Hodgson hails heroes as Gera fires Fulham to final

FULHAM’s extraordinary capacity to surprise in the Europa League continued when Zoltan Gera capped their latest, thrilling comeback with the goal that secured a place in the final.

Gera’s 76th-minute goal ensured this would be remembered as the greatest night in the club’s history after Fulham’s determination once again pulled them through after Simon Davies had earlier levelled Mladen Petric’s strike.

Gera hailed his matchwinner as the “most important goal” of his career.

“It’s the most important goal I have ever scored so I’m very, very happy. It’s amazing,” Gera said.

Fellow goalscorer Davies credited Fulham boss Roy Hodgson as the motivation behind the second-half fightback. “The manager said at half-time keep playing your football and you’ll get your rewards, and we did tonight so we’re buzzing,” said the Welshman.

Hodgson himself said: “I think we’ve made a major piece of history here. That atmosphere is something I think we’ll all remember for a long time. In a semi-final they could be excused for losing their heads or losing their discipline, but they didn’t do it tonight.”

Trailing to Petric’s 22nd minute goal, Fulham looked spent. But Davies kick-started a revival by slotting home from Danny Murphy’s through ball in the 69th minute and when Gera scrambled the ball into the net, it was Hamburg who looked beaten.

After yet another recovery, Hodgson’s side are now 90 minutes from even greater glory.

This was the decisive moment in a campaign that began back in July 2009 with a trip to Lithuania to FK Vetra and took in two qualifying rounds, the group stage, four further two-legged knockout ties as the final in Hamburg’s Noordbank Arena drew ever closer.

This was Fulham’s 18th game in the competition and, for almost 70 minutes, it showed. With Bobby Zamora struggling for fitness, the home side struggled to live up to billing.

Even in the final moments of the warm up Zamora was still receiving treatment and his lack of sharpness betrayed him when he was handed the first chance after just two minutes.

Gera’s flick released the striker inside the area but Zamora placed the ball too close to Hamburg keeper Frank Rost who saved one handed.

Hamburg looked a different side from the one that had laboured in the first meeting between the two sides and controlled the crucial midfield, denying service to Zamora and Gera.

Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland were working overtime to protect keeper Mark Schwarzer, but Hamburg’s sustained pressure suggested a goal would come though it took and outstanding strike by Mladen Petric to finally breach the home defences in the 22nd minute.

There appeared little danger from the free kick 30 yards in front of goal. Petric, though, conjured an outstanding effort, lifting the ball up and over the wall and into the top corner.

Fulham responded well in the build-up to half-time before their brilliant second-half fightback.

Substitutions for Fulham: Pantsil 6 (Nevland 6 for Patsil, 75), Dempsey 7 for Zamora 58.

Atletico Madrid: Rincon 6 for Tesche 56; Rozenhal 6 for Jarolim 89.