Are all out off Luuk
Posted Friday, September 16, 2011 by Dailystar.co.uk
Above: Andy Johnson finds the back of the net for Fulham
Jol BoysFULHAM’S hopes of starting the Europa League group stages with a win were dented by a freak own goal.
Luuk de Jong’s header cannoned in off the helpless Mark Schwarzer’s back, as FC Twente denied the 2010 finalists victory at Craven Cottage.
Andrew Johnson had fired the Cottagers in front in the 19th minute to keep his scoring run in the competition going.
The striker – in for the rested Bobby Zamora – has scored in every Europa League home game he has started this season.
And a goal for one of his strikers was just what boss Martin Jol wanted to see, after blasting his front men for a lack of cutting edge so far this season.
This was already Fulham’s ninth game in the competition and it was quickly clear that Twente were a step-up in class from what they have faced so far.
In front of Fulham’s cup-tied ex-Twente striker Bryan Ruiz and former-boss Steve McClaren – who pipped Jol’s Ajax to the 2010 Dutch title – they bossed the early stages, knocking the ball about with ease.
But their confidence cost them dearly in the 19th minute when left-back Dwight Tiendalli played a sloppy ball across his box.
Johnson intercepted it before bursting through Peter Wisgerhof’s weak challenge and chipping ex-Liverpool keeper Nikolay Mihailov to hand Fulham the lead.
Danny Murphy then headed into the side-netting as Fulham went looking for a second, but Twente came back and Schwarzer had to be on his toes to deny them an equaliser.
He plunged to his left to keep out a powerful De Jong header and then Willem Janssen’s long-range drive.
But the Australian keeper could do little in the 40th minute when De Jong’s header rebounded off the post and hit him before trickling into the net.
Clint Dempsey came close to restoring Fulham’s lead early in the second half but was just off target with a back-post header, while Johnson was denied a second by Mihaylov.
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