Dempsey at the double as Fulham end winless run

A first-half double from Clint Dempsey earned Fulham a 2-0 win at home to Wigan Athletic on Saturday as the Cottagers brought a five-game winless run to an end with only their second victory of the season.

American international Dempsey’s goals proved enough to inflict a first away defeat of the season on Roberto Martinez’s Wigan, who slip one place to 16th in the Premier League table while Fulham shoot up to eighth.

Wigan were first to threaten, with Tom Cleverley’s shot inadvertently blocked by team-mate Franco di Santo, but the presence of Brede Hangeland in the Wigan penalty area soon began to cause problems for the visitors.

The giant Norwegian centre-back had a shot blocked after Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi sewed chaos in the area by fumbling a corner and Hangeland then sent a header over the crossbar from a deep Simon Davies cross.

The pace of Charles N’Zogbia on the counter-attack was a constant source of concern for the Fulham defence but in the 30th minute the hosts took the lead with a well-constructed goal.

Zoltan Gera sprayed the ball wide to Carlos Salcido on the left and the Mexican international’s cross was headed into the bottom corner by Dempsey.

Gera twice came close to extending Fulham’s advantage, curling a low effort inches wide of the post and then heading over the crossbar after Al Habsi had tipped Demsey’s header onto the bar following another Salcido centre.

Mark Hughes’s side did not have to wait long for a second goal, however, as Dempsey lashed a half-volley high into the net from Chris Baird’s cross a minute before the interval.

Salcido almost put Fulham 3-0 up early in the second half with a mis-hit cross that narrowly avoided dipping inside the far post, while Mohamed Diame threatened for the visitors with a marauding run and shot that went wide from a tight angle.

Striker Andy Johnson was given a rousing reception by the Craven Cottage crowd when he came on as a late substitute to make his first home appearance since January after a spell on the sidelines through injury.