Five-star Cottagers crush Canaries

Mladen Petric, centre, scores his second goal as Fulham strolled to victory
18 August 2012

Fulham debutant Mladen Petric scored twice and set up one more as Martin Jol's side hammered Norwich 5-0 to prove they can easily cope without Clint Dempsey.

Some have predicted Fulham will struggle this season after they lost Andrew Johnson to QPR and look set to lose Dempsey as he tries to force through a move to Liverpool.

If this display is anything to go by, Fulham will not miss their 23-goal talisman from last season one bit. The Cottagers put on a sublime display to tear Norwich apart and demoralise the Canaries fans.

Petric, signed on a free transfer from Hamburg this summer, was the star of the show, scoring twice after Damien Duff had poked home a brilliant pass from John Arne Riise to open the scoring.

Alex Kacaniklic, chosen to play in Dempsey's position, scored his first Fulham goal to make it 4-0 and substitute Steve Sidwell blasted home a penalty four minutes from the death to seal the rout.

Norwich looked a shadow of the team that finished 12th under Paul Lambert last year and had it not been for a good performance from John Ruddy, they could well have conceded seven or eight.

A Fulham victory looked on the cards from the off. The home side started confidently, with Kacaniklic and Bryan Ruiz swinging in dangerous crosses that just evaded Petric.

Ruddy saved well from Riise and Petric but he was beaten soon after by Duff's opener. Riise hit a delightful cross-field pass to find the former Blackburn man and his shot trickled in off Ruddy's outstretched leg.

Fulham added a second and Ruddy pulled off a terrific flying save to deny Ruiz just before half-time as Fulham threatened to run riot. Hughton brought on Steve Morison for Andrew Surman and switched to 4-4-2 but Norwich were still by far the worst team on the pitch.

Eight minutes into the second half Fulham scored their third as Petric fired home a 30-yard shot that took a wicked deflection off Turner. Thirteen minutes later it was 4-0. Petric backheeled into the path of Kacaniklic from a Mousa Dembele pass and the 21-year-old finished calmly, before Sidwell hammered home a late spot-kick to make it five.

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