Hughes shakes off away blues

FULHAM boss Mark Hughes believes his players may have achieved a “season-defining” result with their 2-0 victory at Stoke yesterday.

The Cottagers moved out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone thanks to Chris Baird’s early double at the Britannia Stadium, the Northern Ireland international striking twice from outside the area in the opening 10 minutes.

The win – Fulham’s first away from home in the league in 27 attempts – lifted some of the pressure on Hughes, who paid tribute to what he felt was an outstanding all-round performance by his team.