Healy opens account as Fulham end Asia trip on positive note

13 April 2012

Fulham claimed third place in the Barclays Asia Trophy with a comfortable 4-1 win over South China at Hong Kong Stadium.

After a narrow defeat to Premier League rivals Portsmouth on Tuesday, Lawrie Sanchez's side were too good for the Hong Kong FA Cup holders who showed plenty of endeavour but lacked real quality against their illustrious opponents.

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South China's Da Mata Ribeiro heads the ball away from Fulham's David Healy in Hong Kong

Fulham had the game's first chance after just two minutes as Alexei Smertin won the ball in midfield and set Collins John free but the striker curled his effort wide

They threatened again almost immediately afterwards as John swept the ball out to Liam Rosenior on the right and the midfielder in turn fed the overlapping Moritz Volz.

The full-back's delivery picked out an unmarked John but his volley flashed wide. However, Lawrie Sanchez's side duly took the lead after 20 minutes when Franck Queudrue's deep free-kick was met by Papa Bouba Diop, who headed powerfully into the bottom corner.

The Cottagers should have doubled their advantage after 26 minutes when Smertin broke into the right-hand side of the area but his ball across the six-yard box was too strong for John with the goal at the Dutchman's mercy.

David Healy then somehow sent Queudrue's cross from deep high and wide when just six yards out on the half-hour mark before South China launched an attack of their own that saw Queudrue having to scramble away a dangerous cross.

A flowing move almost resulted in a second on the stroke of half-time as Michael Timlin's ball down the left flank found Healy.

The Northern Ireland international laid the ball off to John and latched on to his strike partner's return pass but his cross just eluded Rosenior, who was in acres of space in the box as Fulham went in one goal up at the break.

They soon stretched their lead at the start of the second half when captain Carlos Bocanegra headed Timlin's inswinging corner past a static Zhang Chunhui from six yards out.

Antti Niemi then had to be alert to push out South China captain Li Haiqiang's driven free-kick as the home side began to look more dangerous.

And they pulled one back after 56 minutes when Li's quickly taken free-kick was volleyed home in impressive fashion by Flavio Barros Souza.

It was 3-1 after 73 minutes though as Simon Davies beat his full-back and produced a good cross into the box that Healy met with a diving header past Zhang.

The South China keeper then did well to block substitute Paul Konchesky's powerful strike at the far post before Fulham scored a fourth with seven minutes to go as Davies and Smertin combined well with the former crossing for Brian McBride to tap home.

South China nearly scored a second at the whistle but Queudrue kept out Souza's close-range blast on the line, though the Frenchman knew little about it.

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