Gray strikes twice as Burnley end Fulham run

Burnley 3 Fulham 1

Former Brentford striker Andre Gray scored twice in the first half to help end Fulham’s five-match unbeaten run.

Gray nodded in David Jones’ cross for Burnley’s opener and doubled the lead eight minutes before the break after latching on to Scott Arfield’s through ball.

Ross McCormack pulled a goal back early in the second half but Fulham were grateful to the crossbar and Dan Burn’s goal-line clearance to prevent Burnley extending their lead.

Kit Symons’ side did enjoy a period of pressure, with home keeper Tom Heaton saving from McCormack and Moussa Dembele, but Matt Taylor netted late on to wrap up Burnley’s victory.

Fulham suffered a blow in the lead up to the game when their keeper Andy Lonergan injured a calf in training, giving Joe Lewis another opportunity in goal.

Burnley’s first arrived on 18 minutes when Gray got ahead of Ryan Tunnicliffe to head past Lewis, and the £9m striker grabbed his eighth goal for his current club as he slotted in having been fed by Arfield.

Fulham began well after the break and Ross McCormack halved the deficit on 51 minutes, curling in after being teed up by Tom Cairney.

But Burnley had two great opportunities to restore the two-goal margin. Gray almost grabbed his hat-trick when he was sent clear and lobbed Lewis, only to see the ball cannon off the bar, while Burn headed Sam Vokes’ goalbound header off the line.

The Whites pressed and Moussa Dembele – who had scored five goals in his last three games – fired over and nodded straight at Heaton.

But as Fulham attempted to find an equaliser they were undone at the back, Taylor converting Arfield’s delivery as Burnley moved up into second.

Fulham: Lewis; Stearman, Burn, Ream (Kacaniklic 59); Fredericks (Christensen 78), Tunnicliffe, O’Hara (Smith 78), Cairney, Husband; McCormack, Dembele.
Subs not used: Rodak, Garbutt, Pringle, Woodrow.