Fulham reach safety

Marlet hit the second goal for Fulham

Fulham 3-0 Bolton
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On the day that Fulham announced a record loss of more than £23m, the team confirmed their Premiership status for next year with a comfortable win over Bolton.

Bjarne Goldbaek, Steve Marlet and Barry Hayles got the goals which mean that Fulham are now mathematically safe.

Mohamed Al Fayed will surely be looking for a bigger return on his money next season, but this term has been a learning experience for the team.

Fulham's celebrations looked unlikely when Bolton almost took the lead inside the first 60 seconds as Fredi Bobic tested Edwin van der Sar.

We have stayed in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, so it has been quite a good season

Fulham assistant boss
Christian Damiano

Fulham top-scorer Barry Hayles miscued at the other end when Fulham created their first opening, and Bolton had the better of the first 30 minutes.

The visitors might have had a penalty when Sylvain Legwinski sent Kevin Nolan tumbling in the box, but referee Paul Durkin waved Bolton's appeals away.

They nearly fell behind six minutes before the break when Hayles' lob hit the bar, and Fulham broke the deadlock before the break.

Jussi Jaaskelainen's poor punch fell to Goldbaek and he rifled the ball home from 22 yards out for his first goal of the season.

Van der Sar did well to block Bobic's effort on the stroke of half-time, and straight after the interval Goldbaek almost bagged his second but shot at Jaaskelainen.

It should have been a penalty which would have sent us in 1-0 up rather than 1-0 down

Bolton boss
Sam Allardyce

Sean Davis was found guilty of drink-driving, banned for 12 months and fined two weeks wages by manager Jean Tigana earlier in the day.

But his day improved as the anti-alcohol Tigana gave him the chance to make amends on the pitch, and he nearly managed it, lofting a 20-yard chip just over the Bolton bar.

Fulham doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when substitute Marlet curled a delightful effort past Jaaskelainen from 16 yards.

And Craven Cottage erupted again four minutes later as Steed Malbranque teed up Hayles to thump the third past the helpless Jaaskelainen.

Malbranque and Marlet both tested Jaaskelainen before full-time as Fulham celebrated clinching another season among the big boys of the Premiership.

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Fulham: Van der Sar, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Goma, Malbranque (Stolcers 85), Legwinski, Goldbaek, Davis (Taylor 81), Saha (Marlet 58), Hayles. Subs Not Used: Collins, Knight.

Goals: Goldbaek 42, Marlet 72, Hayles 76.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, N'Gotty, Bergsson, Nolan, Barness, Charlton, Frandsen, Djorkaeff, Southall (Espartero 67), Bobic (Ricketts 75), Wallace (Holdsworth 74). Subs Not Used: Poole, Konstantinidis.

Att: 18,107

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).