Dejagah’s winner gives Fulham hope

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Fulham 1 Newcastle 0

Fulham grabbed a vital win in their pursuit of Premier League safety thanks to substitute Ashkan Dejagah’s second-half wonder-strike.

The Iranian winger’s vicious long-range effort clinched the Whites’ first league victory since New Year’s Day and handed new manager Felix Magath his first win in charge.

The result was fully deserved, with Fulham growing in confidence as the game wore on and they had two goals ruled out for offside earlier in the second half.

Pajtim Kasami pounced from close range and then there was drama when John Heitinga’s deflected shot bounced back down off the crossbar and appeared to cross the line, before youngster Cauley Woodrow poked in the rebound only to be denied a goal.

Magath named a youthful side and his decision to drop the likes of Maarten Stekelenburg, Sascha Riether, John Arne Riise and £12m January signing Kostas Mitroglou appeared justified as the Whites produced a much improved display.

Lewis Holtby had their best chance to take a first-half lead when he forced Tim Krul into an outstretched save with a superb curling effort towards the top corner.

The on-loan Tottenham midfielder was once again impressive and almost set up academy player Woodrow and defender Heitinga with two dangerous-looking crosses into the penalty area.

And David Stockdale produced a superb save to stop Papiss Cisse from poking Newcastle into the lead against the run of play just before half-time.

Fulham had the ball in the net shortly into the second period when Kasami poked in Steve Sidwell’s cross, but Sidwell was adjudged offside when he headed the ball across goal.

Luuk de Jong threatened at the other end, but the home fans thought they had scored when Heitinga’s effort ricocheted off crossbar and hit the turf below, but the goal decision system showed it had not entirely crossed the line.

And Woodrow was clearly offside when he smashed in the loose ball from close range.

But there was no denying Dejagah a 68th-minute winner after he had replaced Kasami on the hour – he rifled the ball beneath Krul’s gloves.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Stockdale; Heitinga, Amorebieta, Hangeland, Richardson; Kvist, Sidwell; Holtby (Riether 82), Kasami (Dejagah 61 (Burn 87), Kacaniklic; Woodrow.
Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Riise, Rodallega, Roberts.

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