 7, Salcido 6; Duff 7 (Davies 81 mins), Murphy 6, (Sidwell 77, 6), Etuhu 6, Dempsey 6; Dembele 7; Zamora 8 (Johnson 62, 6). Subs not used: Stockdale, Kelly, Gudjohnsen, Kakuta. Booked: Murphy, Hangeland.[LNB]BLACKPOOL (4-1-3-2): Kingson 7, Baptiste 6, Cathcart 6, Evatt 6, Crainey 5; Vaughan 6; Taylor-Fletcher 5, Adam 7, Gradin 6 (Puncheon 68, 5); Beattie 5 (Kornilenko 68, 5), Ormerod 6 (Varney 68, 6). Subs not used: Rachubka, Southern, Eardley, Reid. Booked: Adam.[LNB]Referee: Stuart Attwell 6.[LNB]Man of the match: Bobby Zamora.[LNB]Hughes admitted that relegation is still a 'mathematical possibility' but Fulham are into 10th place and looking up.[LNB]Blackpool, however, have conceded 13 goals and failed to score in any of their four trips to the capital this season. [LNB]Their performance at Craven Cottagewas not as bad as the 6-0 drubbing at Arsenal or the 4-0 at Chelseabut, in terms of performance, it was arguably Blackpool's worst inLondon yet.[LNB]They have one more chance to putthis right, with a trip to White Hart Lane on May 7. Blackpool's onlyother away game left this season, incidentally, is a final-day visit toOld Trafford.[LNB]But the carefree team who alwaysbelieved they could outscore the opposition no matter how many theyconceded were not in evidence against Fulham. There was plenty ofattractive, simple passing but no end product.[LNB]'It's OK having a dance around,' said Blackpool boss Ian Holloway, 'but you have to knock them out.'[LNB] He was right. Where Fulham wereclinical, with two solid banks of four and the excellent Zamora andMousa Dembele up front, Blackpool were found wanting. [LNB]Holloway even had a slightaltercation with a fan who 'wasn't cheering as loudly as the rest' ashe walked across the pitch after the match.[LNB] Make mine a double: The Fulham striker heads home his second, just five minutes after he opened the scoring [LNB] [LNB]He added: 'My players showed bodylanguage I haven't seen. We have got to get them out of that. I shallbe cracking the whip. I have told them all to go away and watch how wegot promoted last year and the goals we've scored this season.[LNB]'We could get two victories and fivelosses and still stay up and, if we do that, it will be a fantasticachievement. Today it looked like 'Deary me'. It's the first timethat's happened to us. I've got to get their energy up.' [LNB]Blackpool had only themselves toblame for the errors that led to Zamora's goals. The striker picked upJames Beattie's poor backpass just inside the Blackpool half in the23rd minute, sprinted towards the penalty area and lashed a powerfulright-foot shot in off the crossbar.[LNB]Five minutes later, Stephen Craineyconceded a free-kick and Fulham pounced again, with Zamora outjumpingCraig Cathcart to bundle Damien Duff's delivery past Richard Kingson.[LNB] Just beat it: Mohamed Al Fayed poses with the new controversial statue of Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage [LNB] [LNB]Chris Baird had to clear BrettOrmerod's header off the line just before half-time when a mix-upbetween Aaron Hughes and Mark Schwarzer allowed the 34-year-old tosneak in, but Blackpool's chances were limited in the first 45 minutes. [LNB]Their best opportunities in the second half inevitably came fromCharlie Adam, with Cathcart nodding over from close range in the 90thminute and Gary Taylor-Fletcher putting the rebound wide after an Adamshot was parried in stoppage time.[LNB]The hosts had plenty of chances,too, with Dembele and Clint Dempsey both threatening before Etuhu madeit 3-0 in the 72nd minute. [LNB]Dembele's effort struck the post after a Danny Murphy free-kick, but Brede Hangeland found Etuhu to score.[LNB] Three and easy: Etuhu (centre) is mobbed after sealing the win for Fulham in the 72nd minute [LNB] PREMIER LEAGUE LIVE: The action from Fulham v Blackpool as it happenedPICTURE SPECIAL: That's Bad! Fulham fans left stunned as club unveil Jackson statue Kamara hopes to end Fulham spell and make permanent switch to LeicesterFulham FC news, features and opinion [LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Brede Hangeland, Ian Holloway, Mark Hughes, Damien Duff, Bobby Zamora, Michael Jackson, Stuart Attwell Places: United Kingdom
