Parker pledges Fulham will fight after their sorry exit
SCOTT PARKER insists Fulham will come back fighting for their Premier League lives – despite an abject FA Cup exit.
The Cottagers were outbattled as two-goal Jay Rodriguez helped Burnley to a straightforward win.
Even though Parker made eight changes, there were worrying signs and questions over whether his men have the spirit to get out of the bottom three.
Fulham trail 17th-placed Brighton by five points ahead of a vital clash at the Amex on Wednesday. Manager Parker said:
“It is not helpful losing but, at the same time, the players were brought in and no one put their hand up.
“We did not deserve anything. We fell very short of the standards we are used to. We needed to face up to a battle and didn’t manage to do that.
“We have some massive games coming up. Every game will be big for us now. I hate the cliche of forgetting about this game and drawing a line under it. But that’s where we are. We will come back fighting.”
Burnley deservedly took the lead as Rodriguez headed home from Jack Cork’s excellent cross for his first goal since July.
The clinching second came on 71 minutes. Burnley do not get many penalties but now have two in as many games after Ashley Barnes’ winner in the surprise victory at Liverpool on Thursday.
This time, Rodriguez gratefully accepted the invitation as he fired straight down the middle with his
spot kick after Michael Hector’s silly challenge on Matej Vydra.
It was not Fulham’s day with Aboubakar Kamara foiled on the line by James Tarkowski.
The hosts deserved nothing – and things got worse nine minutes from time.
Kevin Long seized on more miserable defending to claim only his fourth Clarets goal when he bundled in after Rodriguez chested the ball into his path. Burnley are just a home game against Crawley or Bournemouth away from making the quarter-finals for the first time since 2003.
Clarets boss Sean Dyche said: “If we keep going as we have been lately who knows how far we can go? When everyone is fit I believe in all of them.
“Jay had a really strong game but the team were very good around him, too.”