As the old saying goes; it’s the hope that kills you and after seemingly a weekly ritual of walking out of the ground and saying ‘if only that had gone in’ or ‘play like that against so-and-so and we’ll get a result’, yesterday felt good.
It was the culmination of Tottenham, Arsenal, Burnley, Huddersfield. The games where we’d given it a go and fallen short. Against Tottenham, we were a red card away from a different result. Against Burnley, it was Sam Vokes. Against Arsenal, it was our own defence.
But yesterday, it clicked. I mentioned in a group chat a few days back that it felt like were going to give a team a bit of a drubbing. It felt like that season where we toiled and then beat West Ham at Ninian Park 4-1. It all clicked in one game.
And boy did it click. Fans could be forgiven for thinking here we go again when Schurlle scored an absolute worldie, but we didn’t let that set us back. It was merely a bump in the road.
A raking pass from Bamba set Murphy on his way to claiming another goal. Calum Chambers must be wondering what Arsenal saw in him as Josh put him to the sword. A calm, composed finish past England’s next hope in goal.
Then an awful free kick routine somehow made its way into the box. Bobby showed incredible awareness, playing on the shoulder and slotting it past the Fulham keeper.
Reid was busy and he deserved his goal. He linked up nicely with Paterson and caused their defenders problems all day. There was even one point where Reid was our deepest defender after a corner. Commitment.
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Yes, the best youth player in the world scored to peg us back to 2-2, but we came out swinging in the second half.
It was touch and go for a bit and then some good play down the right saw a ball into the box. Reid nicked it on before the best right-back-cum-striker in the Premier League bundled it home. And, boy, was it bundled.
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I’d forgotten what it was like to try and hold on, but the boys weren’t done. Camarasa, the next Spanish captain, pressured the Fulham defence causing them to slip on halfway. When it looked like hope was gone, he put it to the back post and dare to Kadreem put it home. Kadeem Harris. Perennially forgotten but scoring in the Premier League.
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Icing. On. The. Cake.
The sweetest victory, the most deserved victory. We were good value. We caused them problems all afternoon and you wouldn’t have been able to guess they spent around £70m than us this summer.
Morrison and Bamba nullified Mitrovic, all £22m of him. Bennett got the better of Sessegnon. Murphy caused another player to leave the game at half time. Paterson continues to amaze. Etheridge made one of the best saves seen at the CCS.
It was glorious. Arter ran himself into the ground and avoided a yellow. Camarasa showed unctuous technique. Jazz, Kadeem and Damour put in shifts from the bench and showed we have depth where we didn’t think we did.
That win was sweet for a number of reasons. It was sweet because Fulham are entitled and they were woeful. It was sweet because it had been coming. It was sweet because we played some decent football.
After weeks of hoping for a springboard, we are off the bottom and outside the relegation zone. We showed money can’t buy you desire and sheer tenacity. Bamba’s second half tackling was artistic.
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The way the team celebrated each goal. All in, all the time. Survival is a long way off. But Warnock’s enjoyment was there for all to see. He’s had his critics. Tonight is his.
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