STOKE CITY RESERVES 1 (Moult 40)
FULHAM RESERVES 3 (Marsh Brown 4, Uwezu 30, Buchtmann 57)
Another well taken Louis Moult goal proved to be little more than a consolation as City bowed out of their second Barclays Premier Reserve League South season with a defeat at the Weaver Stadium.
Moult's goal came with five minutes of the first half remaining after Fulham had already earned a two goal advantage through Keanu Marsh Brown and the lively Michael Uwezu. Chris Buchtmann added the third with a deflected free kick in the second half.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges with Uwezu flashing a header past the far post from a corner as early as the first minute.
An opening goal wasn't too long in the making and Marsh Brown netted after four minutes with a well taken shot from just inside the area after build up on the left flank.
Then on ten minutes Moult appeared to have been struck with a hand to the face by Joshua Pritchard following a coming together by the halfway line only for the referee to wave play on despite Moult going down clutching his face.
Fulham doubled their advantage on the half hour mark as a sweeping counter attack down the right channel culminated in Uwezu tapping home Marsh Brown's low ball in from six yards out.
That didn't affect Stoke's search for a goal and Matthew Cohen would consider himself unlucky not to have diverted Moult's dangerous free kick into the back of the net seven minutes later. The centre half managed to beat his man to the ball but couldn't get it past visiting keeper Neil Etheridge.
The Potters would get on the scoresheet shortly after though, as Moult was first to react to a knock down from a cross into the box to steer the ball home from close range.
After the break the Cottagers continued to push forward and Cohen had to be on hand to hack Uwezu's strike off the line after the striker had gotten on the end of another pacy Fulham attack.
City's defensive endeavour wasn't rewarded kindly on 57 minutes, however, as Buchtmann's 25 yard free-kick took two deflections en route to goal to wrong foot Dave Parton and find the back of the net.
Adie Pennock's side did continue to push forward in search of a way back into the match and a neat passage of play midway through the second period carved out a chance for Jack Harrison, but he could only skew his right footed shot wide of the right hand post.
In the dying minutes Parton produced a fantastic reaction save to deny Alex Smith from point blank range whilst sub Stefan Payne also saw an effort blocked.
CITY: Parton, Hedley, Wint, Jackson, Cohen, Connor (Dawson 25), Harrison (Clarkson 81), Lund (c), Vickers, Moult, Mitchell (Stockhall 88).
FULHAM: Etheridge, Marquez-Sanchez, Briggs, Pierre, Toure, Pritchard, Marsh Brown, Buchtmann, Uwezu (Trotta 75), Elm (Payne 87), Smith (Harris 84). Subs (Unused): Bettinelli.
