Highlights - Fulham 4-1 West Ham United PL2

 

Fulham 4-1 West Ham United PL2

FT: It's over here, and Fulham run out comfortable winners in the end. The Hammers were the better side for much of the first half, but Fulham took control having scored a second. Terry Westley's youngsters came out fighting and pulled one back in the second 45 through Toni Martinez, but the hosts added a fourth and saw out the game to earn all three points. Meanwhile, the PL2 side are back in action on Thursday as they take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League Cup at Dagenham and Redbridge's Chigwell Construction Stadium. Come along - it's free for season ticket holders! 

88: Martin Samuelsen drives a fierce attempt narrowly over the crossbar. Just a couple of minutes remaining in normal time at Craven Cottage.

87: Fulham sub. Luca De La Torre comes on and Jozabed takes a seat.

82: Alex Pike throws himself in front of another attempt by the hosts and blocks well, but the offside flag was up anyway.

80: Humphrys eyes up a hat-trick goal, but Spiegel is equal to his left-footed strike from the edge of the box.

76: Quina sees his free-kick from 25 yards turned round the post by Bettinelli. Good attempt from the Portuguese, and it bounced right in front of the stopper making it an impressive stop.

73: Double West Ham sub. Parfitt-Williams replaces Martinez, while Kemp comes off for Diangana.

70: Goal for Fulham. That must be the three points, as Lasse Vigen Christensen sends one into the roof of the net from close range after a good cutback. The Whites have halted the Hammers' comeback before it got going here.

69: Tunji Akinola is the first in claret and blue to go into the book.

67: *Just* wide from Browne. That was closer than his first half attempt. If that goes in, Fulham nerves really start to jangle...

66: The difference a goal makes - the Hammers are really threatening for a second. Free-kick 25 yards from goal, pretty central here...

61: Goal for the Hammers! Martinez is fouled by the keeper inside the box after he'd centred the ball, and he steps up on his return to the side to side foot it to the keeper's right. One back.

60: Haven't seen that one before! Kemp is tripped and receives a free-kick, and in a bid to get the game going again, Browne kicks it against Kemp and goes from there!

56: Jozabed curls an effort well over Spiegel's goal from the edge of the box. West Ham have dominated possession so far in the second half but there have been no meaningful attempts on goal, as yet.

52: Browne gets some space 25 yards from goal and lets fly, but his effort was always rising and that one's not troubling Bettinelli.

50: And Fulham make their own sub as Josh Smile comes on to replace their second goalscorer, Dennis Adeniran.

48: Tunji Akinola replaces Noha Sylvestre for West Ham.

46: We're back underway for the second half here.

HT: That's it for the first period. Fulham were in control from the moment they grabbed their second, where previously it was the Hammers doing all the probing. A frustrating half for West Ham who will now look to regroup and get back into this in the second 45. Finally, it must be noted how strong this Fulham starting XI is. 3-0 at the break.

44: Right-back Marlon Fossey was the architect there. Steaming down the touchline, he cuts one back and lays it on a plate for Humphrys to score a second and Fulham's third.

42: Goal. Third for Fulham as Humphrys grabs a second, tapping home from six yards.

36: When the ball goes into the channels, Fulham are profiting here and winning set pieces, putting the Hammers under pressure. Westley's men are playing the better football by far, but at the moment Fulham are playing percentages and have the 2-0 lead.

32: Goal. THere's a second for Fulham, as Dennis Adeniran rises highest and heads from from a Humphrys corner. Good header, but the Hammers will be disappointed with their marking there.

30: Superb stop again from Spiegel! Christensen gets a one-two back from Edun and from four yards, is somehow foiled by the stopper. Cracking save.

28: The Lilywhites are still in the ascendancy and Spiegel does well to turn a Adeniran effort from range round his left hand post.

27: A frustrating one for the Hammers to concede, as the hosts were being pegged back constantly in the last ten minutes. Work to do.

25: Goal for Fulham. Humphrys gets some space on the edge of the box and curls past Spiegel.

20: Another chance! Sam Westley plays a lovely ball over the top which makes its away to Kemp, but the diminutive winger can't find Martinez alone in the box.

18: Dan Kemp skips away from a couple of challenges on the left side and cuts in to shoot. Unfortunately for the Hammers, the former Chelsea man drags his shot just wide of the near post.

15: Lasse Vigen Christensen puts the ball in an empty net for Fulham, but the assistant referee's flag had gone up long before Spiegel had previously saved from Humphrys.

12: Great run by Fulham's left-back Adetayo Edun. He flies into the box and chips in a cross, but the Hammers clear for a corner which is easily dealt with. 

10: Martinez goes down under a challenge in the box, but the referee waves away a few protests. Though it may have been soft, it was still a clumsy challenge by Davies for the hosts... 

8: Great stuff from the returning Martinez. Collecting Quina's pass, the Spaniard darts to the byline and wins a corner. Browne's delivery is cleared at the near post.

5: Browney whips it in low and hard but it skids just wide of the keeper's right hand post. Close!

4: Marcus is fouled right on the left hand corner of the Fulham box. Chance from this set piece...

3: The visitors are in control so far, with Quina stroking the ball around and looking to dictate the play from deep in midfield.

1: And we're off in west London. The Hammers get things started, playing in their familiar claret and blue against the white of  the hosts.

6:55pm: Declan Rice leads out the Hammers onto the Craven Cottage pitch and we're just a few moments away from getting underway here. Peter Grant is tonight's referee.

6:50pm: The lads head back down the tunnel to the changing room for their final chat with boss Terry Westley before their eleventh Premier League 2 fixture of the campaign. Can it be a sixth win?

6:40pm: Fulham have a strong side to tonight too, however. Ryan Tunnicliffe and Cauley Woodrow - they're two household names in the Football League. This is a real test for Terry Westley's men. Kick off in 20 minutes!

6:30pm: So, we're under the lights at this famous old ground tonight and the Hammers have fielded a strong side. Toni Martinez makes his return to the side since recovering from a knee injury and Domingos Quina starts having recently signed his first senior deal. Let's hope for a result tonight!

Fulham: Bettinelli, Fossey, Davies, Kavanagh, Edun, Adeniran (Smile 50), Tunnicliffe, Christensen, Jozabed (De La Torre 87), Humphrys, Woodrow.

Subs not used: Rodak, Walker, Dolan.

Goals: Humphrys 25, 42, Adeniran 32, Christensen 70

Bookings: Woodrow 19, Davies 75

PL2: Spiegel, Sylvestre (Akinola 48), Westley, Quina, Pike, Rice, Kemp (Diangana 73), Makasi, Martinez (Parfitt-Williams 73), Browne, Samuelsen.

Subs not used: Trott, Ford.

Goals: Martinez 61 (pen)

Bookings: Akinola 69

6pm: Good evening! We've arrived at Craven Cottage for this evening's Premier League 2 clash against Fulham. The Hammers will be looking to grab a victory after they were held last time out by Blackburn Rovers. We'll have some team news for you shortly.