Zamora's Class Provides a Lesson

After three weeks of inactivity, Fulham resumed where they had left off against Arsenal by outplaying Bolton to record their second victory of the season. First-half goals from Zoltan Gera and Bobby Zamora were the least the home side deserved for a dominant display marred only by the improbable concession of a late goal to Kevin Davies.

The match began choppily, but Fulham were at least trying to bring some composure to bear while Bolton, deprived of new Swedish striker Johan Elmander, seemed determined to live up to their stereotype, brainlessly bashing long balls towards the isolated Davies.

Andy Johnson, making his long-awaited debut after his £10m move from Everton, looked like an escaped juvenile offender as he scurried around with guards twice his size panting in pursuit - if his speed was proving troublesome, so too was his positional sense, which in the fifth minute enabled him to elude Danny Shittu and Andy O'Brien and put his head on a Gera cross. His effort flew over the bar. Fulham's brighter approach soon paid off, however. In the 15th minute Zamora's clever run down the left was rewarded with a tidy pass from Gera. An absurd star jump from full-back Gretar Steinsson failed to distract the striker, who curled a cross from the byline to the center. Jlloyd Samuel outjumped Simon Davies, but nodded the ball only as far as Gera, who rifled it under Jussi Jaaskelainen from the edge of the box.

Soon came the first indication that Zamora's partnership with Johnson could prove as fruitful as Roy Hodgson hopes, neat interplay between the pair culminating with Johnson whipping in a cross that Zamora met with a plunging header, diverted by Jaaskelainen with his feet. Zamora was exposing Shittu as not so much a cultured defender as an agricultural one, and after 41 minutes he bewildered his hapless minder with a swift drag-back before firing into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Gary Megson introduced Mustapha Riga and Heidar Helguson to offer more support to Davies, but Bolton were still unable to get on the front foot. After 54 minutes a dipping 25-yarder from Simon Davies drew a fingertip save from Jaaskelainen. Bolton seemed buried, but in the 82nd minute Jaaskelainen relieved the pressure by booting a free-kick towards the Fulham six-yard box, where Kevin Davies nodded it down. Helguson stretched and may have got a token touch, the ball bobbling into the net to give the visitors unlikely consolation.

Craven Cottage 23,656

Fulham Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Davies, Bullard, D Murphy,Gera; Johnson (Ki-Hyeon 75), Zamora (Nevland 84) Subs not used Zuberbuhler, Andranik, Stoor, Dempsey, Kallio

Bolton Jasskelainen; Steinsson (Helguson 64), Shittu, O'Brien, Samuel; Muamba; O'Brien, McCann (Riga 51), Nolan, Gardner; Davies Subs not used Al-Habsi, Hunt, Vaz Te, Cohen, Fojut

Game rating 7/10

Referee Stephen Tanner