- Murphy (22), Zamora (46), Duff (75)
- Date:2009-12-19
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Craven Cottage
- Attendance:25700
- Referee:Webb, H
Live Commentary
93mins
Fulham claim a deserved win against a United side depleted of personnel that failed to shine.
90mins
There will be three minutes of added time.
88mins
Tomasz Kuszczak makes a scrambling save from Bobby Zamora's strike.
86mins
Zoltan Gera looks to slip the ball forward but United clear the danger.
84mins
Jonathan Greening and Luis de Abreu Anderson clatter into a challenge.
82mins
Wayne Rooney's right-foot corss is cleared away by Aaron Hughes.
79mins
Danny Murphy is replaced by Kagisho Dikgacoi.
77mins
The Fulham faithful are not suprisingly in good voice.
76mins
Jonathan Greening replaces goalscorer Damien Duff.
75mins
Damien Duff hits home with a low left-foot volley after being put in by Bobby Zamora.
72mins
Paul Scholes misplaces his pass and it goes out for a throw-in.
70mins
Michael Owen is replaced by Danny Welbeck.
70mins
Michael Owen's cross is headed away.
67mins
Michael Carrick does well to edge Bobby Zamora off the ball.
65mins
Paul Scholes' left-foot strike misses the target.
63mins
Luis Antonio Valencia's ball into the area is cleared away by Aaron Hughes.
60mins
Wayne Rooney fires the ball across the face of goal but Luis Antonio Valencia can't get a boot on it.
58mins
Da Silva Fabio's cross is cleared by Danny Murphy.
56mins
Dimitar Berbatov replaces Darron Gibson for United.
56mins
Da Silva Fabio repalces Richie de Laet for United.
55mins
Wayne Rooney looks to barge his way into the area but Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes get to the ball before him.
54mins
Clint Dempsey, on defensive duties clears the ball with Wayne Rooney looking to get forward.
51mins
Zoltan Gera whips in a shot from distance but it is over the bar.
49mins
Luis Antonio Valencia enjoys a good opportunity but Mark Schwarzer is equal to the task.
48mins
Michael Carrick's ball forward is cleared by yhe Fulham defence.
46mins
Bobby Zamora shoots home from close range from Clint Dempsey's knock-down.
45mins
The second half is underway.
45mins
It's half time. Fulham are worth their lead against a United side who have been below their best.
45mins
Paul Scholes hits a shot from 15 yards but is wide of the target.
44mins
United have struggled to get going in this game.
42mins
Patrice Evra's drive is collected at the near post by Mark Schwarzer.
40mins
Luis de Abreu Anderson shoots from distance but doesn't trouble Mark Schwarzer.
37mins
Paul Scholes plays the ball forward but it rolls harmlessly into the hands of Mark Schwarzer.
35mins
Wayne Rooney's strike from 30 yards ends up in the stand.
34mins
John Paintsil's cross is headed away by Richie de Laet.
32mins
Bobby Zamora heads wide of the target from Zoltan Gera's cross.
30mins
Darron Gibson fires his free kick into the Fulham wall.
28mins
Darron Gibson goes for goal but is off balance and his shot roles to Mark Schwarzer.
27mins
Brede Hangeland clears with Michael Owen threatening.
25mins
Richie de Laet clears the lines for United.
22mins
Danny Murphy dispossesses Paul Scholes before firing home from 20 yards.
22mins
Patrice Evra's cross is deflected into the hands of Mark Schwarzer.
20mins
Damien Duff's cross is deflected out for a Cottagers' corner.
18mins
Tomasz Kuszczak tips Zoltan Gera's volley, heading for the top corner, over the bar.
17mins
Clint Dempsey's overhead kick is off target.
15mins
This game has yet to get going.
13mins
Damien Duff's corner is collected by Tomasz Kuszczak.
11mins
Wayne Rooney goes for goal from inside his own half but the ball flies into the hands of Mark Schwarzer.
9mins
Paul Scholes makes a great challenge to dispossess Bobby Zamora.
7mins
Paul Scholes is shown yellow for a sliding tackle on Damien Duff.
6mins
It's very quiet at Craven Cottage in these opening stages.
4mins
Darron Gibson tries his luck from the centre circle but his shot can only find the corner flag.
2mins
Patrice Evra's high cross can't find a Manchester United shirt.
0mins
Referee Howard Webb gets the game underway.
0mins
Michael Owen starts upfront with Wayne Rooney for Manchester United.
0mins
Vidic is out injured for United, so the visitors back four is Fletcher, De Laet, Carrick and Evra.
0mins
Danny Murphy and Zoltan Gera start in place of Erik Nevland and Jonathan Greening, who drop to the bench.
Match Preview
Second-placed Manchester United travel to Fulham hoping to secure a win that could see them draw level at the top of the table with leaders Chelsea.
Following a disappointing home defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, the Red Devils picked themselves up with a convincing 3-0 win over a weakened Wolverhampton Wanderers side on Tuesday night.
No side has won more points that the 15 that United have picked up on the road in the Premier League this season, but with a collection of defensive injuries; including a major doubt over the fitness of key central defender Nemanja Vidic, Fulham will hope to take full advantage.
This game also looks to have come too early for United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to return against his former club, with Tomasz Kuszczak continuing to deputise in his absence.
Fulham have made Craven Cottage somewhat of a fortress over the last few months, winning four and drawing one of their last five Premier League matches at home since October; including an impressive 3-1 victory over Liverpool.
Bobby Zamora has recently found the goalscoring form that has often deserted him over the last four seasons and his nine goal tally in all competitions so far this term is four more than the previous two seasons put together.
The former West Ham striker has scored four times in his last three appearances for the Cottagers, including a muscular brace against FC Basel in their midweek Europa League victory in Switzerland.
Zamora's form has pleased nobody more than Fulham boss Roy Hodgson, who stuck by his striker following their 3-2 win over the Swiss side.
"The one criticism is he hasn't scored enough goals but nine goals is a pretty good return for any forward," he said following some critical reviews from certain sections of the Cottagers' support since his arrival at the club.
Last season, Fulham defeated United 2-0 at Craven Cottage, going some way in avenging nine successive victories for the Red Devils over the south west Londoners.
This match also saw the dismissals of Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney in an extremely unhappy day for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
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Match Report
Fulham are getting the hang of beating Manchester United - and there's not many teams that can say that.
For the second season running, the west Londoners made a win over the Premier League champions look more than easy.
A brilliant third from Damien Duff after 75 minutes as he placed a low left-foot drive past Tomasz Kuszczak, courtesy of a neat chest and lay-off from Bobby Zamora, sealed a lacklustre United's fate.
Just 20 seconds into the second half, Zamora rifled in a close-range effort started by Duff and finally set-up by a header from Clint Dempsey.
As if a Scouser needed any invitation to score against Manchester United, Michael Carrick made it even easier for Danny Murphy to open the scoring on 17 minutes.
The stand-in defender stood off Murphy making his mind up for him as he let fly from 22 yards.
It still seemed as if Kusczak would be favourite to the low right-foot drive, but a combination of wicked bounce and the slightest of stumbles from the keeper saw the ball nestle nicely into the bottom corner
But what Paul Scholes was thinking as he casually turned on a poor pass from Darren Fletcher is anyone's guess.
Murphy easily robbed the midfielder to set up the chance in the first place.
In fact, an unfamiliar three-man United defence looked as if they had met each other for the first time in the Craven Cottage tunnel before kick-off.
Zamora should have added to his impressive recent haul but his header wide from six yards at the back post on 33 minutes after another fine piece of interplay involving Dempsey and Zoltan Gera's neat cross came to nothing.
Gera himself brought a great left-handed save from Kuszczak earlier as Zamora turned provider with a neat chest into the Hungarian's path. But although the first-time shot had power, it was also at the right height for the keeper to turn over.
At the other end, United's attack was giving Mark Schwarzer fielding practice.
A series of lofted and long-range efforts fell gratefully into the Aussie's arms - and none was more frustrating for the red army packing the Putney End than Wayne Rooney's 30-yard attempt that was closer to the middle of the stand than the goal in front of it.
Scholes' woeful first-half was summed up when he was rightly booked for a late challenge on Duff.
And although United switched to a 4-2-4 formation after the second goal went in at the other end - even with sub Dimitar Berbatov alongside Rooney - they were met by a stubborn white wall.
Fulham Team
Manchester United Team
Fulham | Manchester United |
Corners
| 5 | 2 |
Fouls
| 10 | 9 |
Goal attempts
Shots off target
| 3 | 12 |
Offsides
| 3 | 1 |
91mins
Wayne Rooney shoots from an angle but the ball flies high of the target.