THERE was no sign of either Stefan Johansen or Anthony Stokes at the start of Fulham’s 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
The Norwegian midfielder, who has just quit Celtic to join the Craven Cottage outfit in a £2million deal, didn’t even get a place on the substitutes’ bench.
However, his former Hoops team-mate Stokes came on in the 73rd minute as boss Owen Coyle, searching for his first Championship win of the campaign, added extra firepower.
But Rovers are now anchored at the foot of the table after Tom Cairney claimed a stoppage-time winner for the visitors.
Coyle, whose new side have only one point from a possible 25, said: “I’ve been in the game long enough to know it can be very cruel. I thought our level of performance was terrific.
“The disappointment, of course, is we’ve lost the goal that decides the game so late and we had opportunities to clear it.
“It’s hard to take for the players and the fans because they were great, they got behind the team and really backed the players and created a good atmosphere.
“What I do know moving forward, if we perform like that and as we look to Wednesday to add to the squad, then I know it will leave us in a good place and a platform to drive ourselves up the Championship table.”
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic said: “We tried to dominate the game and I have to be happy and satisfied with what my team offered during the game.”
Meanwhile Gary Caldwell admitted he was “frustrated” after Wigan’s 1-0 loss at home to Queens Park Rangers.
The former Celtic and Scotland skipper saw his team go down 4-3 to a stoppage-time goal against Nottingham Forest last week.
And he was unable to halt the slide against Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink’s London side who had lost their previous two Championship games.
Caldwell said: “Again we conceded a poor goal and we have to learn that clean sheets are going to be the bedrock of our success this season.
“We have to stop conceding poor goals.
“It’s frustrating again. I thought we created opportunities, even more so towards the end of the game.
“There were a few positives, we created opportunities, the players gave me everything, they kept going.
“We just have to work hard and make sure we get the little things right that become big things in the game.”
The only goal came three minutes into the second half, when Nedum Onuoha lashed in after Jake Bidwell’s free-kick was only half-cleared.
