Fulham 4-1 Wisla Krakow: Sublime Andy Johnson double seals comfortable win after thrilling European encounter at Craven Cottage

Damien Duff opened the scoring early doors, before Andraz Kirm swiftly equalised. Amid the backdrop of a smoke-filled Craven Cottage, Andy Johnson fired the hosts in front with a volley of real high class, before setting the game by prodding home a well worked free-kick after the break. Steve Sidwell then secured the points with a late finish.

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The win not only maintained Fulham's 23 home game undefeated stretch in European football but ensured that they are in with more than a fighting chance of making it through the group stages of this year's competition with just two games left.

Given the precarious nature of Fulham’s Europa League group K position, Martin Jol started with the strongest team at his disposal, including the front pairing of Bobby Zamora and Johnson.

Wisla’s two protagonists from the clubs’ previous continental encounter in Poland, goalscorer David Biton and play-acting Gervasio Nunez, were granted starts for the visitors, with the half-crocked but influential trio of Milan Jovanovic, Marko Jovanovic and Ivica Iliev all on the bench.

Within five minutes the hosts were a goal up. Duff ghosted in off the wing and slick interchange between the Irishman, Zamora and Johnson led to the latter whipping the ball across the box and Duff finishing stylishly beyond Sergei Pareiko.

The visitor’s response was quick-fire though and minutes later they drew level. Wisla attacked down the left flank and after a promising looking opening was carved, the ball fell to Andraz Kirm, who took a touch and fired in a shot that took a nick off John-Arne Riise before wrong-footing Mark Schwarzer.

After a disallowed goal and nearly squaring for Zamora to ponce, Johnson – the Europa League’s joint second-top goalscorer - got it gloriously right on the half hour mark. The striker seized upon Duff’s second attempt to put a corner into the box to hit a wonderful volley on his right foot from the edge of the area that rocketed into the top corner.

Euro beauty | Johnson nets stunning double as Fulham brush Wisla aside

Flares lit by the voracious away fans in and around the stadium quickly led to the Cottage being filled with smoke as the game grew increasingly ill-tempered. In the period up to half-time, the main moment of note on the pitch was Clint Dempsey winding the clocks back to the visit of Juventus last year, though this time his neatly clipped effort caught the top of the bar.

The sides traded blow for blow after the interval, Duff almost finishing off another fine, flowing movement, before Lukasz Gargula tested Schwarzer with a well-struck free-kick.

However, a decisive blow came for the hosts as Johnson was hacked down on the edge of the box after Zamora stepped in well to pinch the ball off. With a move straight off the training ground, Duff rolled the ball into Zamora, who rendered Wisla wall useless by rolling the ball in behind it for Johnson to scramble onto and poke the ball beyond Pareiko.

From that point on the Cottagers toyed with their visitors, with Nunez a marked pantomime villain with his constant theatrics. Wisla peppered the Fulham goal with long range efforts to no avail as they searched for a way to get back into the game.

The win was sealed ten minutes from time when substitute Sidwell rose highest to cannon in a header that pinballed between the bar and Pareiko. The midfielder stepped in to rifle the ball home from inside the six yard box to ensure that his side were in prime position for the closing stages of the Europa League Group K qualifying campaign.