Fulham 3 West Ham Utd 1:Dimitar Berbatov celebrated his 32nd birthday with a vital – if offside – goal that spurred Fulham on to victory against rivals West Ham last night.
Berbatov nodded home the opener just 10 minutes in. Replays showed he was offside when Damien Duff sent in the free-kick, but Fulham were not complaining after a run of just two league wins in 15.
West Ham showed impressive fight, levelling things up through captain Kevin Nolan in the 48th minute. That lead lasted just a minute, as Hugo Rodallega bundled home a Duff cross to put Fulham on course for their second league win of 2013, secured in stoppage time when Joey O’Brien put into his own goal.
West Ham grabbed an equaliser in the 48th minute. Mark Noble played a quick free-kick and Nolan hit a left-footed strike from an acute angle past Mark Schwarzer.
The stalemate lasted for a minute, though. Duff burst down the left flank and sent in a cross that Rodallega reached ahead of defenders to bundle home. Fulham wrapped up victory in stoppage time as Jaaskelainen parried a shot into Mladen Petric’s path and his effort was directed home off the unfortunate O’Brien.
