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Burnley got off to the best possible start. A wayward back pass from Sean Davis reached neither Steve Finnan nor Andy Melville. Both looked at each other, and Alan Moore made them pay for their indecision as he ran through to slot the ball under Maik Taylor.
On 15 minutes Louis Saha had a penalty claim denied as he toppled over the legs of Dean West and the Frenchman was unlucky again eight minutes later when he toe-ended over the bar following a flick head on from Facundo Sava.
Finally with seconds left of the first half a header out from the otherwise excellent Ian Cox only found Steed Malbranque who half volleyed back in and watched the ball fly past the outstretched hand of Marlon Beresford and into the corner.
Saha had yet another chance to put his side ahead after the break but ballooned his left-foot effort into the second tier of the stand.
On 68 minutes Steve Marlet found the side netting from an acute angle after Cox's misdirected header gave the Fulham forward a sight of goal and as the home side piled on the pressure Marlet wated another chance by firing straight at Berseford.
By now Burnley's chances were thin on the ground but from Gareth Taylor's knockdown Lee Briscoe brought a good stop from the keeper who got both hands to the his 15-yard effort.
Right at the death Burnley fans held their breath when it looked as if Saha had been pushed on the edge of the box by Cox but the luck was with them, especially when Malbranque's follow up drifted wide of an empty goal.
Fulham: Taylor, Finnan, Goma, Melville, Harley, Goldbaek, Sean Davis, Djetou, Malbranque, Sava, Saha. Subs: Herrera, Inamoto, Marlet, Ouaddou, Wome.
Burnley: Beresford, West, Diallo, Cox, Branch, Ian Moore, Grant, Cook, Briscoe, Alan Moore, Taylor. Subs: Michopoulos, Weller, McGregor, Blake, Papadopoulos.
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).
