Dempsey hat-trick tips balance in favour of Fulham

Fulham 5 Newcastle 2

Clint Dempsey’s hat-trick helped Fulham to an impressive 5-2 defeat of Newcastle today.

Having gone behind to a first-half Danny Guthrie screamer, the Cottagers came out firing in the second period.

Danny Murphy and Bobby Zamora netted penalties either side of a Dempsey brace in a 16-minute period.

Hatem Ben Arfa pulled one back with the clock winding down, although Dempsey scored again at the last.

Ameobi thought he had reduced the deficit almost immediately with a low shot, although he was rightly adjudged offside.

Fulham sat back as the game wore on, allowing Jonas Gutierrez to fire a long-range effort straight at Stockdale.

Newcastle did, though, pull a goal back five minutes from time as Ben Arfa jinked past John Arne Riise to fire home, although Dempsey soon ended any hopes with his hat-trick goal.

The Texan burst through the middle to latch onto a Zamora chipped pass and fire past Krul.