Bakary Sako scored twice and set up another to help Wolverhampton Wanderers to a 3-0 half-time lead over Fulham at Molineux this evening.
The hosts were ahead after 10 minutes when Sako's corner was met by Danny Batth, who rose highest inside the area to nod home from close range.
Fulham looked for an immediate response through Seko Fofana, who found shooting space inside the Wolves box just a minute after the goal, only to drag his low effort wide.
The goal helped Wolves to grow into the match following a shaky start, and they almost doubled their advantage on the quarter-hour mark when Benik Afobe tested Marcus Bettinelli at the end of the flowing team move.
Fofana continued to look most likely for the visitors, drilling one effort narrowly past the post from 25 yards before forcing a routine stop from Tomasz Kuszczak shortly after the half-hour mark.
The Cottagers then had a glorious chance to restore parity through Ross McCormack, but the striker fired his effort straight at the keeper following a slick passing move.
Sako threatened at the other end shortly afterwards before doubling his side's lead with five minutes of the half remaining, picking out the bottom corner to finish off a move that included more than 20 passes.
Sako's third was all about his individual talents, however, as he drove into the Fulham box before firing an effort through the keeper's legs in stoppage time of the first half.
Barney Corkhill
