Fulham overcame a resilient Stoke City side at Craven Cottage today, running out 2-1 victors.
Goals from debutant Pavel Pogrebnyak and a Thomas Sorensen own goal ensured all three points for the Cottagers, despite a late goal from Ryan Shawcross for the visitors.
The home side were ahead within 15 minutes when Pogrebnyak grabbed a goal on his Premier League debut for Fulham, smashing his shot home after finding himself on the end of John Arne Riise's deflected shot.
Stoke almost replied immediately when Kenwyne Jones was fed by Jon Walters, only for the striker to smash the bobbling ball well over.
Fulham doubled their lead just before the half hour mark when a strike by Clint Dempsey rebounded off the bar and hit Sorensen on the back, a cruel turn of events for the Danish goalkeeper.
The home side continued to push forward, with debutant Pogrebnyak causing Stoke serious problems at the back. The Russian striker almost caused another own goal from Shawcross and, from the resulting corner, headed just over.
Stoke almost hit back through a corner of their own soon after, but Walters was unable to finish after being left unmarked in the box.
Fulham could have made it 3-0 just before half-time when Damien Duff was sent though by Danny Murphy, but Sorensen produced a fine save to deny the Irish winger.
Sorensen was kept busy in the opening stages of the second half, too, when he was forced to beat away Kelly's cross-shot in the opening minutes.
Stoke's goal came courtesy of their aerial threat when Jermaine Pennant's corner was met by Shawcross, who flicked his header just inside the far post.
Just two minutes later, Stoke almost completed a quick comeback, but Crouch couldn't react quickly enough to poke in Ricardo Fuller's knock down.
In the end, it was Fulham who came closest to getting the game's third goal after Dempsey beat Sorensen to the ball but the American could only roll his shot against the post from a tight angle.
Barney Corkhill
