Inamoto repays Tigana with hat-trick

Fulham 3

The Japan international was snapped up on loan by Jean Tigana instead and he repaid the Frenchman’s faith with a superb hat-trick last night which sent Fulham into the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history.

In a thrilling, fast-paced, end-to-end second leg of this Intertoto Cup final, Inamoto gave Fulham a dream start with a well-taken goal in the 12th minute.

Inamoto temporarily went from hero to villain as his sloppy defending allowed Bologna to equalise after 34 minutes.

But the 22-year-old, on his first start for Fulham, struck twice more in the first five minutes of the second half to secure a piece of football history for the Cottagers - playing at their temporary Loftus Road home.

Fulham’s only previous European adventure was three games in the Anglo-Italian Cup nearly 20 years ago. But the 2-2 draw they secured in the first leg in Bologna a fortnight ago set up a historic night - and they stretched their unbeaten run to 10 matches with some style.

The glory march began when Inamoto, rejected by Arsenal in the summer despite shining at the World Cup in his homeland, swapped passes with Facundo Sava on the edge of the box and drilled a shot beyond Gianluca Pagliuca and into the bottom left corner.

In a blood and thunder encounter, it was Inamoto who was guilty of some slack marking which allowed Tomas Locatelli time and space on the left edge of the box to fire a deflected equaliser into the far corner.

It was Inamoto who scored Fulham’s first goal out in Bologna, and this was destined to be his night.

He capitalised on some sloppy defending when he pounced after just 75 seconds of the restart and scored the goal which put Fulham back in front.

Inamoto completed a brilliant hat-trick after 50 minutes. After running on to a pass from Marlet, his first effort was blocked by Pagliuca. But he raced on to the follow up to steer the ball home.

Fulham might have won more comfortably but there were some heroics from veteran goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca, the man who played in three World Cups for Italy.

He made several flying saves, the pick of which saw him deny Luis Boa Morte after five minutes and then 67, Steve Marlet after 19, and substitute Louis Saha after 82. Marlet also crashed a header against the bar after 48 minutes.

The Italians put up a fight and had stunned Fulham with an equaliser in the 34th minute.

It was Inamoto who failed to pick up his man in midfield and when the ball was fed through to Locatelli on the left edge of the box his low drive was deflected past Edwin Van Der Sar into the far corner.

The Italian whipped off his shirt to reveal a vest with the phrase: ‘‘The playmaker is back.’’ Having missed last season through injury he certainly was, and his goal put his team back in the enthralling contest.

Swiss referee Massimo Busacca had his work cut out as the Italian passion crept into the game and tempers flared when flying tackles came in.

He booked Fulham’s Sylvain Legwinski and Steve Finnan, plus four players from Bologna. The loudest cheer of the night came in the final minute when Inamoto - who by then had been replaced by Steed Malbranque - was announced as Man of the Match, and Fulham’s eight-game Intertoto run had paid off.

Shortly after the final whistle Fulham a small golden trophy to mark Fulham’s triumph was presented to captain Rufus Brevett, with Mohamed Al Fayed also on the pitch looking proudly on.

FULHAM: Van der Sar, Finnan, Brevett, Knight, Goma, Inamoto, Marlet, Legwinski, Sava, Davis, Boa Morte. Subs: Taylor, Collins, Melville, Hayles, Malbranque, Ouaddou, Saha.

BOLOGNA: Pagliuca, Zaccardo, Olive, Castellini, Nervo, Colucci, Cruz, Signori, Falcone, Locatelli, Paramatti. Subs: Coppola, Gamberini, Bellucci, Smit, Goretti, Frara, Meghni.