FULHAM RELEGATED:
SECOND-HALF COLLAPSE SEALS FATE
After a summer in which they spent £ 100million, the largest-ever investment by a newlypromoted Premier League club, fulham are heading back to where they came from. It has been an expensive lesson learned.
this, their ninth consecutive loss, took their goals conceded to an embarrassing 76 for the season and confirmed their Championship status for next campaign.
A sensational Will Hughes volley was the pick of the strikes by Javi Gracia’s Watford — one which handed the home side a secondhalf lead they would not lose.
to have relegation confirmed by such an unstoppable strike might have been a small consolation had they not then conceded two sloppy others in true fulham fashion.
the most goals ever conceded in a 38-match Premier League season is 89, set by Derby County in 2007-08. fulham have five games to go to avoid beating it.
they will begin rebuilding but whether caretaker Scott Parker will be at the helm to oversee it remains to be seen. Whoever is in charge has to fix their defence.
‘I’m obviously gutted,’ Parker said. ‘the most disappointing thing was how we lost. If you haven’t watched us play this year and you just watched those 12 minutes where goal two, three, four goes in, that sums it up. In the Championship, you get away with it. In this division, you don’t.’
Watford could not have asked for a better fA Cup semi-final warm- up. they face Wolves at Wembley on Sunday and secured their highest- ever Premier League points total with six games still to spare.
‘to get 46 points is very good,’ Gracia said.
‘ the players want more. they are very, very demanding.’
Gracia showed all the sympathy of an executioner with his starting line - up. Despite Watford’s upcoming semi-final, he fielded a fullstrength side. Gracia wanted to wield the axe. they took the lead in the 23rd minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure smacked a shot beyond Sergio rico. As has become customary for fulham, it involved dire defending. Given the freedom of Hertfordshire as nobody closed him down, Doucoure picked his spot from 20 yards with his weaker left foot.
fulham hit back when ryan Sessegnon played a clever ball that cut through Watford’s back line and found ryan Babel. Babel rounded goalkeeper Ben foster and rolled the ball in to the empty net for 1-1.
Shortly after the hour, with the swing of a left foot by Hughes, Watford led 2-1. It was a thing of beauty on the volley and the ball flew like a rocket beyond rico. It kickstarted a flurry of goals in the space of 12 minutes as troy Deeney then met an Andre Gray cross for a tap-in.
Gray, a decisive half-time substitute, then crossed for Kiko femenia, who made it 4-1 by finding the top corner.
fulham came to Vicarage road looking to salvage some pride and delay the inevitable, but were only put out of their misery. the Championship awaits. WATFORD (4-2-2-2): Foster 6; Femenia 6, Mariappa 6, Cathcart 6, Holebas 6; Doucoure 6.5, Capoue 6 (Quina 78min); Hughes 6, Pereyra 6 (Janmaat 45, 6); Deulofeu 5.5 (Gray 45, 7.5), Deeney 6.5. Subs not used: Gomes, Masina, Sema,
Kabasele. Booked: Mariappa, Janmaat. Manager: Javi Gracia 6. FULHAM (3-4-3): Rico 6; Chambers 5.5, Le Marchand 6, Ream 6.5 (Seri 72min, 6); Christie 6, Anguissa 5.5, Cairney 6.5 (McDonald 87), Bryan 6; Babel 6.5 (Schurrle 81), Mitrovic 6, Sessegnon 7. Subs not used: Fabri, Odoi, Kebano, Fosu
Mensah. Booked: Chambers. Manager: Scott Parker 6.5. Referee: Roger East 6. Attendance: 17,301.