Fulham's relegation worries deepened on a night when Jean Tigana's men slumped to their worst defeat in 16 months with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of European hopefuls Blackburn.
After competing with the visitors for the first 35 minutes, Fulham began to fall apart when Lee Clark, playing for the first time in four months handled the ball in the area leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot. David Dunn stepped up to calmly slot home the penalty and set Rovers on their way.
Hakan Sukur then piled on the misery before the break when he finally opened his scoring account with the Ewood Park club on 42 minutes. The Turkish striker managed to get on the end of Lucas Neill's far-post cross, before side-stepping Finnan's challenge and coolly slotted home from six yards.
Worse was to come for Fulham in the second half. Irish international Damien Duff, was a thorn in the side of the Fulham defenders all night made it three on 53 minutes when Andy Cole played the Irish winging into space, before Duff slotted the ball under the advancing Maik Taylor.
Sukur then wrapped things up when he claimed his second off the night a minute later when Cole was again the provider, setting the Turkish ace free and allowing him to round Finnan and side-foot the ball home.
Tigana has just six games left in his Fulham career after being informed that his services would no longer be required after the end of the season, and if performances like this continue, his successor may end up managing a First Division team.
Filed by Rob Wright
