America claim Fulham rejection

Mexican club America say their goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will be remaining with them after they failed to reach agreement with Fulham.
The Mexican international keeper is known to have been in England over the last few weeks, during which point he made a trip to Fulham.
Cottagers boss Mark Hughes has insisted that Ochoa was on holiday, and during that time he merely visited compatriot Carlos Salcido.
However, Ochoa and his club America insist he was training with the Premier League club and that Fulham were keen on striking a deal.
But now a move in January appears to be off after America claimed an agreement could not be reached.
"Club America and our player Guillermo Ochoa, due to conditions imposed by Fulham, could not reach an agreement in accordance with the best interest of the club and our player," said an America press release.
"The club maintains its position of supporting our goalkeeper's wish to move to European football if an opportunity presents itself, and that is satisfactory to Ochoa and for America."
America's statement came after 25-year-old Ochoa arrived back in Mexico, and he was hopeful a deal would still be done.
"Without any doubt I can say that I always had the dream of playing in Europe, I think that every player has that dream," he said.
"There isn't anything for sure yet but I have come back to Mexico very calm.
"I still belong to America and from what I know there hasn't been any arrangement between the clubs yet. There are conversations, I hope they advance quickly.
"For the moment I can't speak too much. I can only say that I had some conversations with the people of the team that invited me to England and that I accepted because I was on my holidays."
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Hughes sights on striker

Fulham manager Mark Hughes is ready to sign a striker in the January transfer window to compensate for the continued absence of Bobby Zamora.
Hughes' side have struggled in front of goal this season and have scored just 16 times in 17 Premier League games.
The Cottagers have also won just twice in the league and drew another blank in Saturday's 0-0 stalemate at home to Sunderland.
Zamora is still a couple of months away from returning to fitness and Hughes is ready to dip into the transfer market in the New Year.
"We are missing a Bobby Zamora type and he will not be back until the end of January or start of February if everything goes to plan," said Hughes.
"So if there's someone we can bring in to help us, we will look at it.
"But more often than not strikers cost a lot of money at Premier League level, so we will have to see."
Fulham were booed at half-time and the final whistle on Saturday, but Hughes brushed off the disgruntlement despite his team only being outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
He added: "There's a little bit of frustration but they were isolated shouts.
"We've got to make sure we are strong and take something out of every game, which we are trying to do. We'll see what happens in the New Year.
"We want to get more points on the board because, like I've said for a number of weeks, the performances are better than what we are getting.
"The problem is, people start not to believe you. At the moment we are just lacking that little bit of quality in that final third."
Barclays Prem To Stay Up 10/11 Win Outright: Fulham 1/6
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Gera ready for 'massive' game

Zoltan Gera admits Fulham's home date with Sunderland on Saturday has become a 'massive' fixture.
The Cottagers, following a bright opening to the season, have crashed into relegation trouble over recent weeks.
A six-match winless run has seen them tumble out of the top half of the table and into a basement battle.
They now sit just one place above the drop zone, with only goal difference keeping their head above water.
Just two wins all season tells its own story for Mark Hughes' men, with nine draws in 16 outings having held them back.
It is now imperative that they return to winning ways as quickly as possible and Hungarian playmaker Gera is hoping a welcome morale boost can be secured against the Black Cats.
He believes Fulham's showing in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal has given them cause for optimism and feels if they play like that again next time out they will be fine.
"We have to build on this performance and, if we keep playing like we did today, we will start to pick up more points," said Gera.
"We were unlucky but Samir Nasri scored two fantastic goals. We created chances and were aggressive.
"The Sunderland game is massive for us, especially as we are at home. We need the three points.
"Hopefully we will play well like we did against Arsenal."
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Schwarzer commits to Fulham

Fulham have confirmed that Mark Schwarzer has put pen to paper on a contract extension.
The Australia international goalkeeper was keen to leave Craven Cottage over the summer after being linked with a move to Arsenal.
But the Gunners failed with a £4million bid as Fulham were desperate to keep hold of one of their most experienced players.
The decision not to accept Arsenal's offer opened up the possibility of Schwarzer leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season when his current deal expires.
However, Hughes was always confident that Schwarzer would opt to stay with Fulham and he has now committed his future to the club.
The Welsh manager is delighted with the news and happy to put any lingering uncertainty over the 38-year-old's intentions to bed.
"He was obviously very flattered by the interest," said Hughes.
"We're delighted that he's decided to stay here and we can move forward now."
Schwarzer will have the chance to show Arsenal what they are missing when Fulham travel to Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Hughes continued: "It's something we've wanted to do for quite some time.
"I think Mark was keeping his options open and he had every right to do that. He's very happy to sign."
The deal is for a further two years, meaning Schwarzer will turn 40 as a Fulham player.
Schwarzer told the club's official website: "I'm delighted to have finally signed a contract extension with Fulham after a great deal of speculation surrounding my future in recent months.
"The club, manager and team have all highlighted their desire to see me stay at the Cottage and, after successful negotiations, I can confirm that my future is with Fulham.
"Since I joined the club in 2008, we have enjoyed a great deal of success and I believe Mark Hughes and the team will build on this success over the forthcoming seasons and continue the club's progress.
"I have enjoyed two memorable years at the club so far and I am now looking forward to many more."
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Fulham case put on hold

Fulham's bid to oust Sir David Richards as Premier League chairman looks set to be dealt with by an independent arbitration process after the High Court ordered a stay of the club's legal proceedings against him.
The Cottagers have been seeking to have Richards removed - or at the very least banned from involvement with any transfers - after accusing him of scuppering their attempt to sign Peter Crouch from Portsmouth in July 2009.
Fulham launched legal action against both Richards and the Premier League over the matter, but saw the latter pair successfully apply to halt those proceedings while arbitration takes place.
It is not yet known if the club have sought permission to appeal against the decision.
In granting the Premier League and Richards application of a stay, Mr Justice Vos said in his judgement: "The arbitrators will have adequate powers to deal with Fulham's complaint properly, fairly and satisfactorily, and it would be extremely desirable for all concerned if they were permitted to do so without further delay."
Technically, the arbitration proceedings will have the power to force Richards' removal but the decision will nevertheless be seen as a blow to Fulham's hopes on that front.
The decision of the arbitration process is binding, although Fulham may still attempt to take the matter further if the verdict does not go their way.
The club claim Richards interfered with their bid to buy Crouch, who ended up joining Tottenham for £9million, £2million less than they were reportedly willing to pay.
Richards allegedly intervened because Spurs were prepared to offer Portsmouth £9million up front at a time when the south coast club's very existence was under threat, while Fulham were thought to be planning to pay in instalments.
The Cottagers believe Richards broke both Football Association and Premier League rules and failed to act fairly by promoting the interests of one club over another.
Though he accepts he did speak with Portsmouth's then chief executive Peter Storrie - a personal friend - Richards denies he sought to assist Tottenham.
He was cleared of any wrongdoing by a Premier League inquiry but Fulham felt otherwise and called in the lawyers, an unprecedented step from a shareholder club against an organisation's chairman.
If he is ousted, it would send shockwaves through the English game.
The former Sheffield Wednesday supremo has been Premier League chairman for 11 years and is also vice-chairman of the FA, chairman of Club England and is on the FA's international committee.
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Cottagers continue court battle

Fulham have announced their intention to take their bid to oust Premier League chairman Sir David Richards to the Court of Appeal.
The Cottagers are to challenge a High Court judgement which called for their dispute to be settled by arbitration.
Mr Justice Vos granted Richards and the Premier League a stay on the legal action taken against them on Wednesday.
Fulham want Richards removed as they allege he scuppered their plans to sign Peter Crouch in July 2009.
While the judge refused to side with the Cottagers, he did leave the verdict open to appeal and the Premier League outfit plan to take up that option.
A statement released by the club read: "The High Court today ruled that Fulham could not proceed by way of court action in respect of the matters complained of by Fulham in its Unfair Prejudice Petition, issued in April this year, against Sir David Richards and the Premier League.
"Although it ruled that Fulham must pursue its complaints by way of private arbitration under the Premier League and Football Association rules, the High Court also gave Fulham permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal, recognising that there was a previous High Court decision in another case that came to a different conclusion on similar issues, and that an important point of law was involved.
"Fulham intends to take its case to the Court of Appeal so that this important issue can be resolved in its favour."
In earlier granting Richards and the Premier League a stay, Mr Justice Vos said in his judgment: "The arbitrators will have adequate powers to deal with Fulham's complaint properly, fairly and satisfactorily, and it would be extremely desirable for all concerned if they were permitted to do so without further delay."
Richards' removal is one of two possible outcomes sought by Fulham, the other being a ban on his involvement in future transfers.
Fulham are claiming that Richards interfered with their bid to buy England striker Crouch, who ended up joining Tottenham for £9million, £2million less than they were reportedly willing to pay.
Richards allegedly intervened because Spurs were prepared to offer Portsmouth a lump sum up front at a time when the south coast club's very existence was under threat, while Fulham were thought to be planning to pay in instalments.
The Cottagers believe Richards broke both Football Association and Premier League rules and failed to act fairly by promoting the interests of one club over another.
Arsenal 3/10, Draw 4/1, Fulham 10/1
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Hughes - We were too passive

Fulham manager Mark Hughes admits his side allowed Manchester City to run riot and claim a 4-1 win at Craven Cottage.
Hughes, who was sacked as City boss last December and was facing his former club for the first time since his dismissal, watched as his side suffered the decisive defeat on Sunday evening.
And while admitting Roberto Mancini's visitors produced an excellent display, he admits his men were too submissive at times.
"In fairness, we allowed it to happen on too many occasions when we were a little bit too passive," Hughes told Sky Sports HD1.
"We needed to be closing people down quicker than we did. If you allow top quality players, which these Man City guys definitely are, the likelihood is that they'll make you pay.
He added: "I thought City were excellent, especially in the first half. It was probably the best I've seen them play this year.
"I know the guys, I know the qualities they've got and they placed exceptionally well. Credit to them and credit to Roberto Mancini."
Hughes admits Carlos Tevez's sixth-minute goal for City knocked the wind out of the Cottagers' sails.
"Obviously we lost a little bit of belief after the initial first goal," he added. "The one thing you don't want to do is concede early.
"That happened, unfortunately, and then we needed to kick on, obviously we needed to be more aggressive and get up to people.
"But unfortunately we allowed them too much time and space in which to create."
Hughes admits he is still on a learning curve at Fulham after taking the hot-seat in July.
He said: "At the end of the day my focus is totally on Fulham and obviously I haven't been in the club that long but over the next few months we really want to put in place where we want this club to go.
"At the moment we're still, to be very honest, learning about certain players. So today was another wake-up call for a number of us.
"But we've got to draw a line under it. We won't play the quality that we've faced today on that many occasions this year and when we do we've got to make a better fist of it than we did today."
Fulham 11/10, Draw 21/10, Birmingham 11/4
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Hughes denied City revenge

Man of the match:
The gong undoubtedly goes to Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian showed his attacking strength again and again, earning two goals for his troubles.
Goal of the match:
Tevez's neat early opener set the tone for City's commanding display and went on to shape the victory.
Moment of the match:
The Fulham fans dared to hope when Zoltan Gera pulled one back 20 minutes from time, but it couldn't kick-start a Cottagers comeback.
Flying their country's flag:
It really was an evening for Argentina as, in front of a watching Diego Maradona, Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta ran riot for the visitors.
Talking points:
Will this be enough to silence critics of Man City and Roberto Mancini? Are Fulham heading for a relegation battle already?
Mark Hughes' Fulham were no match for Manchester City at Craven Cottage as the visitors delivered a commanding 4-1 victory.
Former City boss Hughes, facing his old side for the first time since his sacking at Eastlands last December, no doubt had revenge on his mind as his former club travelled to the capital on Sunday evening.
But the Blues more than proved their strength in attack, easing the pressure on Hughes' successor Roberto Mancini as they ran out their first win in three games.
Striking ace Carlos Tevez notched a decisive double for City, sandwiching goals from Pablo Zabaleta and Yaya Toure in the first-half.
Tevez capitalised on poor defending from Carlos Salcido to fire home the opener in just the sixth minute, before Zabaleta fired in an effort from long-range and Toure, fed by some more good work from Tevez, added another just three minutes later.
Substitute Zoltan Gera pulled one back for the Cottagers twenty minutes from time, but it was no more than a consolation strike as City took home the crucial three points.
Hughes said all the right things in the build-up to his first encounter with City since he was controversially dumped in favour of Mancini last December but his desperation to win must have been huge. After all, five of the City team were his signings, compared to just one in his own.
It is Tevez though who remains City's stellar buy of the Abu Dhabi era. And it took the South American just five minutes to show why.
On the shoulder of Carlos Salcido, Tevez collected Gareth Barry's pass perfectly, allowing him to roll the defender, expertly using his body weight, and then drill a low shot beyond Mark Schwarzer.
Such is the success City tend to enjoy when Tevez score, Hughes must have feared the worst. Had Aleksandar Kolarov showed a similarly clinical instinct when he nipped past Damien Duff after David Silva had found him with a delicate chipped pass on a lightning break forward, the contest would have been over before it eventually was.
The wait was only a couple of minutes though. The culprit Duff, whose scuffed clearance to a low Silva cross rolled perfectly for Zabaleta.
In front of watching Argentina legend Diego Maradona, Zabaleta must have impressed his fellow countryman with the ferocity of his strike, which flew into the corner.
If Tevez was the stand-out signing of Hughes' time in charge, Toure is Mancini's signature transfer.
The wages, estimated at £220,000, are still so colossal they can scarcely be believed. The figure trotted out with every ineffective display.
Yet Toure goes about his work in an understated way.
The Ivorian did not really dominate proceedings here but overlapping to Tevez's right to collect a pass that continued a move Jo and Silva had started, he finished in fine style, more or less in exactly the same spot as the first City goal ended up in.
A brief flurry which coincided with Zoltan Gera's half-time introduction raised hopes of a Fulham face-saving mission.
Sadly for Hughes and his players it turned out to be an illusion.
Tevez really should have squared to provide an unmarked Jo with a tap-in after he had burst clear of the home defence.
Instead he allowed Schwarzer to make the save, conceding the corner from which he was to profit as, with his back to goal, he stuck out a foot to send Zabaleta's 20-yard drive looping into the Fulham net for his 10th goal of the season.
There was no way back for the hosts, who did gain some consolation thanks to Gera.
But Hughes and his team are now in a relegation scrap and he can only watch as City challenge for the major honours.
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Fulham v Man City preview

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Mark Hughes has the chance for revenge over Manchester City on Sunday when his former club arrive at Craven Cottage to take on Fulham.
The Welshman was ruthlessly sacked by billionaire City owner Sheikh Mansour last December after it was predicted that results were not sufficient to secure a top-four place in the Premier League.
Roberto Mancini was swiftly appointed as a replacement and a place among England's elite clubs did ultimately prove out of reach, although it has been questioned whether that was hindered by a change of manager.
This weekend sees Hughes reunited with his former employers for the first time since his departure and, although the party line will be that this is not a personal battle, there is the added incentive to pile pressure on his successor.
Mancini's future has come under increased scrutiny after his team were booed off against Birmingham last weekend following a second home stalemate in succession on the back of the dull 0-0 draw with derby rivals Manchester United.
City continue to occupy a place in the UEFA Champions League places, but their manager is being questioned over his side's conservative tactics and a failure to entertain, having gone four hours and 45 minutes without a goal at home.
A trip to the capital could therefore bring some welcome solace, but Fulham have lost only once at home in the league this season and Hughes will want to end a three-game winless run that has left his club only one point above the relegation zone.
Fulham will still be without long-term injury victim Bobby Zamora as the striker continues his recovery from ligament damage.
Summer signing Carlos Salcido was ruled out for a month earlier in November after sustaining an ankle problem, while Chris Baird is set for a late test.
But Hughes is without Philippe Senderos and Fredrik Stoor as he looks to address a record of eight draws from 13 Premier League matches.
England duo Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards are Mancini's main doubts ahead of the trip to London, but goalkeeper Joe Hart has overcome the back injury that caused him to miss Wednesday's defeat to France.
Lescott is struggling with a foot injury, while Richards has a rib problem following the midweek encounter with Les Bleus.
After successive goalless draws, City could do with the attacking threat of Mario Balotelli, but the forward is still suspended.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Duff, Dempsey, Murphy, Davies, Gera, A Johnson, Dembele.
Man City: Hart, Boateng, K Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, De Jong, Y Toure, Johnson, Silva, Milner, Tevez.
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De Jong - City to fight back

Nigel De Jong insists Manchester City are ready to stand their corner and fight back following a tough few weeks for Roberto Mancini's side.
City have only won one of their last five Premier League outings and have now failed to score in their last two following goalless home draws with Manchester United and Birmingham.
The pressure is firmly on Mancini to turn around their fortunes, starting with Fulham against this weekend, and De Jong says the players are ready to fight it out.
De Jong knows City dropped points at home to Birmingham, although he was pleased the team still managed to pick up something despite being far from their best.
"We're like a boxer in the corner at the moment and we're trying to fight our way out," said the Dutch international. "We've taken a few punches and now it's time to starting battling back.
"Against Birmingham we were expected to win - and should have done because we had enough chances - but we didn't play as well as we can and they came to stifle our play.
"The important thing is, despite not being at our best, we still picked up something. What was disappointing is that a lot of teams around us also dropped points and we didn't take advantage of it."
Sunday's trip to Craven Cottage sees City take on former manager Mark Hughes and De Jong believes the game will be more interesting due to the matchup.
"It will be an interesting game on Sunday because obviously we are playing our old manager and he knows most of our squad," he continued.
"I think it will be a difficult game because even though Fulham haven't won too many matches, they haven't lost many either.
"Craven Cottage is a difficult place to go, but we have to go there looking for nothing less than three points and take the game to them."
Man. City 5/4, Fulham 11/5, Draw 9/4
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Briggs targets regular spot

Matthew Briggs is determined to establish himself as a key component of the Fulham side after making an impression over the past week.
Briggs was given an opportunity to line up against Chelsea last Wednesday following an injury to first-choice Fulham left-back Carlos Salcido.
He earned praise from manager Mark Hughes despite the match ending in a 1-0 defeat, but was then left out of the starting XI at Newcastle on Saturday as the Cottagers kept a clean sheet in a goalless stalemate.
Briggs accepts that he has already come a long way in a short space of time, having graduated from the club's academy and spent time on loan at Leyton Orient last season.
But the 19-year-old is determined to grasp any further chances that are presented to him after enjoying his moment on the big stage.
"It's a massive leap for me," he told the club's official website. "I've got my foot in the door and I've got to keep it there now. I've just got to prove myself.
"From playing against Millwall reserves to playing against the champions was a big step and the pace of the game was a lot quicker.
"Playing against the likes of Drogba and Kalou was a big challenge. The players all told me that I did well so I've got to take that on board and move on from there."
Briggs believes he can take a lot of confidence from the decent showing against the Premier League leaders, although he was grateful for the guidance of his more experienced team-mates.
"It was a massive night, it was my second start in the first team," he explained.
"It felt amazing, obviously Chelsea are one of the biggest sides in the Premier League so to get my first Premier League start against them was great.
"The players talked to me the whole game and let me know where I should be and at what time.
"Having Duffer [Damien Duff] with me also helped a lot. My target now is to get as many games as I can this season and hopefully also get into the England Under-21 side."
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Hodgson - No need to panic

Roy Hodgson insists Liverpool's setback at Stoke has not altered the club's ambition for the season.
A 2-0 reversal at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday was the Reds' fifth loss of the campaign so far.
It allowed the Potters to edge above them in the Premier League table, forcing Hodgson's men into the bottom half.
The defeat was Liverpool's first in six outings, though, and they remain just six points off Manchester City in fourth.
With that in mind, Hodgson believes there is no cause for concern within the camp and is confident his side can get back on track against West Ham on Saturday.
"I don't see why it should give us enormous reason to doubt what we are doing or doubt what we are capable of doing," he told the club's official website.
"I don't expect this result to dent confidence any more than any bad result does or any end to a good run dents your confidence.
"We are talking about two or three games in a season. I find it hard to have to explain that every time you win a game things are flying forward and when you get a bad result they are flying backwards.
"I'm a 38-to-55-game-a-season man and I make my judgment over that period.
"I don't get euphoric when we play well against Chelsea and I certainly won't become anything other than realistic and determined to move on to the next step when we lose a game.
"The conclusions that are being attempted to be drawn are too big conclusions.
"We're realistic. We know we've still got some work to do, get some players back to fitness and work at our game.
"All you can do is work but unfortunately we won't have a lot of chance to work as some players are going away with their national team.
"The longer we work together the more the players become attuned to what we want from them.
"I don't think I need to fear one setback in six is going to throw us back into a bad situation."
Liverpool 4/11, Draw 7/2, West Ham 8/1
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Hughes sympathises with Pulis

Fulham boss Mark Hughes has intimated that the so-called bigger sides tend to get the benefit of key decisions from referees.
The performances of officials have come under the spotlight of late following comments made by Stoke manager Tony Pulis.
After a string of controversial decisions seemingly going against the Potters, Pulis suggested the worst referees should be relegated from the Premier League.
And Hughes, who takes his side to Chelsea on Wednesday night, said: "Do big clubs get the benefit of decisions?
"As a player at Manchester United I would have said absolutely not. But as a manager going up against the so-called Big Four clubs, I have a different view, possibly.
"There's a natural tendency, it's human nature. Sometimes the consequences of giving a decision against a big side are too much for some referees to take. It's difficult for them.
"There's no way I'm questioning the integrity because it's split-second decisions and it's human nature sometimes that you take the easy option."
Hughes added: "You just want consistency in decisions and most of the season you will get that. But where a decision actually affects the outcome of the result, those are the ones you want the referees to get correct and of late it seems too many of them have been given incorrect.
"I'm not for one minute saying that we get badly treated in terms of refereeing decisions.
"We've had a number that have gone against us but there are a number of clubs aggrieved by decisions that are made against them."
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Fulham suffer Salcido blow

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Fulham defender Carlos Salcido has been ruled out for up to a month with an ankle injury.
Salcido picked up the problem following a tackle by Ashley Young in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and he had to be taken off in the 69th minute.
It has now been revealed that he suffered ligament damage and is facing a spell on the sidelines.
"It was a mistimed tackle on Carlos last weekend but I don't think there was any intention to hurt him," said manager Mark Hughes.
"Obviously Carlos is bearing the consequences of the challenge and unfortunately he has ruptured a ligament on his ankle.
"The likelihood is he will be out for three to four weeks."
Salcido will therefore miss a number of important games for the Cottagers, starting with Wednesday's clash against London rivals Chelsea.
The news of his injury will come as a major blow to Hughes because the Mexican has slotted in well at left-back since arriving from PSV Eindhoven over the summer.
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Fulham - Hughes blasts Young challenge

Fulham boss Mark Hughes has criticised Aston Villa defender Luke Young for his tackle on Carlos Salcido.
Salcido was forced off as a result of Young's challenge during Fulham's 1-1 draw with Villa at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The Mexican defender is facing a few weeks on the sidelines with ankle ligament damage and Hughes was unhappy with the manner of the challenge from Young.
"It doesn't look good in fairness. He's in a boot at the moment," said Hughes.
"I've seen the tackle on video and the lad's gone over the top and I would imagine it's ligament damage.
"I don't want to say how long but it'll be a number of weeks."
Chelsea v Fulham.
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Hughes hails Fulham belief

Fulham boss Mark Hughes hailed his side's never-say-die attitude as centre-half Brede Hangeland rescued the hosts a point in the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at Craven Cottage.
The Norwegian defender earned the Cottagers a point with a last-gasp equaliser when he rose highest to head home a free-kick from Danny Murphy with just seconds remaining.
Marc Albrighton's 42nd-minute strike looked to have given Villa a vital win when he latched on to a sensational cross-field pass from Barry Bannan to finish in style.
But Hangeland stole the show in the fourth minute of stoppage time much to the delight of Hughes.
He told Sky Sports: "We found it quite difficult in that second half. We were one goal down and Villa looked a threat on the break.
"But in fairness, we kept on probing and kept on asking questions, kept on trying to do the right things.
"We didn't ask enough questions in the second-half, in terms of balls into the box, but the one ball we did produce brought us the goal and we are thankful for that.
"At that late stage you are thinking the game is lost and it has gone beyond you. We got something out of the game so we are pleased.
"We have got to be pleased with the point."
Hughes was disappointed striker Andrew Johnson could not take his chance after coming on as a second half substitute.
He added: "Andrew looked bright. I just felt we needed to stretch the game. We kept going and that is the positive we will take from it.
"It was a shame Andy couldn't take his opportunity, but it's only a matter of time before he gets up the level we know he can achieve.
"He showed once again he still has that awareness. But credit to Brad (Friedel) who came out very quickly and closed his angle down. It was good play all round."

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Hughes hopes for more

Fulham manager Mark Hughes hopes his team can push on and produce a sustained march up the Premier League.
The Cottagers boss has enjoyed a steady start to his tenure and is preparing for the challenge of Aston Villa on Saturday.
Fulham picked up a 2-0 win over Wigan last weekend and Hughes is hoping for more performances of the same ilk, and points to follow.
"Performance-wise we've been fine but results-wise we want more points on the board," he said.
"We've been playing well this season, although with a bit of frustration with a few draws initially.
"We had a couple of defeats but last weekend I thought we were excellent.
"The level we reached against Wigan was what I'm looking for and I want to make sure the standard we achieved last weekend is maintained against Villa.
"We want to build on that result against Wigan and achieve back-to-back wins.
"If we can pick up six points in two games we'll very much establish ourselves in the top half of the table - and that's where we want to be for the remainder of the season."
Striker Andy Johnson is on the comeback trail and came on for 10 minutes against the Latics at Craven Cottage.
He will not start this weekend but is expected to feature against Villa and Hughes hopes to ease him back to full fitness.
"Every day Andy gets stronger and more ready for 90 minutes," he remarked.
"He won't start this weekend but we'll look to introduce him at some point in the game.
"Andy's really pleased with where he's at and the way he feels. With strikers it's more a timing issue than actually being physically tired in games.
"It's about getting your timing right, arriving at the right time in the box and creating chances in the box when you get the opportunity."
Hughes added: "It's been a good week and we're in good shape - Damien Duff has trained most of the week so he's available for selection.
"Dickson Etuhu has been involved over the past few days so he's also an option."
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Johnson glad to be back

Fulham striker Andy Johnson has admitted it was hard to cope with such a long spell on the sidelines.
Johnson returned to first-team action as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat at West Brom last weekend and will continue his comeback against Wigan on Saturday.
He had been struggling with injuries for about a year and is thrilled to be back involved again.
The 29-year-old concedes that staying positive was difficult during such a long absence.
"I'd never spent such a long period on the sidelines and it was very frustrating," said Johnson.
"It was something mentally hard that I had to deal with.
"The fans mostly see the glitz and the glamour, the nice cars and the nice houses and all the other rubbish connected with football that appears in the newspapers and magazines.
"This was the other side of the game. For me, it was very tough."
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Hughes admires Roque quality

Fulham boss Mark Hughes admits he would be interested in landing a player of Roque Santa Cruz's quality in the January transfer window.
Hughes has signed the Paraguay international twice before, bringing him to Ewood Park while Blackburn manager and then securing his services for Manchester City.
But Santa Cruz has been told by new City boss Roberto Mancini he can leave Eastlands in January after making just one appearance this term and Hughes, who failed in an attempt to sign the Paraguayan on loan during the summer, admits he would again be interested.
He said: "I'm interested in players of the quality of Roque. My interest in him before was there for everybody to see.
"Whether we pursue that in January is open to debate. I'm not aware that he's available. That might change. But I don't like discussing players by name before we've actually signed him.
"This time in the transfer window we want to target players quite early so that we are ready to flick the switch when the window opens."
Fulham currently sit in 16th place in the top flight but Hughes believes his side, who face Wigan on Saturday, have been playing well this term, apart from the 2-1 defeat at West Brom last time.
"We struggled against West Brom last weekend because of the injuries but prior to that we were unbeaten until two games ago," Hughes said.
"We acquitted ourselves very well in the Tottenham game (a 2-1 loss). I was unhappy with a couple of decisions that went against us.
"Overall, I've been delighted with our performances, if you take the West Brom game out of it. We need to pick up three points tomorrow and our home form is good, so the expectation is we have a good chance.
"Four out of our next six games are at home and we anticipate we'll pick up points in those games. Irrespective of who the opposition is, we'll give them a good game at home.
"Away from home our form isn't great and we're trying to change that. What kind of season we have will depend on our form on the road."
Andy Johnson will continue his comeback from a combination of shoulder, knee and hip injuries against the Latics, although he is unlikely to start.
"Andy's available for selection. He did very well against West Brom but we don't want to rush him," Hughes added.
"It's important for Andy to know in his own mind that he's fit and well, but he's done everything we've asked of him.
"He played another game behind closed doors on Tuesday but he's probably not ready for 90 minutes. We must filter him back into the group as carefully as we can."
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Stockdale eyes No.1 spot

Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale admits his next challenge is to become the club's No.1 goalkeeper ahead of Mark Schwarzer.
The 25-year-old shot-stopper started the Cottagers' first four games of the season but suffered an injury and has been on the sidelines for four weeks.
Schwarzer has now returned to the Fulham goal despite strong speculation at the start of the campaign that a move to Arsenal was on the cards, but Stockdale wants to stake his claim for a first-team berth once more.
It has been suggested that the former York City and Darlington keeper is a natural successor to Schwarzer, and he reveals he has a long-term ambition to be Fulham's No.1.
"I have heard people say that, but I'll leave it to others to decide," he told the club's official website.
"Of course, I have confidence that I can play a part here and make a difference, but after seven games it's difficult to say.
"I think this is a conversation for a later date, perhaps when I have made 20 to 25 appearances.
"I have shown that I can do a job, but the challenge now is to pass Mark when he's not injured - that's something that I have to aspire to.
"I'll take one step at a time, but make no mistake, I have ambitions of becoming Fulham's number one goalkeeper."
Stockdale admits his recent injury came at a frustrating time following his run in the starting XI, but says he is now ready for action once more.
He added: "It was a long four weeks, so it's nice to be in a position to play again.
"I perhaps rushed my recovery after injuring my knee at Blackpool, which probably extended my time on the sidelines - but I just wanted to get back.
"The international break gave me the chance to catch up and I've been working hard. The knee feels good and hopefully I will be part of the squad today."
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