The Tanner Report; Fulham 2 Wigan 0

After three draws the Cottagers got back to their winning ways with this 2-0 home victory. It was not a wholly convincing performance but the great thing after 3 successive 1-1 draws was that at 1-0 with Wigan pressing Fulham scored a second.

Most home games I meet pals at Locale an Italian restaurant and walk to the ground via Finlay Street.

Yesterday as I was in the centre of London I took the tube to Putney Bridge and walked through Bishops Park. I know of no more scenic walk to a football ground as the sun was setting over the Thames.

Perhaps this is one reason why Fulham has never been a hooligans’ club; that picturesque walk and the abundance of nature softens the most aggressive nature.

It was noticeable in the first half that Fulham played with a quicker tempo and with more crosses into the box. Sadly no one was there to maximise this.

Alex Mitrovic failed to convert a couple of chsnces and Anthony Knockaert’s shot was well parried by Wigan’s veteran keeper David Marshall.

So the first half finished 0-0 with Fulham the more likely to score. This duly happened in the second half when Joe Bryan our left back scored his first for a year. His initial shot was blocked but it fell nicely to him to ram it home.

An uncomfortable period followed with fears that as with the two previous draws against WBA and Sheffield Wednesday the opposition would equalise.

After a Knockaert run the ball was squared to Tom Cairney who hit a gloriously curling shot to make it 2-0.

There was some discussion afterwards in our group about elegant left handers like David Gower, left footers like Tom Cairney and innumerable lefty golfers (the Masters course is supposed to favour the left hander). One theory was the left hander has to wrap more of his body around the ball. It might just be hype. I heard Tony Gale, himself an elegant right footer for Fulham, state that the phrase ‘elegant/educated right foot’ does not exist.

Any way with Fulham in seventh place we went home happy.