A hugely misleading score, although in the final minutes it might have become stranger still. Bolton, having spent practically the whole of the first half dourly on the back foot, suddenly and belatedly came to life late in the second.

They scored, they swarmed forward in the concluding minutes, Fulham once anxiously scrambled the ball away and yet, almost at the end of stoppage time, when J Lloyd Samuel failed to clear, there was Simon Davies running unopposed half the length of the field with only the goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in his way. But the goalkeeper resourcefully blocked the effort and Fulham's advantage remained the odd goal in three.

They ended the first half 2-0 ahead, and it might have been several more. Bolton, infinitely cautious, lacking their Swedish striker Johan Elmander, kept only the industrious Kevin Davies upfield and manfully though he tried, on occasion looking dangerous, it was really too much for one attacker to do against a confident and ebullient Fulham side.

In the second half, the Bolton manager Gary Megson brought on at last a couple of other strikers, putting Kevin Davies on the wing. They did manage a somewhat scrappy goal on 82 minutes, thus opening up the game, but they never deserved to save it. But then, who in football can ever expect just deserts?

Fulham, in the first half, were scintillating at times in the hot sunshine. Up front, the greatly expensive Andrew Johnson made an excellent debut. Despite all those absences and injuries, he has clearly lost neither his pace nor his drive. Beside him, in that first half, Bobby Zamora was even better, playing probably the best game I have seen from him since he left Brighton some years ago.

On the wings, Fulham had two dynamic figures in Simon Davies and the Hungarian Zoltan Gera, supported in central midfield by that energetic pair, Danny Murphy and Jimmy Bullard.

The first excellent goal came on 16 minutes. Gera exchanged passes on the left with Zamora and cut in to follow the cross. Samuel’s header was too weak to clear the danger and Gera whipped the ball home.

Six minutes later, at the other end, a long range shot from Kevin Davies, never subdued, forced Schwarzer to jump and turn the ball over the bar.

On 35 minutes, only a fine diving save by Jaaskelainen from Zamora’s header prevented Fulham doubling their score after splendid combination at speed between Zamora and Johnson on the left.

Then Zamora, in exuberant form, got the ball out on the left, wriggled past a static Danny Shittu and scored Fulham’s second goal.

In the second half, Jaaskelainen found himself busy again until the concluding minutes, though he would not again be beaten. He pushed a long lob by Simon Davies over the bar, but on 71 minutes, he and Bolton were fortunate again. John Pantsil released Simon Davies on the right and Gera met his cross with a powerful header that rebounded from the bar.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was delighted with the way his team played for 80 minutes, but emphasised the fact that against such direct teams as Bolton you could never relax. Indeed, it was from a huge free kick by Jaaskelainen that Bolton got back into the game. Kevin Davies, who at least now had support from a couple of substitute strikers, got his head to the ball and Heidar Helguson helped it into the net. Even his manager wasn’t sure he had the conclusive touch.

“He’s got that ability,” said Hodgson of Zamora. “He’s got good feet. It’s wonderful when it comes off and it doesn’t surprise me. For a big man, he’s got good technical ability, not only with his head, but with his feet.”

Megson said forlornly: “Today we only had two performers, Kevin Davies and Ricardo Gardner