Fulham win again to boost promotion hopes

Fulham 2 Preston 0

Industrious Fulham carved out an important win to maintain their promotion drive at Craven Cottage.

In a game with few major scoring opportunities, it was left to luckless Preston forward David Nugent to head an own goal in the 58th minute with the Whites beginning to take control, before Abou Kamara netted in the dying seconds.

Fulham were fresh with self-belief since a late victory over Swansea City at home on Wednesday, but they laboured in terms of breaking through Preston right across an uneventful first half.

Marek Rodak was eventually tested, but the Whites’ keeper made a fine save from Alan Browne’s 18 yard volley in the 39th minute, before Fulham substitute Cyrus Christie – and early replacement for injured Joe Bryan – was denied by Declan Rudd.

The west Londoners began the second half more purposeful – and they got their reward, albeit fortuitously. From an in-swinging corner by Anthony Knockaert on the right, Preston striker Nugent could only direct an attempted headed clearance into his own net at pace.

Christie volleyed just wide as Scott Parker’s men kept up the pressure. With Preston increasingly desperate, substitute Kamara used his searing pace on the counter-attack to drill home the clincher in stoppage time. A fine three points to keep the hosts’ Premier League ambitions firmly on track.

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