Fulham bank on Johnson to get stuck in

Andy Johnson is now among the goals but it is his all-round contribution which has earned the praise of the Fulham management.

It took Johnson seven games to get off the mark following his £10.5million summer move from Everton. Two goals in the FA Cup victory at Sheffield Wednesday mean the striker goes into tomorrow's game against Blackburn with six in 18 matches this season.

Coach Ray Lewington said: "When Andy goes out on the pitch he will always give you something. If he scores, that's great. If he doesn't, you still know he'll assist, and he'll make runs and give the opposition's back four a real tough time. What he does is enthuse everybody else. He is a model pro and a great lad."

Victory could lift Fulham as high as seventh in the Premier League, and recent displays are a far cry from those under Lawrie Sanchez last season.

Lewington said: "We were very inconsistent last year. You were never sure what you were going to get from us, even from half to half.

"Now we've got that consistency and we look like a team but we must not get carried away. We know if we drop just 10 per cent in performance these draws and wins that we're getting could suddenly go to losses."