Premier League: Bolton 0 Fulham 3

A double from Clint Dempsey and a first goal for Mahamadou Diarra saw Fulham pile more pressure on relegation-threatened Bolton on Saturday.

The American was influential throughout and along with Damien Duff caused a host of problems for a Bolton side that prior to this game had won three in a row in the Premier League.

Bolton were poor and failed to ever really test their opponents who had won just twice on the road before this season, before succumbing to a 3-0 defeat.

It was a disappointing opening period for the home side as they failed to trouble the Londoners, who took their two real chances in the half to give themselves a commanding half-time lead.

After both sides exchanged tame efforts, it was the visitors who thought they had opened the scoring when top-scorer Dempsey stroked home from inside the area, only to be flagged for offside.

But on the half-hour mark Dempsey got his goal as he delicately placed a free-kick in the top right-hand corner of the Bolton net from 25 yards – only the ninth league goal the Londoners have scored away from home this season.

Just a minute before half-time, Fulham doubled their advantage as Dempsey scored again, this time with a free header in the area after some superb work on the right wing from Duff.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle responded to his side’s poor first-half showing by bringing on attacking pair Kevin Davies and Chris Eagles but it always looked like it was going to be an uphill task for the home side, as Fulham have not lost this season after taking the lead.

And the home side did come out with greater purpose during the second period and had claims for a penalty turned down after John Arne Riise was deemed to have won the ball in a challenge with David Ngog.

But despite an improvement in their attacking, Bolton we vulnerable at the back and were nearly punished when Duff, who was making his 350th career league start, was denied twice in five minutes from keeper Adam Bogdan after several rapid counterattacks from the visitors.

Ten minutes before the end Fulham did get a third as Riise drove down the left wing and crossed for Diarra, who notched his first goal for the club from close range.

The rest of the game was a formality as the Cottagers kept the ball well to record a second win in succession.

A Fulham win sees them reach the 40-point mark, and they will be looking to further enhance their bid to finish in the top 10 when they host local rivals Chelsea on Monday.

Bolton face a tough trip to Champions League-chasing Newcastle on the same day, looking for three valuable points to re-ignite their bid for Premier League survival.