Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera sensationally sent Fulham into the Europa League final after a 2-1 semi-final victory over Hamburg.
Hodgson's heroes add another chapter to story of spectacle
Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera sensationally sent Fulham into the Europa League final as a 2-1 semi-final second-leg victory over Hamburg at Craven Cottage allowed their memorable continental adventure to continue.
After a 0-0 draw in Germany last week, the Premier League side welcomed their Bundesliga opponents to the banks of The Thames as slight favourites to progress.
But any optimism of reaching the final, which will be against Liverpool's conquerors, Atletico Madrid, and will take place at Hamburg's Nordbank Arena on 12th May, was rattled in the 22nd minute as Mladen Petric fired a superb away goal from a 30-yard free-kick.
However, fans on Craven Cottage's Hammersmith End had not given up hope and spent the second half willing the ball in their direction, with famous nights against Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg fresh in the mind.
Fittingly it was a pass from Danny Murphy, who had described the continental campaign as a 'special adventure' earlier in the week, that allowed Simon Davies to superbly equalise in the 69th minute.
Roy Hodgson's Fulham were then swarming their visitors and only had to wait seven minutes for the decisive goal as Zoltan Gera turned at a corner to certainly outshine the achievements of the club's 1975 FA Cup finalists.
The Cottagers' fairytale run started way back in July last year with a third-qualifying round tie against FK Vetra of Lithuania.
Hodgson has also managed to keep Fulham on track in the Premier League, currently safe in 12th place - a remarkable achievement given the relative resources available to the West London club, so often in the shadow of their illustrious neighbours.
Striker Bobby Zamora, who had been given a pain-killing injection in his troublesome Achilles to be fit to start, had a half-chance during the opening minutes after a one-two with Gera.
Dangerous
However, Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost stood up well, before Fulham's 19-goal striker scuffed the rebound wide.
Brede Hangeland headed over as the home side continued to press.
Hamburg, though, looked dangerous on the break, led by former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, as the Germans played with more freedom than in the first leg - now under the guidance of former Tottenham skills coach Ricardo Moniz after Bruno Labbadia was sacked.
John Pantsil and then Aaron Hughes both made a timely block as the visitors looked to swing more dangerous balls into the Fulham box.
There was, though, little anyone could do to prevent Hamburg taking the lead on 22 minutes.
Danny Murphy fouled Jose Ze Roberto some 30 yards out, and Petric, whose goal at Wembley in the final match of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign ended Steve McClaren's reign as England boss, stepped up to crash a glorious left-foot curling free-kick past Mark Schwarzer and into the top corner to give the Germans a crucial away goal.
The home fans were temporarily stunned into silence, Schwarzer also looked shocked, but they soon roared their team back on to the offensive.
Dennis Agogo made a timely clearance and Zamora was coming in for special attention from Hamburg's defence, who bundled him off the ball at every turn.
Menace
The pace of Pitroipa was proving a menace with the Burkina Faso winger breaking free and driving a powerful shot narrowly wide of the left post.
Fulham were open to the counter-attack with Hamburg breaking free on several occasions.
Zamora was bundled off the ball by Jerome Boateng and Demel early in the second half and the Fulham talisman was growing frustrated at the treatment he was receiving.
Starved of possession, the Cottagers were struggling to make any impression and in the 58th minute Zamora, now limping, was replaced by Clint Dempsey.
Petric fired a dangerous pass across goal but there was no Hamburg player to knock the ball home.
Boateng was lucky to escape a red card following an outrageous two-footed leaping tackle on Gera and Damien Duff went desperately close to turning the ensuing free-kick into the net.
Fulham set up the grandstand finish in the 69th minute, however, when Davies struck the equaliser.
Murphy hit a quarter-back pass that caught the Hamburg defence flat-footed and Davies reacted first, showing two great touches while fending of Demel before rifling home.
Pitroipa found the side netting but the tide was turning as Fulham, buoyed by Davies' goal, poured forward in search of the crucial second.
It came in the 76th minute, Davies sending in a corner that struck Demel and fortuitously fell to Gera, who took one touch before poking home from close range.
Gera was mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates but there was still work to do as Hamburg rolled the dice.
Fulham, however, piled men behind the ball and it was Hamburg who had to survive a late scare when Rost hauled down Dempsey after running to the halfway line to help his outfield team-mates.
There were some three minutes of stoppage time, during which van Nistelrooy dragged an angled shot wide.
When it came, the final whistle was greeted by cheers loud enough to be heard at Stamford Bridge - as Hodgson and his team celebrated the most unexpected, but richly deserved, of achievements.
| Fulham |
Team Statistics |
Hamburg |
| 2 |
Goals |
1 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 4 |
Shots on Target |
2 |
| 5 |
Shots off Target |
5 |
| 2 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 6 |
Corners |
6 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
18 |
| 7 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 81.3 |
Passing Success |
74.2 |
| 12 |
Tackles |
20 |
| 66.7 |
Tackles Success |
65 |
| 55.4 |
Possession |
44.6 |
| 47.9 |
Territorial Advantage |
52.1 |
|
