CONFIDENT Town marched to their first league double of the season and made the rest of Division III sit up and take notice after their 2-1 victory at Fulham.
Four straight wins and a highest league placing of the season set Eoin Hand’s side buzzing with self-belief and determination.
And no-one at windswept Craven Cottage would have denied them full credit for a victory crammed with the character which promises much more in the play-off chase.
One press box colleague (the report was by Mel Booth) described Fulham’s play as that of 11 strangers meeting for the first time – they were never allowed to settle – while hyper-active Town were always more creative, penetrative and dangerous.
It was a ridiculous penalty giveaway by the dominant Leeds Road outfit, however, which set the match alight in the 63rd minute.
Julian Winter’s terrible back-pass let in Michael Cole, Chris Hutchings had no option but to challenge from behind and Clive Walker gleefully rammed home the spot kick.
Little did Fulham realise that their visitors, brimming with team spirit, would be stung into immediate, spectacular retribution and it was fitting that Town’s two most prominent contributors should net the goals.
Three minutes after the penalty, Craig Maskell delivered a superb inswinging free-kick at pace and Ken O’Doherty powered through to head his first goal for the club.
Then, fewer than 90 seconds later, goalkeeper Jim Stannard lunged for and lost Andy May’s deep cross, Peter Withe’s follow-up was cleared off the line and the eager Mike Cecere was on hand to rocket home the rebound from 18 yards.
Town’s nomadic bank of support went wild behind the goal and with ample justification.
Their hard-working team played all the football worth talking about in troublesome conditions and had the chance to build with successive home league games against Port Vale and Northampton.
The quality of Town’s performance can be gauged from the fact that Fulham had lost at home in the league only once all season, and man-of-the-match O’Doherty maintained a remarkable Craven Cottage record.
“I’ve played at Fulham three times before with Crystal Palace and scored on every occasion so I was delighted to get another, especially as part of a win,” said the 25-year-old Dubliner.
“We knew we couldn’t sit back because Fulham would destroy us and I felt we quickly took the steam out of them.
“The front players did tremendously well throughout, especially in their defensive work, and that made it much easier for those of us at the back.
“We hassled and harried Fulham for the full 90 minutes and were well worth the points.”
O’Doherty did not put a foot wrong at the back where his defensive colleagues responded in kind while May inspired midfield partners Winter and Kieran O’Regan to grasp control.
Up front, the ever-improving Cecere caused all sorts of problems while Withe’s battling in his first full appearance for 12 games was exemplary and he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.
