Sean Kavanagh’s first senior goal for Fulham knocks Norwich City off the top

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/18/fulham-norwich-city-championship-match-report

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Fulham belied their league position with a win at Craven Cottage thanks to Sean Kavanagh’s first senior goal, and a missed penalty by Norwich City’s Lewis Grabban.

The result was a repeat of the scoreline from the last contest between these teams, in the Premier League last season, when Hugo Rodallega – the only Fulham starter to remain in the XI from that match – scored the winning goal. It brings Fulham to within a point of climbing out of the relegation zone that they have occupied since the first day of the season.

Kit Symons, their caretaker manager, had suggested in the lead-up to this game that his players had been unaffected by the club’s search for a new manager, and reaffirmed his desire to be given the job on a permanent basis in his programme notes. This result, allied with the determination displayed by his players to clinch the victory, might go a long way towards strengthening his credentials.

For Norwich, who started with seven players that featured the last time they visited Craven Cottage, it was a defeat that meant they dropped from the top of the table to fourth, despite dominating possession for the vast majority of the match.

Fulham scored the only goal of the game after 22 minutes. They broke forward with a sweeping move from right to left culminated with Lasse Vigen Christensen laying a pass in to Kavanagh. The 20-year-old Irishman, who was making his fifth appearance, calmly took a touch before rifling a precise low drive past John Ruddy.

The home side could have been two goals in front six minutes before half-time as a dangerous corner from Bryan Ruiz was firmly met by the head of Dan Burn, only for Wes Hoolahan to head clear off his own line.

If Norwich felt like the break had come at a good time for them, it appeared even more timely when, 31 seconds after the restart, Cameron Jerome tumbled in the area after a challenge from Burn and a penalty was awarded. A confident-looking Grabban stepped up, but he thundered his effort against the crossbar to the delight of the home supporters, who felt aggrieved by referee Graham Salisbury’s decision.

As the second half wore on, Bradley Johnson’s drive was the closest Norwich came to making amends for Grabban’s miss, and the home side might have made the margin of victory more comfortable when a good chance from a corner fell to substitute Moussa Dembélé.

Norwich pressed relentlessly for an equaliser in the last 15 minutes, but Fulham held on.