Fulham win at Ipswich to close in on top six

Ipswich 0 Fulham 2

Chris Martin and Ragnar Sigurdsson scored in either half as Fulham won at Portman Road to move to within touching distance of the top six.

Martin, who had been ineligible to face parent club Derby last time out, marked his return with the opening goal, whipping a 36th-minute free-kick into the bottom left-hand corner.

Floyd Ayite had several chances to score the important second goal, but he was shown the way by substitute Ragnar Sigurdsson, who headed in from Stefan Johansen’s corner.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s side moved up two places to seventh, one point off the play-offs.

Fulham were on top for large periods, and only a fantastic block from Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski denied Martin the opener after he got on the end of Scott Malone’s cross.

However the Scotland striker did break the deadlock with a free-kick from 25 yards out, awarded after Johansen was fouled by Cole Skuse.

Whites keeper David Button made a good save late in the half to ensure Fulham went in level and they continued to look the more dangerous after the break.

Martin put the ball in the net on the hour mark, but the whistle had already gone for a foul by Denis Odoi.

Either side of that came two openings for Ayite. Firstly, he could not quite find the net from a tight angle having taken the ball past Bialkoswki and then missed a golden opportunity by firing wide after Johansen had laid the ball into his path.

Ayite had a further chance but was denied by Bialkowski, before the home keeper was finally beaten again when Sigurdsson met Johansen’s corner from the left.

The margin of victory would have been greater but Bialkowski made late saves from Tom Cairney and Martin.

Fulham: Button; Odoi, Madl, Ream, Malone; McDonald, Johansen (Parker 90); Cairney, Aluko (Sigurdsson 65), Ayite (Piazon 83), Martin.
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Fredericks, Kebano, Smith.