Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 3, Fulham 0.
WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers3FulhamFulham0
Bakary Sako struck twice as Wolves kept pace with their Championship play-off rivals by avenging last month's FA Cup exit to Fulham.
Skipper Danny Batth headed the home side ahead from Sako's corner.
Sako then settled the outcome in the space of seven minutes just before the break.
First he rifled home a stunning low left-foot shot from the edge of the box, before beating Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli at his near post.
In front of Molineux's lowest league crowd of the season - 17,744 - Wolves failed to cut the five-point gap to the play-off places, as all their rivals won too.
But they got the job done against a Fulham side who threatened more before the break, but ended up offering little in a second half that was a virtual non-event.
| Wolves pack in the goals |
|---|
| Wolves have scored eight goals without reply at Molineux in the space of four days, following Saturday's 5-0 rout against Rotherham United. |
After winning on penalties in the third round of the FA Cup at Molineux six weeks ago, Fulham won their next two league games too. But they are now without a victory in eight matches in a run that has sent them down to 20th in the table.
They looked lively in the half hour that followed Batth's near-post header from Sako's viciously inswinging right-wing corner.
But Ross McCormack wasted their best opening when he could only fire straight at home keeper Tomasz Kuszczak. And, for all their fancy footwork and intricate dribbling and passing movements, the visitors were then rocked by Sako's goals.
The first of them was a sweet low left-foot strike from the right corner of the box which flew across Bettinelli to nestle in the Fulham keeper's bottom right corner.
But when Sako found the same spot from a narrow angle, this time from the left, Bettinelli was at fault, beaten for sheer pace at his near post.
Bettinelli did have to make one second-half save, going low to his left to deny Benik Afobe, but the destination of the three points had long been decided.
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Kenny Jackett told BBC Sport: "That's eight goals scored, two clean sheets and six points from two home games, so it has been a very satisfactory evening. "There's been a lot of focus on Nouha Dicko and Benik Afobe, so it's nice to spread the goals around the team.
"That's three in two games for Sako now. They do come in waves for Sako. That will give him a lot of confidence, especially as he was suffering from a stomach problem. That's why he came off when he did so early in the second half."
Fulham manager Kit Symons told BBC Sport: "To say that was frustrating is an understatement. I'm fuming. We looked by far the better side and had a stonewall penalty for handball turned down at 1-0.
"But you can't concede goals like that and still hope to win games. To go in at 3-0, it then becomes a mountain to climb."
Line-ups
Wolves
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 29Kuszczak
- 33Iorfa
- 6Batth
- 5Stearman
- 3Golbourne
- 11McDonald
- 19Price
- 12AfobeSubstituted forDoyleat 81'minutes
- 4Edwards
- 10SakoSubstituted forvan La Parraat 57'minutes
- 40DickoSubstituted forHenryat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Doherty
- 7Henry
- 16Doyle
- 17van La Parra
- 23Ebanks-Landell
- 30Hause
- 31Flatt
Fulham
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 40Bettinelli
- 29Richards
- 4Hutchinson
- 6Bodurov
- 3Stafylidis
- 19Tunnicliffe
- 21Christensen
- 12FofanaSubstituted forKavanaghat 56'minutes
- 10Ruiz
- 44McCormack
- 20RodallegaSubstituted forWoodrowat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Kiraly
- 2Hoogland
- 8Parker
- 11Kacaniklic
- 16Woodrow
- 32Kavanagh
- 33Burn
- Referee:
- Graham Salisbury
- Attendance:
- 17,744
Match Stats
Home TeamWolvesAway TeamFulham
- Possession
- Home42%
- Away58%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away16
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away4
- Corners
- Home6
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away0
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 3, Fulham 0.
Post update
Bryan Ruiz (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by James Henry (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Hand ball by Kevin McDonald (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Attempt saved. Kevin McDonald (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Rajiv van La Parra.
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Attempt saved. Lasse Vigen Christensen (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bryan Ruiz.
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Offside, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jack Price tries a through ball, but Rajiv van La Parra is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Fulham. Cauley Woodrow replaces Hugo Rodallega.
Substitution
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Kevin Doyle replaces Benik Afobe.
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Attempt blocked. Ross McCormack (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bryan Ruiz.
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Attempt saved. Sean Kavanagh (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bryan Ruiz.
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Offside, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Richard Stearman tries a through ball, but Jack Price is caught offside.
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Ryan Tunnicliffe (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Benik Afobe (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Attempt missed. Dave Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by James Henry with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Ashley Richards.
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Attempt blocked. Benik Afobe (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Danny Batth (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by James Henry.
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Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Sean Kavanagh.
