Duff Does for Deflated Magpies

Fulham 1 Newcastle United 0

Ex-Toon winger Damien Duff needed three bites of the cherry in the second half to consign his former club to their first defeat of 2011. The Irishman’s strike with a quarter of the game remaining was enough to push Mark Hughes’ side up to twelfth, a point behind the visitors and gave Fulham their fifth straight home win.

Much has been made of star striker Andy Carroll leaving St. James’s Park for Liverpool on transfer deadline day for a fee of around £35 million. It should be pointed out that the England international would not have been fit to play at Craven Cottage this evening, although he was paraded in front of his new fans at Anfield.

The burden of his departure will fall on Alan Pardew’s team as a whole, but matters have not been helped by the loss of another forward, Shola Ameobi, through injury just over ten minutes into tonight’s match. An innocuous flailing of Steve Sidwell’s arm without any intent whatsoever appears to have fractured the Magpies striker’s cheekbone, sidelining him for the foreseeable future.

Nile Ranger stepped in to the breech, but the first half was characterised by solid defensively displays from both sides. The calmness and skill of Jose Enrique to play the visitors out of trouble from left back was notable. Andy Johnson and Moussa Dembele chose their moments throughout the match to drift into wide areas and come inside, but the Spaniard remained on top of the situation for the opening forty-five at least.

The Toon’s success has not all been down to Carroll, but their threat from set pieces looked visibly diminished on tonight’s evidence. Pardew’s men probably just edged the first half with clear cut openings hard to come by. Had referee Mike Jones played an advantage when Danny Simpson fouled Clint Dempsey and the ball broke to Andy Johnson in a promising position, then Fulham might have created a chance.

Further the home side had a couple of minor shouts for penalties as Mike Williamson lived dangerously pulling the shirt of Brede Hangeland as he marked him from corner and free kicks. Neither keeper was called into any noteworthy action before the break, Mark Schwarzer having returned to the XI for Hughes after the conclusion of the Asian Cup with Australia.

Duff’s first effort came just after the restart, racing through on goal inside from the right his shot was blocked out. The second opening he spurned was a real guilt edge chance. Dembele played Dempsey in behind the Magpies defence and his shot came back off the legs of Steve Harper, deflected off Williamson and fell to the Irishman only a few yards out but he screwed it wide.

At the other end after a quiet display from Leon Best, he headed a half chance well over the bar from Danny Guthrie’s cross; Ranger’s industry in the build up should get a mention. Fulham’s next chance to take the lead came just after the hour when Williamson got caught in possessing by the harrying of Johnson and Sidwell, Dembele profited and again fed Dempsey who from an ever tightening angle forced Harper to tip it over for a corner.

Moments later Danny Murphy’s long ball out of defence found Duff in a race with Enrique, but the Spaniard could not get his team out of trouble this time, so typical of a full back finding himself in a centre half’s position, and the Irishman showed strength before slotting home past the exposed Harper.

Hughes’ side had other opportunities to put the match to bed. Gael Kakuta off the bench looked lively, shooting straight at the keeper from a Dembele pull back inside the last ten minutes. Fulham are indebted to Schwarzer who saved well from Ranger at close quarters after Kevin Nolan set him up from Joey Barton’s deep cross.

Straight down the other end, Kakuta put a delightful through ball into Dempsey but one-on-one with Harper the American opted to try and poke it past him rather than lift it over and another chance went begging. Duff’s goal in the end proved enough to secure the three points for the home side to ease their relegation fears.

Newcastle cane up against a side tonight that have become resolute under Mark Hughes, a style that he has brought to all the clubs he has managed. In all likelihood the Toon only need a few more wins to ensure their own place in the Premier League next season. Losing Ameobi is unfortunate, but it is premature to be panicking at this stage.