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Man City maul floundering Fulham
LONDON (AFP) - Manchester City eased their relegation fears with a 3-1 victory over hosts Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday which left them perilously above the Premiership drop zone.
It was the resurgent Blues' third straight away win while slumping Fulham have lost five and won none of their last eight matches.
Midfielder Joey Barton blasted City's first in the 21st minute and set up the second for USA midfielder DaMarcus Beasley 36 minutes in. Former England striker Darius Vassell struck their third goal in the 59th minute.
Fulham's USA defender Carlos Bocanegra scored a 76th-minute consolation goal.
The result leaves City in 12th place with 40 points, nine above the drop zone, while the 15th-placed Cottagers are on 35 points, four points above the relegation places.
The Blues have six games left, while Fulham have just five.
The Cottagers have had a miserable Easter, having also lost 4-1 at Everton on Friday.
The west London side started the brighter. Russia midfielder Alexei Smertin forced the Blues' Sweden goalkeeper into a stunning reaction save with a 25-yard strike.
However, City's counter-attacking play caught Fulham out.
The troubled but talented Barton, whose disciplinary problems have probably prevented him from earning more than his one England cap, blasted his shot past Finland goalkeeper Antti Niemi for the first goal, following good work from Belgium forward Emile Mpenza.
Barton then teed up Beasley, back in the Mancunian side after two games out, and the on-loan PSV Eindhoven midfielder scored with a powerful finish.
Niemi pulled off a splendid save before half-time to keep out full-back Nedum Onuoha's effort following a Michael Johnson free kick.
Cottagers boss Chris Coleman, who was booed at half-time, then sent on Canada striker Tomasz Radzinski and Vincenzo Montella, on loan from Roma, in an attempt to salvage a point.
But the former Italy forward had barely been on the pitch before Vassell scored his fourth goal of the season.
Mpenza raced away and passed down the right, where defender Liam Rosenior should have dealt with the ball comfortably.
However, he stumbled instead and Vassell charged through to make it 3-0.
Bocanegra, playing at centre-half, headed in a Sean Davis corner for his second goal in two games.
But it was too little, too late to prevent Coleman from being booed again when the final whistle went on the Thames riverbank.
The defeat leaves the Cottagers once more with plenty of work to do in the closing stages to ensure their Premiership survival.
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