- Zamora (7)
- Date:2009-12-06
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Craven Cottage
- Attendance:23168
- Referee:Dean, M
Live Commentary
90mins
The whistle blows for full time, with Fulham taking all 3 points after an entertaining clash
90mins
Bardsley is booked for a foul on Zamora. The free kick from Dempsey is on target but it takes a deflection, which sends the ball over the bar. Good effort from Fulham
89mins
Schwarzer plucks the ball out the air from a Sunderland corner. He's been in top form today
87mins
Zenden unleashes a cracking shot but Schwarzer does well to save his attempt
85mins
Kagisho Dikgacoi comes on for Greening, who has done well in midfield today for Fulham
83mins
Another poor back pass from Konchesky to Schwarzer. The ball goes out for a corner, which is taken short but comes to nothing
83mins
Nosworthy is back on the pitch. He knocks it long towards Bent but Paintsil clears
81mins
Bent's free kick from a great position is blocked by Gera. Sunderland are running out of time in this game
79mins
Dempsey is OK to carry on but Nosworthy is off the pitch receiving treatment to a head wound
78mins
A crunching tackle on Dempsey from Nosworthy. Both players look to be in considerable pain after that coming together
76mins
Hangeland is nearly caught out by Campbell but Schwarzer is there once again to save the day for Fulham
73mins
Gera sends the ball forward to Dempsey but he's fouled by Nosworthy. Free kick to Fulham but the Sunderland defence manage to clear the ball eventually
72mins
Boudewijn Zenden comes on for Jones
72mins
Turner appears to foul Zamora cynically but the referee waves play on
72mins
Konchesky battles away on the wing and gets a good cross into Gera, who sends his header horribly wide
69mins
Malbranque comes off for Fraizer Campbell for Sunderland
66mins
Nevland, who has been wasteful for Fulham today, comes off for Zoltan Gera. A popular decision from Roy Hodgson with the Fulham fans
64mins
Bardsley bombs down the wing but his cross is eventually scrambled away by Fulham
63mins
Turner plays the ball to Reid, who finds Richardson but his cross is headed away well by Hangeland
62mins
Zamora sets up Nevland with a cushioned header but the midfielder's shot goes high over the bar
60mins
Konchesky runs down the left and cuts inside Nosworthy but Turner is there to prevent the shot coming in
59mins
Sunderland are piling on the pressure at the moment, with Reid and Richardson combining well. Bent has another chance to score but his effort on his left foot is wild
57mins
Bent's volley goes a foot wide of the post from Richardson's cross. Great chance for Sunderland
55mins
Konchesky's shocking back pass is intercepted by Jones but Schwarzer does well to smother the ball and save Fulham's blushes
54mins
Malbranque's cross across the box is played behind all the Sunderland players. The final ball today from him hasn't been good enough
53mins
Zamora turns well near the centre circle and then passes to Konchesky, who crosses to the near post but Fulop does well to catch the ball
51mins
Dempsey drags his shot slightly wide of the goal. Fulham are now matching Sunderland's bright start to the half
49mins
Dempsey plays the ball into Zamora in the box but Richardson does well to put pressure on the Fulham man
47mins
Sunderland have started the second half brightly but Fulham have another good chance to extend their lead through Paintsil
45mins
The second half is underway at Craven Cottage
45mins
The referee blows the whistle for half time
45mins
Malbranque's shot from 20 yards is easily saved by Schwarzer
44mins
Nevland has a brilliant chance to double Fulham's lead but his shot is initially saved by Marton Fulop and his second effort goes high over the bar from close range. Nevland should definitely have scored there
42mins
Zamora is really growing into this game as his effort comes crashing off the post after he beat Turner in the air
41mins
A scrappy few minutes in this game, with a couple of offside decisions and mistimed passes
38mins
Zamora should have put Fulham 2-0 up but his header is weak in the end. Again, Nosworthy at fault for that chance
37mins
Nosworthy, who hasn't looked great since coming on, almost heads into his own net after a corner from Duff
35mins
Reid swings the ball into the box. It's headed out by a Fulham defender but Richardson's subsequent shot from 25 yards out is awful
33mins
Zamora wins the ball after good work from Schwarzer. Zamora finds Duff but his shot is high and wide
31mins
Zamora's shirt is tugged ridiculously by Nosworthy in a dangerous position, just a couple of yards outside the box. Dempsey takes the free kick but his effort floats over the bar
29mins
That foul from Nevland has brought an end to Ferdinand's game. He is replaced by Nyron Nosworthy
28mins
Dempsey flashes a shot just wide of the post after great work from Zamora. The Fulham fans wanted a free kick for a previous foul but that was a good advantage from Mike Dean
26mins
Nevland is booked for a nasty challenge on Ferdinand, who has to leave the pitch to receive treatment
24mins
Zamora holds the ball up well for Fulham before finding Duff, who squares to Konchesky. The ball eventually falls to Nevland but he shoots wide. Nice, flowing football from the home team
22mins
Malbranque plays the ball forward to Jones but Hangeland, who has been a rock in the heart of Fulham's defence so far today, does well again
20mins
Richardson gives the ball away carelessly but neither Greening nor Dempsey can take full advantage of his error
18mins
Jones flicks the ball on but Bent is unable to take advantage of the chance, after good pressure from Brede Hangeland
17mins
Kenwyne Jones chases a high cross from Reid but Schwarzer rises magnificently to claim the ball
16mins
Dempsey's shot from distance is wild and misses the target by some distance
15mins
Duff plays the ball into a promising position but Zamora is just a little too slow and fails to reach it
14mins
Malbranque's low ball into the middle of the box is met by nobody for Sunderland but after a Fulham defensive lapse, the ball falls to Phil Bardsley, but he runs out of options in the end
12mins
Anton Ferdinand lays the ball back to Richardson but the ball goes nowhere near its intended target. A frantic few minutes in the game; Sunderland need to calm their play down
11mins
Kieran Richardson is shown a yellow card after a foul on Duff
10mins
Reid's cross on the half volley is met well by Schwarzer
9mins
Dempsey plays the ball to Erik Nevland, who returns the ball to Dempsey. Duff gets in a good position but Andy Reid does well to put pressure on the Fulham man and the ball goes out of play
6mins
John Paintsil's high cross is met by Bobby Zamora, who makes no mistake in putting Fulham 1-0 up
5mins
A bright start from both teams here at Craven Cottage, with promising attacks coming at both ends
3mins
Malbranque's shot from the right of the box is well saved by Mark Schwarzer. The Sunderland man, set up nicely after great play from Darren Bent, should have done better from that position
2mins
Jonathan Greening heads the ball forward to Clint Dempsey, whose shot from 25 yards goes well wide
1mins
Paul Konchesky plays the ball forward after good movement from the home team but Michael Turner is there to neutralize the Fulham threat
0mins
Steed Malbranque gets an early touch for Sunderland and the Fulham fans greet his early involvement with a chorus of boos
0mins
Referee Mike Dean gets the first half underway at Craven Cottage
0mins
Sunderland will be hoping to reverse their miserable recent away form, whilst Fulham seek to overtake their opponents this afternoon with a win
Match Preview
Steve Bruce's Sunderland face the long trip to London on Sunday to face Fulham with both teams looking to improve on their top ten Premier League positions.
Roy Hodgson has witnessed his side make significant improvements in recent times with just one defeat coming in their last eight games after loitering around the relegation zone at the start of the campaign.
The Cottagers now sit in a more healthy tenth place, much being owed to their strong home record.
Sunderland, with Darren Bent remaining in fine early-season form, ride high in eighth and, like Fulham, they have an excellent home record.
The Black Cats have picked up just four points from a possible 21 on their travels and this has to improve if they are to challenge for the European spots this term.
Fulham will be looking to further inflict an away-day blow on the visitors from the north east but with Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson (both groin) missing alongside Diomansy Kamara and Danny Murphy (both knee), the Fulham strike force looks threadbare with just Erik Nevland and attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey playing upfront at present.
Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon remains on the sidelines with a broken arm and former Wigan Athletic midfielder Lee Cattermole, who suffered a serious knee injury against Liverpool in October, could return towards the end of January at the very earliest.
Bruce will be buoyed that giant striker Kenwyne Jones returned to reserve team action following a three-game suspension in a 3-0 win against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday evening.
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Match Report
Bobby Zamora's early header proved enough for Fulham to secure a deserved 1-0 victory over Sunderland at Craven Cottage, a result which moved the hosts up to eighth in the Premier League.
The striker was simply superb as he ran Sunderland's defence ragged, with only the crossbar preventing him from adding to his tally.
But it was another poor show for Steve Bruce's visitors, who drop to tenth after an insipid display in west London.
Sunderland went into the game having won just one of their last 17 Premier League games on the road, but Steve Bruce's side were encouraged by the news that Kenwyne Jones was fit to return after five weeks out due to injury and suspension.
Fulham, meanwhile, made six changes to the side that beat CSKA Sofia in their midweek Europa League clash - and it was the hosts who started superbly, showing no ill-effects from that game.
And it took them just seven minutes to take the lead thanks to Zamora. John Pantsil creared the goal, firing in an innocuous cross that Sunderland should have dealt with easily, only for Phil Bardsley to hesitate and allow Zamora to run across him and head home.
It was a poor goal to concede and Bruce - a superb defender during his time with Manchester United - looked less than impressed on the touchline.
Zamora was clearly lifted by the goal, and was almost unplayable during the first-half, giving Michael Turner and Anton Ferdinand a torrid afternoon.
Indeed, just before the break he came so close to doubling the advantage, heading over goalkeeper Marton Fulop only to see the ball come back off the crossbar.
His strike partner Erik Nevland also had a wonderful chance to score Fulham's second, volleying way over the bar when his original effort was saved by Fulop.
Roy Hodgson's side should have had the points wrapped up, but Sunderland emerged for the second half a completely different side.
It would have been grossly unfair, but Jones had a perfect chance to level the scores ten minutes after the interval, latching on to Paul Konchesky's woeful back-pass, only to see his effort saved by Mark Schwarzer.
Darren Bent, Jones' strike partner, had been completely anonymous up until that point, but he suddenly came to life, volleying inches wide and then firing over the bar when well placed.
Yet after that brief flurry, Sunderland promptly faded, despite effectively playing with three strikers for much of the second half.
Fulham managed to hold on in relative comfort to secure a well-deserved victory.
Fulham Team
Sunderland Team
Fulham | Sunderland |
Corners
| 4 | 8 |
Fouls
| 10 | 14 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 7 |
Shots off target
| 11 | 3 |
Offsides
| 2 | 2 |



90mins
Four minutes of added time to be played and Sunderland are really putting the pressure on at the moment