Analysis of Fulham 3 Albion 0

The good ship Albion is struggling through choppy waters and now the captain is in danger of walking the plank.

Another clanger from skipper Scott Carson helped Fulham torpedo the Baggies at Craven Cottage to leave their visitors closer than ever to hitting the rocks.

Now a depleted crew is paddling furiously against the tide with its on-field leader all at sea and with his grip on the armband as weak as it has been since his appointment to the top job.

Just six days into the New Year, Albion know for certain that their flying start to the Premier League season has given way to an all-too-familiar scrap against relegation for the remainder of the campaign.

They remain in a decent position thanks to the points they amassed in the stunning early weeks of the season.

But last night in West London proved beyond doubt that that momentum has vanished.

The Baggies are on the slide after their worst run of defeats – five in a row – for six years and a rapid re-energising is required to restore the feel good factor that propelled their season to a stunning start.

They must hope they return to Premier League action in 10 days with their defensive injury crisis vanished.

Because they kicked off at Craven Cottage with five potential starting centre-backs unavailable and a makeshift defensive quartet of four full-backs, including Premier League rookie James Hurst, charged with the task of keeping Fulham at bay.

It was a thankless task that did not need any gifts from senior players to make it even harder.

Sadly, Carson saved the biggest gaffe of his tough recent run of form for the night when it would prove most costly.

His airy wave at Simon Davies' long-range drive in stoppage time was a horrid moment for the goalkeeper and his team and, even with 45 minutes remaining, it always looked likely to spell defeat.

So it proved, with the Baggies' last of height and muscle exposed cruelly after the break with Brede Hangeland and Clint Dempsey completing the scoring.

It did not take long for Albion's new central defensive pairing to produce their first mix-up, as both Gianni Zuiverloon and Gonzalo Jara standing off former Baggie Diomansy Kamara, allowing him the time to turn on the corner of the six-yard box.

But Kamara's fifth-minute shot from a tight angle was initially parried and then grabbed low down by Scott Carson in the visitors' goal.

It was a nervous start by Di Matteo's reshuffled side, but they carved out an opening on eight minutes when Chris Brunt's clever through-ball found Peter Odemwingie, who was peeling away to the right.

Odemwingie looked up and saw Brunt arriving at the far post, but his cross was palmed away by the sprawling David Stockdale in the Fulham goal.

Despite continued Fulham pressure, there was a glimmer of a chance for the Baggies when Odemwingie's shot on the turn was spilled by Stockdale, but the goalkeeper recovered to claim it before Brunt could pounce.

There were screams for a Fulham penalty on 17 minutes, when Clint Dempsey tumbled under a clumsy challenge from behind by Youssouf Mulumbu but referee Martin Atkinson reprieved the Albion man.

Although they remained under the cosh, the Baggies created another good chance when Brunt's neat reverse pass sent Jerome Thomas clear of the Fulham backline but Stockdale spread himself to make a low block at his feet.

Thomas then seized on an error by John Pantsil and turned towards goal but his shot from the edge of the area was deflected wide.

The early chances had settled the nerves of Di Matteo's side and they began to show extra composure, not least when a deft pass by Graham Dorrans between two defenders was just cut out by Stockdale ahead of Brunt on the edge of the six-yard box.

But there were still moments of uncertainty, like when Hurst misjudged a clearance from inside his own box and Simon Davies met the loose ball with a half-volley that skidded a yard wide.

And in first-half stoppage time the home side took an advantage, as Carson's error undid all of his defenders' stout first-half work.

Davies' turned 25 yards out and hit a powerful shot, but it evaded the hand of the goalkeeper and nestled into the roof of the net for the softest of openers. The howler rocked Albion and they struggled to gain an early foothold in the second-half.

First Damien Duff tied substitute Nicky Shorey in knots before firing a right-footed shot just wide of the target.

Then the Cottagers' aerial advantage finally paid dividends as they doubled their lead on 56 minutes.

They forced a corner on the left and, when it was delivered into the danger zone, Brunt was ill-equipped to stop the giant Hangeland, who thundered a header past Carson.

Nine minutes later it was the same problem that cost the visitors dear again, this time with Brunt slipping to allow Dempsey to charge and power a free header down past Carson to seal the points for Mark Hughes's men.

From then on, Baggies heads began to slump as they were left playing out time and hoping to avoid more crippling damage.

Their approach play became ponderous in the final third with Fulham afforded too much time to get men behind the ball to snuff out visitors' attacks.

The half-soaked nature of the final half-hour was encapsulated when Thomas dragged a poor shot wide from the edge of the box in the absence of any viable passing options.

By then the visitors were praying for the final whistle to end their misery, with Brunt's long-range effort that flew just off target and a teasing cross from substitute Nicky Shorey as close as they went to testing Stockdale.

That was until the 88th minute, when Odemwingie produced the highlight of an indifferent night for him by turning on the edge of the box and unleashing a goalbound shot that forced Stockdale to palm it away.

It was a routine save. But one that Carson would have killed for.

By Steve Madeley