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Your support makes all the difference.Brede Hangeland was the hero on a European glory night for Fulham as they stunned Shakhtar Donetsk to reach the last 16 of the Europa League.
The defender, along with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, kept out almost everything the Ukrainians threw at them here last night. Hangeland also popped up with Fulham's goal – with their first attack of the night – to set up a stunning success for Roy Hodgson's men. "It has been a wonderful night for the club," the Fulham manager said. "Shakhtar showed what a good team they are. Their ability to pass and keep the ball is as good as I've seen in my 35-year career. It's another marvellous night and great credit to the team."
During their visit to England Shakhtar's players were barred from Harrods, owned by the Fulham chairman, Mohamed al-Fayed, and the Londoners knew that if they could shut up shop again they would be going through. They managed to do just that until Rodrigues Jadson fired Shakhtar level after 69 minutes.
But Fulham held out to knock out the 2009 Uefa Cup winners and make the last 16 of the competition for the first time in their history.
Only a stoppage-time red card for Danny Murphy, which will rule him out of their next match and an Achilles injury sustained by Bobby Zamora, marred a memorable evening in Donetsk. The striker is rated doubtful by Hodgson for Sunday's Premier League game at Sunderland. Fulham were under the cosh for the first half-hour but then took the lead. Zamora won a free-kick, Damien Duff floated in the cross and Hangeland's glancing header beat the Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov.
It cancelled out Adriano's strike seven days earlier, and meant Shakhtar needed to score twice to stay in the tie.
The hosts were straight back on the attack after the break but frustration grew as the substitute Douglas Costa blazed over Schwarzer's crossbar.
The moment Fulham feared arrived when Douglas reached the byline and pulled the ball back for Jadson to sweep past Schwarzer. Fulham hearts were in their mouths as Murphy was shown a red card for kicking out at Srna in stoppage time but the final whistle soon followed.
Shakhtar Donetsk (4-4-2): Pyatov; Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy, Rat; Hubschman (Kravchenko, h-t), Fernandinho, Ilsinho, Jadson; Willian (Douglas Costa, 54), Luiz Adriano (Gladkyy, 76). Substitutes not used: Tetenko, Lewandowski, Gai, Ischenko.
Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly; Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies (Riise, 89); Gera; Zamora (Elm, 72). Substitutes not used: Zuberbühler (gk), Nevland, Smalling, Greening, Marsh-Brown.
Referee: S Oddvar Moen (Norway).
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