McBride breathes life into Cottagers

WHERE would Fulham be had Brian McBride not missed six months of the season through injury? Or more importantly, where would their hopes of survival be without him back in their ranks right now?

The American’s 67th-minute winner yesterday breathed new life into a cause that had long been teetering on the brink of doom.

This was only the fourth time the Cottagers have tasted Premier League victory all season, although Roy Hodgson’s side were fortunate their opponents just happened to have played 120 minutes of UEFA Cup football in midweek, suffering mental anguish as well as physical fatigue via a penalty shoot-out loss to Fiorentina.

Fulham remain second from bottom but Bolton’s 1-0 loss at Wigan means they are now two points behind the Trotters and travel to Newcastle — the scene of their most recent away win back in September 2006 — next week. A case of now or never if ever there was one.

The goal was only McBride’s second of the season. The first was against Middlesbrough back in August but came at the cost of a wrecked knee. His return six months later, against Aston Villa last month, also turned out to be a landmark event. Fulham won 2-1.

The goal that flashed past fellow countryman Tim Howard, who had not a single save to make otherwise, was a trademark header. Simon Davies crossed from the left and McBride dived forwards and nodded the ball down into the turf and into the net.

Hodgson had used him sparingly at Blackburn the previous week and admitted he had viewed his recall as a gamble. ‘‘Last week I left him out and played with Jimmy Bullard as the second striker,’’ he explained.

‘‘I brought him back because I decided we would run the risk of playing Danny and Jimmy together, which is not ideal as they are both constructive players and not defensive-minded. It is a risk when you play two good players against an Everton side with Lee Carsley and Phil Neville in there.’’

Defeat was a bitter blow for Everton’s hopes of overtaking Liverpool for the last Champions League spot and also represented a sour anniversary for manager David Moyes, whose reign had begun with a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Goodison Park on March 16 2002. But then again Everton always fail at Craven Cottage; their last winner there was scored by Alan Ball in 1966.

That McBride turned out to be the difference between the two side was not lost on the Scotsman, who had signed him twice; once for Preston and then for Everton.

‘‘I don’t like anybody scoring against me but I’m glad it’s Brian,’’ Moyes said. ‘‘He is a great player, a great professional and deserves everything he gets.’’

Everton’s own attacking options were limited from the moment Andrew Johnson limped off in the 14th minute with a groin strain.

There was no striker on the bench so Yakubu had to toil on his own up front until belatedly joined by left-back Joleon Lescott. It was that sort of day for the visitors.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Keller 7, Stalteri 7, Hughes 7, Hangeland 7, Konchesky 7, Andreasen 6, Murphy 6 (Bocanegra 75, 5), Bullard 6 (Volz 85, 5), Davies 6, E Johnson 5, McBride 8 (Dempsey 88, 5).

Subs Not Used: Batista, Healy.

EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard 7, Neville 7, Yobo 6, Jagielka 6, Lescott 7, Arteta 6, Carsley 6, Osman 6, Pienaar 6 (Baines 64, 6), A Johnson 4 (Hibbert 14, 6), Yakubu 6.

Subs Not Used: Wessels, Rodwell, Valente.

REFEREE: Steve Bennett (Kent) 7: Little decision-making needed. Turned down an Everton penalty appeal in the first half to few complaints.

MATCH RATING: *** The less said about the first half the better but the second finally awoke to become a rousing spectacle.