Fulham miss chance to end long wait

Fulham 0 Chelsea

Fulham's attempts to beat their least loved rivals in the top flight for the first time since September 1960 came to naught on a night of much heat but little light at Loftus Road. As half-chance after half-chance drifted away, the most relevant statistic, instead, became the final log of shots: out of 19, almost evenly split, a mere four were on target and perhaps two gave the respective goalkeepers any serious trouble.

Overall, it was the right result for the SW6 derby, transplanted to London W12, and one that enabled Chelsea to maintain their unbeaten record this season, plus local bragging rights by moving into third place in the Premiership. Fulham have not lost in five games at their temporary home, though the move must be proving an expensive one. Even for the most eagerly anticipated fixture of the season, they could sell barely 16,500 tickets.

Their chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, yesterday cast further doubt on the likelihood of returning to Craven Cottage, because of the limited capacity, at the same time as raising the red herring of a ground-share with Chelsea, which would not be allowed under planning restrictions. Verbal hostilities in the stands last night suggested such a move would hardly find favour with either set of supporters.

On the pitch, Chelsea found their makeshift defence kept under pressure by Steve Marlet and Barry Hayles, continuing as Jean Tigana's favoured pairing in attack. The visitors' injury worries had not improved, the absence of the captain, Marcel Desailly, hardly being counterbalanced by Mario Melchiot's return, let alone the appearance of a forgotten man, Winston Bogarde, on the substitutes' bench. The Dutch defender has not been seen in the first-team for almost two years, since when he has resisted all attempts to move him on.

Furthermore, Mario Stanic's uncertain positioning in an unfamiliar role at left-back made him vulnerable, as it had done in the narrow victory over Viking, of Norway, last Thursday. He was not covering as Marlet, unmarked, failed to direct a header from Steed Malbranque's cross straight enough early on. Carlo Cudicini's only save arrived just before the interval, falling to his left to push away a shot by Junichi Inamoto after William Gallas headed out a cross from the left.

Chelsea were equally unable to make the opposing goalkeeper earn his corn, however; Gianfranco Zola, captain for the night, shot over the bar from 25 yards and Boudewijn Zenden, played in by Frank Lampard's astute pass, sent a drive fizzing beyond the far post.

Two sides beaten only once between them this season in 21 previous games while keeping only one clean sheet each might have been expected to have produced more excitement in and around the goalmouth. Early exchanges in the second half brought only similar efforts at either end, skewed wide of a post first by the out-of-sorts Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who dived in bravely on to Enrique de Lucas's centre, and then Marlet, meeting a cross from Abdes Ouaddou at a similarly awkward angle.

The ever-excellent Malbranque excepted, Chelsea's close passing and control were slightly the better, and a smart move instigated by Zola brought their next opportunity, Melchiot taking the Italian's pass in his stride down the flank and putting in a tantalising cross that Hasselbaink again reached first, but hooked over the bar.

Attacking substitutions had a positive effect without producing goals. Fulham's Luis Boa Morte was lively from the start, sending Marlet away to shoot wide under pressure and a minute later Chelsea's Jesper Gronkjaer, on for Zenden, went clear, albeit at an angle, from Lampard's pass but hit the legs of Edwin van der Sar.

"Fulham can be the surprise of the season," said Chelsea's manager, Claudio Ranieri, who was more circumspect about his own team's prospects, unbeaten or not. No surprise there.

Fulham (4-4-3): Van der Sar 6; Ouaddou 5, Knight 5, Goma 5, Womé 4; Legwinski 6, Davis 5, Inamoto 5 (Boa Morte 7, 62), Malbranque 8; Marlet 7, Hayles 7. Substitutes not used: Herrera (gk), Melville, Clark, Sava.

Chelsea (4-4-2): Cudicini 6; Melchiot 5, Gallas 5, Huth 4, Stanic 5; De Lucas 6, Lampard 7, Morris 6, Zenden 6 (Gronkjaer 6, 66); Hasselbaink 6, Zola 7 (Gudjohnsen 5, 73). Substitutes not used: De Goey (gk), Bogarde, Keenan.

Referee: P Durkin (Portland) 7.