MUNIZ TURNS ON THE MAGIC

LEWIS COOK’S afternoon started badly and then nosedived.

Why the Bournemouth playmaker felt it necessary to do a keepy-uppy at kick-off nobody quite knew.

Whatever the cunning plan, it did not work. Cook mis-controlled the first touch and only booted the ball up-and-under style high into the SW6 sky. It barely made it beyond the centre circle.

If that was comical, no one on the visiting side was laughing at the same individual’s disastrous sixth-minute intervention.

This time, as he went to mop up a Fulham attack, Cook fell on his backside inside the area – and Bobby De Cordova-reid pounced to rifle Marco Silva’s men in front.

That set the pattern as the hosts earned their first win in seven games, with a double from Brazilian hitman Rodrigo Muniz helping ease concerns they could slide into relegation trouble.

Muniz, who was developed in the Craven Cottage youth set-up, now has three goals in two games.

He could scarcely have timed his emergence better, as on-loan Chelsea striker Armando Broja waits in the wings. The Albanian, left on the bench here for 75 minutes, may find it hard to remove Muniz from the starting XI on this evidence.

Once ahead, Fulham went into overdrive as Willian and Antonee Robinson both went close.

Instead Muniz added the second in the 36th minute.

Of course, having thrown away a two-goal lead at Burnley last weekend, Fulham were far from out of sight.

The home supporters were fearing the worst, then, when Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi controlled magnificently to volley in at the start of the second period.

Hence, they were equally relieved three minutes later as Willian crossed for Muniz to stab in the killer third. FULHAM: Leno 7; Castagne 7, Diop 7, Ream 7, Robinson 7; Palhinha 7, Cairney 7 (Reed (6) 6), De Cordova-reid 8 (Wilson (69) 6), Pereira 7 (Ballo-toure (85) 6) Willian 7 (Traore (85) 6), Muniz 9 (Broja (75) 6) BOURNEMOUTH: Neto 7; Smith 6, Zabarnyi 5, Senesi 6, Kelly 6 (Kerkez (46) 7); Cook 5, Christie 7; Tavernier 6 (Ouattara (69) 6), Scott 6 (Semenyo (63) 6), Sinisterra 6 (Unai (63) 6); Solanke 5 STAR MAN: Rodrigo Muniz – Double delight for Fulham striker with a richly-deserved standing ovation. REF: Darren England 7