Bobby Zamora Fulham

The much-maligned Zamora scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season as Fulham drew 1-1 with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday as the visitors extended their unbeaten run in the league to four games.

The former England U21 striker has his critics for a lack of goals at Craven Cottage, but Hodgson was believed to have given the former West Ham marksman the highest praise after being widely quoted as saying his form could earn a Three Lions call-up.

However, the Cottagers boss has denied he ever called for Fabio Capello to consider the 28-year-old in his World Cup squad.

"I was asked whether there was space in Capello's squad for a player who comes in from the left - how anyone can interpret that as me saying he should play for England is almost laughable," said Hodgson of Zamora, who would have been Trinidad & Tobago player earlier this year but for injury.

Bobby Zamora Fulham
Bobby Zamora Fulham
Bobby Zamora Fulham
Bobby Zamora Fulham
Bobby Zamora Fulham
Bobby Zamora Fulham
Bobby Zamora Fulham"I've been a national coach in three countries and the thing I hated most was a club coach saying I should pick his player. I have vowed never to do that and I never will.

"There's an awful long way between saying what I said and touting Bobby Zamora to play for England."

Hodgson was still keen to praise Zamora's performance after he struck the visitors ahead before Wade Elliott volleyed Burnley a share of the points.

Hodgson added: "Bobby is playing well. He had a slight knock at half-time but he managed to carry on and he scored a good goal. He's leading the line very well."

Bobby Zamora

There were two rare sightings at Craven Cottage: Scooby-Doo and a Bobby Zamora goal. The fictional character was at Fulham to promote a new stage show of the 60s cartoon and Scooby, Shaggy and friends witnessed Zamora’s first goal in 22 Premier League games.

Albion were always second best but would have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for that meddling Zamora, who scored one and had a part in Andrew Johnson’s second for Fulham.

Zamora, signed in the summer for £5 million from West Ham, had gone more than 29 hours – 1,763 minutes to be precise – without scoring in the Premier League, so the euphoric response to the striker’s first League goal since September was understandable.

Roy Hodgson, his manager, admitted: “As a front player you want to score goals and after he scored he had two more great strikes, one produced the second goal, so it’s pretty obvious a weight has been lifted from his mind.”

Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora
Bobby ZamoraThe result hoisted Fulham into the top half of the Premier League while condemning Albion to another weekend at the bottom, and the margin of victory would have been greater but for the woodwork and the athleticism of the outstanding Scott Carson, who impressed in front of Fabio Capello.
Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora
Bobby ZamoraThe memories of Carson’s Wembley howler against Croatia and Niko Kranjcar were finally put to be bed in front of the England coach, but Albion could not replicate his performance against a Fulham side inspired by the midfield duo of Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu.

Fulham have now taken 27 of their 33 points at Craven Cottage; if Hodgson could inspire an improvement in the away form they would be threatening to qualify for Europe. That Mark Schwarzer, their goalkeeper, saved Roman Bednar’s penalty two minutes into added time only served to make Albion’s afternoon that more disappointing.

In the first-half Fulham saw a hat-trick of chances foiled by the woodwork. After five minutes Murphy’s free kick was touched on to the left post by Carson, who then saved from Simon Davies and Etuhu.

Clint Dempsey struck the top of the right post and then Murphy sent another effort against the cross bar as Fulham dominated.

The second half was a similar story with Carson impressive and Albion chasing shadows, though the early introduction of Chris Brunt offered the visitors more options.