Fulham sink sorry Blackburn

Marlet and Hayles gave Rovers a torrid afternoon

Fulham 2-0 Blackburn
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After a strong start Blackburn faded dramatically at Craven Cottage and slipped into the relegation zone with their fourth successive defeat.

Barry Hayles and Steed Malbranque scored in each half for Fulham, but only after the visitors had twice hit the woodwork in the opening 18 minutes.

Andy Cole and Henning Berg were unlucky not to put Rovers ahead, but after Hayles scored in the 31st minute it was Fulham's Steve Marlet who ran the show.

  Key incidents

5 mins: Andy Cole hits the post for Rovers

18 mins: Henning Berg volleys against the bar

31 mins: Barry Hayles fires in the opening goal

63 mins: Steed Malbranque's spectacular volley settles it

90 mins: Craig Short sent off for violent conduct

A superb run from the Frenchman set up Hayles for the first, and his cross in the 63rd minute allowed Malbranque to volley in a spectacular second.

Blackburn made much the better start and were unfortunate not to be at least one goal up within the first 20 minutes.

A frenetic opening period saw three players booked in the first four minutes - Alain Goma and Andy Melville for Fulham and Lucas Neill for Blackburn.

We started badly today and were lucky in the first 20 minutes, but in the end we could maybe have finished with another goal

Fulham assistant manager Christian Damiano

The incidents continued to come, with Andy Cole unlucky to see his shot rebound off the post in the fifth minute as Edwin van der Sar was left stranded.

And in the 18th minute Berg was left unmarked from a corner, with Van der sar doing well to touch his volley onto the bar.

Fulham finally threatened the Blackburn goal in the 20th minute when Marlet chested the ball down with his back to goal and hooked it against the post.

Duff does his best to stop in-form Hayles

The deadlock was broken in the 31st minute by Hayles, but he had Marlet to thank for creating the chance with a run from the edge of the Fulham box.

It ended with a one-two with Hayles, who then collected the ball and drilled home a low shot.

Rovers began the second half a shadow of the team that had dominated the first 20 minutes, and Fulham always looked likely to extend their lead.

We're in the bottom three but I believe we can get out of it. I think we're playing good enough football

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness

Sylvain Legwinski dragged the ball wide when in a good position eight minutes after the break before Malbranque struck in the 62nd minute.

Another run from Marlet down the right ended with a cross that Malbranque volleyed with his left foot into the top left-hand corner.

The last significant moment from Blackburn came in the final seconds.

Craig Short was sent of for a foul on Marlet, and by the end Rovers looked relieved to have kept the score down to two.

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Fulham: Van der Sar, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Goma, Collins, Malbranque, Legwinski, Davis, Marlet (Willock 90), Hayles.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Harley, Saha, Ouaddou.
Booked: Malbranque, Melville, Marlet.

Blackburn: Friedel, Tugay, Berg, Short, Curtis (Hignett 68), Taylor, Duff, Dunn, Jansen (Johansson 90), Cole, Neill (Gillespie 69).
Subs Not Used: Kelly, Hughes.
Sent Off: Short (90).
Booked: Neill, Tugay.

Att: 19,580

Ref: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).