RODRIGUEZDOUBLE FLATTENS FULHAM
BuRNLEy’S new American owners were present for the first time to watch their team — and on a bleak midwinter afternoon by the Thames, they will have been warmed by what they saw.
On this evidence, Sean Dyche has a squad of players prepared for the fight to stay in the Premier League, and one who should be able to cope with the possibility of a deep FA Cup run on the side.
Two goals from Jay Rodriguez sealed a comfortable victory and a winnable fifth-round home tie against either Bournemouth or Crawley. Last week’s win over Liverpool at Anfield appeared to infuse the whole playing group with confidence.
Fulham boss Scott Parker was left far more concerned with the resources at his disposal after a match played on a sludgy surface that required nothing less than full-blooded commitment.
None of the reinforcements he brought in suggested they will hugely bolster his team for the two key relegation battles that now loom, against Brighton and West Bromwich Albion.
The two managers’ priorities were indicated by them each making nine changes from the starting XIs who tackled Liverpool and Manchester united.
The Burnley boss was delighted by what he saw from those who were given the chance to impress.
‘The attitude of the team towards the game and the performance was fantastic,’ he said. ‘That was as good an energy level as I have seen. The collective mentality was the key and that was top drawer.
‘The marvel of the FA Cup is still there and it’s still great when you win these games.’
Parker, by contrast, admitted that few of his fringe players made a case for future inclusion, and that there is little prospect of anyone being brought in to expand his options.
‘We didn’t deserve a result today,’ he said. ‘you have got to face up to a battle when you play Burnley and you need to win that side of the game to gain a foothold. We didn’t manage to do that.’
The snow left by a morning blizzard in west London was cleared before the start, but the residual water meant that the pitch gradually morphed into something more like a parks’ surface.
Burnley kept their footing better and were the more assertive from the start. Czech striker Matej Vydra failed to convert a couple of chances early on as he carved through a flat-footed defence, but after the half- hour Rodriguez gave them a deserved lead.
Although just back from injury, there was no lack of sharpness as he stooped low with his head to glance in Jack Cork’s precision cross.
Fulham’s best spell came after the break when Bailey Peacock - Farrell pulled off a fine double save to deny first Joe Bryan and then Aleksandar Mitrovic. It will worry Parker that his Serbian
Snow problem: Jay Rodriguez scores the first of his double REX striker, potentially such an asset, looked like a bear with a sore head and was ineffective throughout.
The penalty came when Michael Hector, who had moved around like bambi on ice all afternoon, bundled Vydra over in the box with 20 minutes left. Rodriguez stepped up to drive it in hard and true.
Kevin Long erased any doubts when he scrambled the ball in from close range after Fulham failed to clear a speculative cross from Dwight McNeil. That Burnley reacted quicker and more aggressively in that goalmouth melee summed up the whole contest. FULHAM (3-1-4-2): Rodak 7; Hector 4, Ream 5, Tosin 6 (Odoi 82min); Lemina 6 (Carvalho 82); Decordova-Reid 5 (Kebano 68, 5), Onomah 6, Zambo Anguissa 6 (Loftus-Cheek 68, 6), Bryan 6; Kamara 7, Mitrovic 5. Subs not used: Areola, Tete, Lookman, Reed, Cavaleiro. Booked: Mitrovic, Kamara. Manager: Scott Parker 6. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Peacock-Farrell 7; Bardsley 7, Long 7, Tarkowski 7 (Dunne 86), Pieters 6 (Lowton 87); Gudmundsson 6, Stephens 6, Cork 7, McNeil 7 (Benson 86); RODRIGUEZ 7.5 (Mumbongo 89), Vydra 6. Subs not used: Mee, Brownhill, Wood, Westwood, Norris. Scorers: Rodriguez 31, 71 (pen), Long 81. Booked: Tarkowski, Pieters. Manager: Sean Dyche 7. Referee: Andrew Madley 7.