Jimmy Bullard does a brilliant impression of Roy Hodgson, which Fulham’s manager is said to struggle to see the funny side of. The pair always experienced a slightly uneasy relationship at Craven Cottage and Bullard duly delighted in, again, wiping the smile off his old boss’s face by converting the penalty that set Hull City on course for a potentially vital victory.
Another goal from Craig Fagan ensured Iain Dowie’s first home game in charge concluded with a win that not only ended Hull’s run of five straight defeats, but appreciably enhanced their chances of avoiding relegation.
It is fortunate Fulham are already tucked safely in mid-table because Hodgson’s on-going Europa League adventure appears to be taking its toll. This was their third defeat in the space of seven days.
Adam Pearson, Hull’s chairman, used his column in the match programme to explain why he had placed Phil Brown on ‘gardening leave’ – a way of avoiding making a hefty lump sum compensation pay out – and replace him with Dowie. It proved some deconstruction.
“I feel a big squad has sometimes hampered us this season,” said Pearson. “We seem to have had no consistency on selection, no established pairings in defence, midfield or attack, and no continuity on team shape or formation.
“Wolves have found their best team and stuck to it, with an unchanged squad now for a dozen games. Their squad is smaller, their wage bill is half the size of ours, but they have found their best team combinations and team unity at the right time. This is what we have asked Iain to do. A change had to come.” Ouch.
In opting to leave Geovanni, Hull’s most gifted individual, on the bench, Dowie’s first home selection raised a few eyebrows among KC regulars.
Such locals were mightily relived that Bullard was fit to start, but – mindful of the dangers posed by Fulham’s former playmaker – Hodgson handed his South African defensive midfielder, Kagisho Dikgacoi, the job of man marking Bullard at certain times.
Initially, at least, Dikgacoi succeeded in cramping his usually dynamic style, but, when Hull won an early penalty, Bullard stepped forward to direct it, right-footed, beyond Mark Schwarzer’s grasp.
Appropriately, the midfielder’s pass to Jozy Altidore had prefaced a spot-kick awarded when Chris Smalling wrestled Altidore to the ground inside the area. As Bullard’s strike flew into the roof of the net, Dowie looked on cloud nine, but Hull’s manager subsequently endured an anxious moment when George Boateng cleared a Zoltan Gera shot off the line after Brede Hangeland headed on a Bjorn Riise corner.
Excitement levels were rising and Schwarzer was stretched to the limit, pushing away a curling Bullard free-kick for a corner before, at the other end, Gera found himself denied again by a goalline clearance, this time by Steven Mouyokolo’s part.
The second half had barely begun when the excellent Fagan doubled Hull’s lead.
Fagan out-leapt Paul Konchesky to meet Dean Marney’s deep cross and his looping header completely eluded Schwarzer, who, mis-judging the ball’s flight, failed to react.
The keeper partly redeemed himself with a tremendous save from Altidore, but, by now, Fulham – without an unwell Bobby Zamora – were already beaten.
Dowie had kept his manifesto pledge to offer the people of Hull “smiley Saturdays”.
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