Reserves 4-1 West Ham

Goals from Erik Nevland, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Wayne Brown helped the Reserves to their first win of the season.

The Whites started the match with plenty of experience in attack and midfield – Erik Nevland and Seol Ki-Hyeon led the line whilst Julian Gray and Andranik occupied two of the four midfield berths.

Erik Nevland was certainly looking up for the encounter, as was demonstrated in the fifth minute when he chased the ball down from the halfway line to put Hammers goalkeeper, Marek Stech, under pressure to clear. Nevland did well a few minutes later to find space on the edge of the box but his shot failed to trouble Stech.

West Ham striker, Junior Stanislas, forced a good save from Zuberbuhler on 11 minutes with a fierce, swerving, 25 yard free kick. It was the first of two free kicks the West Ham striker delivered with bad intentions in the opening 45 minutes.

The visitors came close again when Bondz Ngala headed over from four yards after Stanislas delivered a corner to the back post.

Following a short spell of West Ham domination, Fulham were back on top and came close to opening the scoring when Seol, with his back to goal in the area, held off his defender before laying the ball back to substitute Matthew Saunders, unfortunately his effort was narrowly wide.

Fulham had the ball in the back of the net on 36 minutes, but it did not stand as Erik Nevland was adjudged to have diverted the ball over the line with his hand. The Norwegian striker earned a yellow card as a result but he was on the score sheet legitimately two minutes later when he slid home to roll the ball in from close range as the Whites finished the half well in command.

Fulham doubled their lead soon after the restart, West Ham had failed to deal with a ball across the face of the area and Seol was on hand to tap the ball home. Fulham added another straight after the restart when Julian Gray pressured Ryan O'Neill into putting into his own net.

Wayne Brown’s mazy run and shot almost made it four for Fulham as the chances were coming thick and fast. Adrian Leijer’s header from a Gray corner produced an excellent save from Stech moments later.

The visitors got one back when Holmar Eyjolfsson headed home from six yards but Fulham soon re-established their three-goal cushion through a typical Wayne Brown strike. The Fulham midfielder received the ball some 35 yards from goal and advanced before drilling a low shot past Stech.

Chances continued to come for Fulham and Danny Hoesen could have made it five when he stooped to head just wide from Joe Anderson’s cross.

Fulham: Zuberbuhler; Cumber, Leijer, Smalling, Anderson; Brown, Andranik (Saunders 19), Milsom, Gray; Seol (Smith 75), Nevland (Hoesen 75)