TOP GERA KEEPS FUL ON ROAD

Dec 4 2009 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Echo

FULHAM’S hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout stages will go down to the wire after Zoltan Gera earned them victory against CSKA Sofia at Craven Cottage.

Needing to match Group E rivals Roma on the night, Roy Hodgson’s men did their part with maximum points against their Bulgarian opponents, who had only had Luboslav Penev in the dug-out for the second half after their coach nearly missed the trip altogether before a ban on him leaving Bulgaria, for a debt owed, was lifted..

Danny Murphy, making his first appearance in six weeks after a knee injury, missed a penalty in the ninth minute.

But Gera headed home five minutes later to spare his captain’s blushes.

Fulham travel to Basle on Wednesday, December 16 still with a slim hope of reaching the last 32.

Basle’s defeat in Rome confirmed that Fulham would need to beat the Swiss side to progress.