Fulham look assured of keeping their Premier League status next season after a resounding 3-0 win over Bolton at Craven Cottage on Wednesday.
US international Clint Dempsey scored either side of halftime with Brede Hangeland adding a third to earn Fulham a crucial victory that pushed them up five places to ninth, eight points above the relegation zone.
Fulham named an unchanged side to the one that shared the points with Wolves, while the visitors welcomed back Tamir Cohen, who scored the winner in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal, for Daniel Sturridge, out with an ankle injury.
Dempsey tested Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jasskelainen in the opening minutes with a low effort, and then watched when Eidur Gudjohnsen fluffed his decent center into the box by spooning it over the bar.
On the quarter of an hour mark Dempsey put the Cottagers in front.
Bolton failed to clear a corner, with the striker thumping the ball high into Jasskelainen’s net from 12m out in an acrobatic strike that Fulham fans will claim should be one of the contenders for goal of the season.
Just before the half hour Jaaskelainen prevented Bolton slipping further behind when pulling off a decent save to deny Moussa Dembele’s low shot from the edge of the box.
The Bolton stopper then did well to deflect a dangerous Gudjohnsen chip.
After a first half dominated by the hosts it was more of the same after the break, with Dempsey doubling his goal tally in the 49th minute.
He ensured a precious three points for Mark Hughes’ side when scoring from 6m out, seconds after Dembele had hit the bar with a long range shot.
Hangeland completed a perfect night when heading home Danny Murphy’s free-kick.
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