Soccer

Darren Bent books fourth round spot for Fulham

Everton suffer first defeat of the season after taking the lead at Craven Cottage

Fulham’s Darren Bent celebrates scoring the winner against Everton. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Fulham’s Darren Bent celebrates scoring the winner against Everton. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Paul Doyle
Tue Sept 24 2013 - 23:15

Fulham 2 Everton 1: Darren Bent came off the bench to fire Fulham into the fourth round of the Capital One Cup and inflict a first defeat of the season on Everton.

The visitors took an early lead through Steven Naismith and should have been further in front by half-time but Martin Jol’s men mounted a strong comeback; Dimitar Berbatov equalised in the 54th minute before Bent secured a valuable victory.

Fulham boss under fire

Jol came into this match under pressure after simmering discontent with the team’s tepid start to the season.

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Here Fulham were seeking their first win since the last round of this competition – when they needed a penalty shoot-out to overcome Burton Albion – and Jol was eager to dispel criticism that his side lacks bite and balance.

He made six changes from the line-up that lost to Chelsea at the weekend and demanded “a performance that will kick-start our season”.

While the hosts were seeking to establish momentum, Everton were intent on sustaining theirs. Although Roberto Martinez began with only three of the players who had started Saturday’s win at West Ham, the replacements attested to the club’s growing strength in depth.

The exciting Barcelona loanee Gerard Deulofeu came in, Darron Gibson returned from injury to play alongside James McCarthy and Jonny Heitinga in a three-man midfield, and Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku made his first start.


Berbatov equaliser
The alterations did not disrupt Everton's fluency and their rapid passing and movement immediately forced Fulham on to the back foot

and Naismith fired into the net in the 12th minute and held the lead going into the break.

Fulham came out sharper and stronger in the second half and Berbatov brought the sides level in the 54th minute, finishing neatly from 12 yards after a flowing Fulham move.

Within three minutes of Bent’s introduction the striker scored. Everton tried to regain the initiative but Fulham refused to relinquish the reward for their fightback.

FULHAM: Stockdale, Zverotic, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise (Amorebieta 64), Kacaniklic, Parker,Karagounis, Taarabt (Bent 65), Kasami, Berbatov. Subs Not Used: Sidwell, Rodallega, Riether, Na Bangna, Etheridge. Booked: Parker.

EVERTON: Robles, Coleman, Stones, Distin, Oviedo, Gibson (Jagielka 69), Heitinga (Barry 69), Deulofeu, McCarthy, Naismith (Mirallas 80), Lukaku. Subs Not Used: Baines, Jelavic, Barkley, Howard. Booked: Gibson, Coleman, McCarthy.

Referee: Martin Atkinson